National Jurist - November 2008 - (Page 19) While Smilowitz feels he may have a lot of convincing to do, he has certainly taken the bull by the horns, but with some outstanding help along the way. “The Disaster Accountability Project would not exist without the work of many dedicated volunteers,” he said. “Starting the organization has been the ultimate juggling act.” Volunteers have been poring through GAO and White House reports, programming the Web site, responding to phone calls that arrive via the Disaster Accountability Hotline, and designing the monitor program. While helping others has been at the forefront of his mission, Smilowitz has no doubt gained something from this for himself — learning the needs of others. “I learned that despite the massive failures in FEMA and Red Cross, many of the workers, on the ground, were equally frustrated,” he said. “So many people wanted to help but could not because the system was too inflexible and too few had the power to implement changes.” The public, he said, needs to be fully engaged in these issues, or there will not be enough pressure on decision makers to make difficult changes to help prevent future Katrinas. Smilowitz added that he has gained an invaluable perspective and learned a lot about his strengths and weaknesses as a leader. “I love people and animals and instead of becoming a veterinarian, I figured I could help both by becoming a lawyer,” he said. “Thirteen years later, I am very interested in nonprofit management and shaping policy.” Smilowitz said he plans to continue working for the Disaster Accountability Project after law school. But down the road, he hopes to work for other government oversight watchdogs, children’s health care or disability policy advocacy groups. Right now, the top priority is to raise funds to hire a full-time staff. “My mission is to engage people to deal with root causes and solve problems,” Smilowitz said. “When individuals feel that they have the power to make a difference, they will. I have a lot of convincing to do.” Smilowitz said his team is always looking to recruit Disaster Accountability Monitors around the country. They also continue to raise the resources needed to bring on fulltime staff positions. After Hurricane Ike, the organization received nearly 100 phone calls on their tollfree hotline reporting gaps in disaster relief/ response services. In the days following Ike, the Disaster Accountability Project was featured on ABCNews.com, Minnesota Public Radio and Houston radio. For more information, including contact phone numbers, go to www. disasteraccountability.com. Hofstra Law School Become a New York lawyer! Hofstra Law School offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in American Legal Studies. With this degree, lawyers with foreign law degrees may qualify for the New York Bar exam. Full-time and part-time programs available. For more information, visit law.hofstra.edu/llmadmissions or call the Office of International Programs at 516.463.0437. Hofstra Law is an ABA-accredited institution ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top 100 law school. We offer both full-time and part-time juris doctor (J.D.) programs as well as LL.M. graduate degrees in American Legal Studies and Family Law. The Law School sits on the Hofstra University campus in Hempstead, New York, the location of the third and final 2008 presidential debate. School of Law law.hofstra.edu/llmadmissions November 2008 THE NATIONAL JURIST 19 http://www.ABCNews.com http://www.disasteraccountability.com http://www.disasteraccountability.com http://law.hofstra.edu/llmadmissions http://law.hofstra.edu/llmadmissions http://law.hofstra.edu/llmadmissions
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