Albany Law School

Kendra Jenkins '12, along with 13 other Albany Law students, spent the latter half of the summer developing a legal resource for fisherman and shrimpers who may lose their boats because they cannot work in the wake of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

The project, led by Jenkins and conducted on behalf of the Pro Bono Project of New Orleans and the Mississippi Center for Justice, necessitated weeks of research on foreclosure, as well as awards for business losses and the applicability of other potential relevant acts.

 

"Our research is helping us to create an informational document for people in the Gulf area who might lose their boats, and, therefore, their livelihood," said Jenkins. "Basically, all of our research was focused on the question, what can they do to reverse the foreclosure?"

Jenkins and her classmates divided into teams to explore such areas as the process of foreclosure, time limits and potential remedies, including community reinvestment programs and minority business loans. Research is ongoing, but Jenkins expects to conclude the project early this fall.

 

"Now that the semester has started, I'll focus on my schoolwork during the week and do this project on the weekends," she said.

 

Jenkins also worked in the New York State Attorney General's office in Manhattan this summer, conducting legal research on antitrust matters.

 

And this fall, she will launch the Animal Law Project, a pro bono initiative in which students will perform research on a wide range of animal law issues while collaborating with Albany attorney Cia Bruno, who specializes in animal rights issues.

 

"Albany Law's new pro bono program gives all of us great opportunities to work on a broad range of law-related service projects, both locally and nationally," said Jenkins. "There are so many different ways to gain valuable experience while also serving the community."

 

"I've always been interested in environmental law, and followed it in the news," said Jenkins, who graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in journalism and communications before enrolling at Albany Law. "But at this point, in law school, I want to explore as many areas of law as possible."

 

She manages to spend time away from the law by working at Winter Glen Farm in Guilderland, N.Y., where she cares for horses.