HOSTOS RECEIVES ASSISTANCE FROM ROPES & GRAY LLP
TO EXPAND LEGAL SERVICES FOR STUDENTS 
THROUGH EXISTING SINGLE STOP PROGRAM

Single Stop Program at Hostos expands services

Thursday, December 19, 2013 (Bronx, NY) – The Division for Student Development and Enrollment Management at Hostos Community College (CUNY) recently unveiled a unique team within its Single Stop USA Program, which will expand legal advice and support services to assist students and their families, contributing to the College’s retention and graduation efforts. 
 
Ropes & Gray LLP, an international firm with more than 1,100 professionals, has teamed with The Legal Aid Society, the oldest and largest not-for-profit legal services organization in the nation in providing equal access to justice and quality legal representation to low-income and underserved students in the South Bronx. Services were expanded to Hostos students after new Hostos Board of Directors Member Robert C. Morgan, a retired partner at Ropes & Gray, wanted to make a positive impact on students’ lives in the best way he knew how. After learning more about the free legal services The Legal Aid Society already provided through Single Stop, Morgan worked with Denise L. Loring, another retired partner from Ropes & Gray, to introduce other fellow attorneys and forge the team. 
 
Marshall Green, The Legal Aid Society’s Attorney-in-Charge of the Bronx Neighborhood Office, and his colleagues welcomed the addition of the Ropes & Gray attorneys to Single Stop, including training them in the issues faced by Hostos’ students.
 
Hostos President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez praised the commitment of these trained professionals who are donating their time to helping the Hostos family. “Sometimes legal issues can stop a college student’s journey right in its tracks. Students and their families, who are facing eviction, custody disputes, immigration and other situations, often need help navigating the legal landscape. This new group enhances our legal assistance program so our students can remain focused on their studies,” said Hostos President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “I applaud Ropes & Gray for their interest in helping our students and helping to bring these services to Hostos.”
 
Overall, more than 7,500 students have received services from Single Stop USA since 2009 when the program first started, with approximately 1,000 of those students receiving assistance from The Legal Aid Society. 

This unique initiative expands the services Single Stop has always provided, giving students more of an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the judicial system. The program also serves as a resource to increase awareness about student rights and helps students to learn how to advocate for themselves and their families. 
 
Assistance is offered on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Single Stop USA Service Center in room D-101. Those interested in receiving this free service are urged to make an appointment by calling (718) 319-7981. 

To learn more about this program, go to http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/singlestop/legal/
 
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique “Student Success Coaching Unit” provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.

Hostos offers 29 associate degree programs and five certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to CUNY’s four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 480,000 students at 24 colleges.

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