Through One Clinic Three St. John’s Law Students Chart Paths as Consumer Advocates

When Professor Gina Calabrese invited Isabella DiPalma ‘23C, ‘27L, Robert (Dylan) Hollenhead ‘27, and Nicholas Knapp ‘22C, ‘27L to accompany her for a day of advocacy on consumer legislation in Albany, NY, they happily accepted. It was a chance to build on the experience they had gained as students in the Law School’s Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic and support their policy work as leaders of St. John’s student chapter of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA).

Engaging with Albany legislators and staffers with New Yorkers for Responsible Lending, a statewide coalition of consumer advocates, was an experience that none of the three students could have foreseen when they first arrived at St. John’s Law. Their interest in consumer law and advocacy took root later, as they represented Clinic clients under the supervision of Professor Calabrese and Professor Ann Goldweber.

“Before taking part in the Clinic, I was unsure what consumer law really entailed,” Dylan says. “But as I read Clinic case memos, I quickly realized that it’s a very broad field. Seeing the sheer amount of bad actors who harm others in the name of profit, whether through fraudulent solar panel schemes, LLCs trying to force the sale of family homes, or contractor fraud, helped me understand that this is a field of law where I can make a difference in people’s lives.”

Like Dylan, Isabella first learned about consumer law through the Clinic. “Entering law school, I classified my interests as ‘vaguely regulatory,’” she says. “But when my friends joined the Clinic, I found that my seemingly fragmented interests actually fit neatly under the umbrella of consumer law, which is heavily concerned with financially empowering the public. Realizing that there is a true network of people with similar goals to my own was really invigorating. Working in the Clinic transformed my interests into a true passion.” 

Being in the Clinic was similarly formative for Nick, who arrived at St. John’s Law wanting to do work that furthered economic justice. As he represented the elderly Queens residents who turned to the Clinic for help, his interest in consumer law grew, along with his awareness of the consumer law community beyond St. John’s. “Professor Calabrese invited me to sit in on national consumer conferences and local comment meetings, which helped me understand the broader consumer protection landscape and how litigation and policy work together to advance consumer protections,” Nick explains. “That community experience inspired me to work with my classmates to reinvigorate the Law School’s NACA chapter.”

In Albany, the students saw another dimension of consumer advocacy as they connected their Clinic experience representing individual clients with NACA’s policy work. “We had the opportunity to speak to legislators ourselves, and it was gratifying to hear our research and perspectives taken seriously by those with the power to make substantive changes,” Isabella shares. The visit included a welcome in the New York State Assembly Chamber, where the students observed floor debate and voting. They also had opportunities to build their professional networks. 

One of the advocates Isabella met offered her a summer internship with the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program at the Community Service Society of New York, where she continued to develop her consumer advocacy knowledge and skills. Nick and Dylan also put their Clinic and Albany experiences to work this past summer. Nick interned with the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, an agency he first encountered in the Clinic, while Dylan interned with the New York Legal Assistance Group, where he continues to work as a student extern.

Reflecting on the students’ paths as consumer advocates, Professor Calabrese shares, “As Associate Director of the Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic and faculty adviser to the Law School’s NACA chapter, it was wonderful to see Dylan, Isabella, and Nick build on their Clinic advocacy as student leaders and bring their deep interest in consumer law to the wider community of advocates and policymakers. Their commitment to this vital work is inspiring, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow and benefit vulnerable consumers.”