CUNY Law Welcomes New Class with Inspiring Alumni Panel
On August 19, 2024, CUNY School of Law welcomed its newest class of aspiring public interest lawyers with an inspiring alumni panel discussion. The event, titled “Building Community and Finding Allies in Public Interest Law,” brought together five accomplished CUNY Law graduates who shared their experiences, offered advice, and emphasized the importance of networking and self-care in the legal profession.
The panel was moderated by the Honorable Tracey A. Bing (ret.) ’96, Director of the First Impressions Youth Legal Collaborative at CUNY School of Law. Judge Bing, a CUNY Law graduate and native New Yorker, has dedicated her career to community legal advocacy, education, and youth justice. She began at Harlem Legal Services as an IOLA Legal Services Fellow and continued advocating for families, children, and survivors of domestic violence at the Legal Aid Society and Manhattan Legal Services. As a judge in Bronx County Family Court for nearly a decade, she presided over cases related to child protection, custody, and family offenses.
Judge Bing set the tone for the evening by highlighting the school’s commitment to social justice and the strength of its alumni network. “We find each other everywhere,” Judge Bing remarked, emphasizing the close-knit nature of the CUNY Law community. She encouraged the incoming students to embrace the challenges ahead, citing her own experience entering her first semester with a six-month-old baby: Law school would be difficult, but it would ultimately be worth the effort.
Meet the Panelists: Diverse Careers in Public Interest Law
Edgar O. Irizarry ’12, Court Attorney-Referee in Queens County Surrogate’s Court. Irizarry previously served as Court Attorney to the Hon. Tracey A. Bing in Bronx County Family Court for over nine years and as Principal Law Clerk to the Hon. Nelida Malavé-Gonzalez in Bronx County Surrogate’s Court. Having migrated from Puerto Rico to New York in his early twenties, Edgar ventured in the entertainment industry while attending City College of New York and earning a BA in Spanish Literature.
Shonna Carlson ’21, Deputy Chief of the Family Court Bureau at Nassau County Legal Aid. Carlson graduated from CUNY Law in 2021 and completed the dual-degree program in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. During her time at CUNY Law, Shonna took the Family Defense Practice Clinic, worked as a Criminal Law Teaching Assistant, was a Staff Editor for Law Review, and interned at The Bronx Defenders and the Center for Court Innovation.
Soukaina Sourouri ’20, Attorney at Law and owner of Sourouri Law Firm P.C.. Sourouri is currently a solo practitioner managing her general practice firm where she focuses predominantly on Family Law and currently serves as the President for the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association as the association’s first Arab and first Muslim President.
Karen Marcos ’21, Agency Attorney and Diversity Officer at the Business Integrity Commission. Marcos is an experienced advocate for tenants’ rights at New York Legal Assistance Group and assists communities with immigration-related legal issues through CUNY Citizenship Now. She began her legal career at Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s Office and has since transitioned to NYC’s Business Integrity Commission where she focuses on regulatory and compliance matters within the commercial trade waste industry.
Each alumnus brought a unique perspective to the discussion, sharing their journeys from law school to their current roles and offering valuable insights to the incoming class.
Key Themes: Networking, Authenticity, and Self-Care in Legal Practice
Irizarry, who initially pursued Spanish literature before discovering his passion for law, encouraged students to be open to new experiences. “If I did it, you guys can do it,” he assured the audience, emphasizing the importance of respect and ethical behavior in the legal profession. He added, “You have a name, you’re gonna carry that name throughout your life. You don’t want anybody to really associate your name with dishonesty or misbehavior.”
Carlson, a recent graduate and former admissions student hire, brought palpable enthusiasm to the panel. Her excitement was propelled by a sincere desire to set the new class up for success. “If you care about the work, you’re going to internalize some of it. That’s just going to happen. I would love to come up here and say that you can separate yourself every single day, but I don’t think that’s truthful. And I’d much, much, much rather prepare you for the fact that you’re going to because you’re all here at CUNY that tells me one thing: Something drove you to go to a law school that is so focused on public service.” She advised students to make regular check-ins with the people in their lives beyond CUNY Law, the people who know why you’re doing it.
Sourouri, who started as an evening student before transitioning to full-time study, offered a candid perspective on the challenges of law school. With good-natured frankness, she shared, “I will also be honest in saying law school was not All That for me. I’m here to tell you that it was very difficult. I had a lot of self-doubt, but I didn’t think I would ever be on this side.” She reassured students that it is normal to have moments when something is hard or isn’t quite clicking and emphasized the importance of perseverance. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel, believe it or not,” Sourouri said, encouraging students to support one another with study groups and outline swaps throughout their journey.
Marcos, who transitioned from prosecution to regulatory work, stressed the importance of finding one’s passion within public interest law. She urged students to remain open to various opportunities and to focus on their strengths while working on their weaknesses. Marcos shared, “I said, ‘If I’m from Queens, New York, from John Jay, I’m from CUNY. I want to go to a school that represents me, so I can represent the people that look like me.”
Throughout the discussion, several key themes emerged:
Networking and Community Building
All panelists emphasized the importance of building relationships within and beyond the CUNY Law community. Judge Bing noted that many of her most enduring and sustaining relationships were forged through her time at CUNY Law, both with classmates and with alumni she connected with later in her career. And everyone encouraged the students to join Bar Associations. Not only are they free for students, but they also host networking events (with free food and drinks!).
Embracing Diversity and Authenticity
The panel addressed the challenges of navigating the legal profession as individuals from diverse backgrounds. Sourouri emphasized, “Always be respectful. You never know who you’re talking to or who they will be later in life. And you don’t know what people are going through and what kind of day they had. So just being kind to others cost you nothing.”
Self-Care and Work-Life Balance
Recognizing the demanding nature of legal studies and public interest work, the alumni stressed the importance of self-care and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Time with loved ones, exercise, little breaks — perspective and ways to step away from studies that restore and energize you can go a long way.
Practical Skills and Preparation
The panelists highlighted CUNY Law’s focus on practical skills, noting how this emphasis sets graduates apart in the legal field. Marcos shared, “CUNY will allow you to have experiences and the resources to look at the law in a different scope. So, use that to your advantage.”
Persistence and Resilience
Each speaker shared personal stories of overcoming challenges, emphasizing that setbacks are normal and can be valuable learning experiences. Irizarry encouraged, “You’ll never do it alone. Nothing gets done alone. You always have somebody that will help you. You will help others. And that’s how we carry on with our tradition.”
A Common Path: CUNY Law’s Commitment to Justice
The panel’s discussion on CUNY Law’s reputation in the legal community revealed a nuanced reality. While acknowledging the occasional bias, the alumni painted a picture of a school whose graduates are increasingly recognized for their unique blend of passion, skill, and practical know-how.
“CUNY Law school graduates are everywhere,” Judge Bing declared, her voice carrying a note of pride. She went on to describe the deep-rooted network of accomplished alumni that extends throughout the legal system — from the judiciary to the legislature, from grassroots organizations to private practices.
As each panelist spoke, a common thread emerged: a sense of shared purpose, a commitment to justice that transcended individual career paths. They described a network that was more than just professional connections; it was a community bound by a common vision of what the law could and should be.
The message to the incoming class was clear: their choice to attend CUNY Law was not just a decision about education, but a commitment to a particular view of justice.
In choosing CUNY Law, they had not just selected a school; they had chosen a path.