News

Press Release: PALS' hiring of its new Executive Director

PRESS RELEASE

Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc. (PALS)

Announces the Appointment of its New Executive Director

New York City’s premier law school-to-legal practice mentoring and diversity pipeline organization is pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Brown Donaldson, Esq, as its new Executive Director.

Donaldson, who began her tenure as Executive Director on August 1, 2011, has over 15 years of experience as a practicing attorney in New York City, working for major law firms, a government agency, and establishing and building a successful private practice.

Throughout her career, Donaldson has had an unwavering commitment to PALS. Initially she participated in PALS as a student at Fordham University School of Law. Later, as a practicing attorney, Donaldson was appointed to the PALS Board of Directors where she served as an active member and Executive Board member for many years. Throughout her career, she has been involved at the board and program administration levels of various professional development organizations dedicated to the advancement of minorities.

Says Timothy Lynch, Chairperson of the PALS Board of Directors:

"The success of PALS depends on working successfully with our various stakeholders. Those stakeholders include New York City metropolitan area law students, law schools, law firms, government agencies, corporations, various general and minority bar associations and the PALS Board of Directors. You can't over- value the importance of Paula's experiences and involvement with many of those stakeholders. We are confident that Paula will provide an invaluable contribution to PALS.”

Adds Alison Moore, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors:

"Not only does Paula have broad stakeholder experience, but her energy, enthusiasm and dedication to mentoring and helping students and young attorneys to succeed has been demonstrated for many years. Board members who had an opportunity to see Paula in action with students and get to know her during the course of our selection process were universally impressed by her."

“I am so very pleased to be joining PALS again and I will work diligently to continue to expand PALS’ unique and necessary services for students and young attorneys because their achievements benefit and enrich our entire legal community and beyond,” said Donaldson. “I credit my relationships with my mentors from PALS, as well as my prior experience on the PALS Executive Board, with much of my professional success; I am excited and committed to continue to pay this experience forward,” she added.

Donaldson’s varied professional legal experience includes, establishing a minority and women-owned boutique real estate law firm, practicing corporate real estate law as a senior associate at the international law firm TORYS LLP, and working as the Director of Large Scale Development, and as the Director of Development Programs and Initiatives at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

She is a graduate of Hampton University and Fordham University School of Law.

ABOUT PALS

Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc. (PALS) assists minorities entering the legal profession. PALS offers mentoring and career guidance services to minority law students attending the 13 law schools that are located in the New York City metropolitan area and is a 501 (3)(c), not-for-profit organization. PALS, originally called the "Adopt-a- Law Student Program," was founded in 1984 to improve the recruitment of minority law students by New York City's major law firms. Since its creation over 25 years ago, PALS has been the premier organization of its kind in the New York City area whose mission is to provide services primarily directed to minority law students and new attorneys of color.

Our Mentor Matching Program and Mock Interview and Resume Workshop give students an opportunity to interact one-on-one with attorneys and develop professional relationships. Our Supplemental Bar Tutorial, which is conducted twice a year, has assisted hundreds of minority law students taking the New York State Bar. PALS has a strong legacy and tradition of providing supplemental programs and resources to minority law students. PALS succeeds each time one of the students or new attorneys in its program achieves a personal victory or milestone in their legal career.

For more information on our programs, please contact Paula Brown Donaldson at ExecutiveDirector@palsprogram.org or visit the PALS website at www.palsprogram.org.