St. John's Law Student David Durso Wins NY Bar Foundation's Elder Law Section Scholarship

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ALBANY, NY (12/20/2010)(readMedia)-- St. John's University School of Law student David Durso has been chosen as the recipient of the Elder Law Section Scholarship administered by The New York Bar Foundation.

The $2,500 award is available to second- or third-year law students who are enrolled in a law school in New York and actively participating in an Elder Law Clinic at the school during the 2010/2011 academic year. Named for the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, the scholarship will be applied to Mr. Durso's law school tuition for the current academic year.

Mr. Durso is pursuing his second year of study and serves in the following capacities at the law school: as a staff member of the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development, and as a student ambassador of the Office of Admissions, student ambassador. He received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Legal Analysis and Writing. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Long Island University – C.W. Post Campus (Brookville, NY). He was a volunteer firefighter for the Wading River Fire Department from 2000 to 2002, and completed specialized training in heavy rescue, hazardous materials, incident command and rapid intervention teams.

A resident of Wading River, New York, Mr. Durso is a legal intern with St. John's Elder Law Clinic. He served as a judicial intern to Hon. Edward A. Maron, New York State Supreme Court in Summer 2010. In addition to receiving the scholarship, Mr. Durso will be a guest member of the Elder Law Section and is invited to attend the section's executive committee meetings during 2011.

M. Catherine Richardson, president of The New York Bar Foundation said, "We are delighted to honor David Durso with the second annual Elder Law Section Scholarship. David has a genuine concern for the interests of senior citizens and is deeply dedicated to the field of elder law. We are pleased that this scholarship will assist a law student in achieving his goal of becoming an attorney practicing in the area of elder law."

Elder Law Section Chair Sharon Kovacs Gruer (Sharon Kovacs Gruer, PC, Great Neck) said, "The Elder Law Section is pleased to again confer this prestigious scholarship to a talented law student. David Durso has shown exceptional promise and is already assisting our senior citizens with their cases through St. John's Elder Law Clinic. I anticipate he will make an outstanding elder law attorney."

The goal of the Elder Law Section Scholarship is to create a network and to cultivate relationships among lawyers practicing elder law and law students planning to practice elder law, and to encourage the practice of elder law among lawyers throughout New York.

The Elder Law Section provides services and opportunities for involvement on issues relating to elder law for members of the New York State Bar Association. Among its activities, the section presents educational programs and publishes materials on practice, procedure and developments to enhance the competence and skill of lawyers who practice in this field and improves their ability to deliver the most efficient and highest quality of services to their clients; prepares studies, analyses and recommendations to seek improvement in the law and procedure relating to elder law; and undertakes projects to increase the understanding of senior citizens, their families and the general public concerning legal issues affecting the elderly.

Founded in 1950, The New York Bar Foundation provides funding through its grant making program to increase public understanding of the law; improve the justice system and the law; facilitate the delivery of legal services; and enhance professional competence and ethics. To learn more about The New York Bar Foundation and how you can support its charitable programs, go to www.tnybf.org, phone 518-487-5651 or email foundation@tnybf.org.

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The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the official statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Founded in 1876, State Bar programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice system for more than 130 years. For more information, visit us at our Web site at www.nysba.org.