A00216 - Yvette Cecilia Mendez, Amherst College Class of 1984, Marymount School of New York

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Photo added by Erin Bohannon

 

Yvette C Mendez

Birth

1962

Death

1999 (aged 36–37)

Burial

St. Brigid's Cemetery

Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA

Memorial ID

· View Source

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Black Women of Amherst College, pgs. 126-129

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Yvette Cecilia Mendez did not reply to my two letters but when I telephoned her she responded with charm and promptness.  She graciously apologized for not having replied but "was grateful for your reminder call since I do wish to be included in this momentous and worthwhile effort.

Yvette majored in Political Science and it is obvious that she has always been interested in the legal profession.  Even while at Amherst her intern positions were with the District Attorney's Office in New York County and the Law Department for the City of New York, in January of 1983 and the summer of this same year, respectively.  But Yvette was also engaged in other activities here at Amherst: She was a member of the Student Assembly, of the Black Student Union and she was elected a member of the Admissions Search Committee.  She also played varsity volleyball.

Upon graduating, she attended the Fordham University School of Law and gained the J.D. in 1990.  But during this time she was also actively involved with the New York Public Interest Research Group, Inc.  (NYPIRG) where she was employed in different situations: she was a staff person organizer with varying responsibilities including supervising student-run lobby organizations, and was soon promoted from entry level to senior staff person; she then became Divestment Coordinator, where she conducted statewide grassroot campaign dealing with the extent and scope of New York State's divestment endeavors; she then went back to personnel affairs but in this case as Director and here she organized, developed and coordinated NYPIRG's recruiting program; later she became Legal Assistant to the group and in this capacity she organized and documented evidence and interviewed prospective witnesses in student-fee cases and finally, under this same group, she became Project Coordinator and was involved with the coordination of certain activities dealing with Hunter College in New York City. 

All this she did between 1984 and June of 1987, when she took a new appointment with the New York City Charter Revision Commission as Research Assistant.  Here she interpreted, analyzed and summarized various sections of the New York City Charter and, having done this, she would then write briefing papers, detailing and explaining charter provisions; she compared federal, state, and city ethics provisions and summarized the findings for the Commissioner's use; and she also researched and briefed case laws regarding land use, as well as the zoning and formation of greater New York City. 

By May of 1988, Yvette found herself working with a private firm, Brown & Guilbert, as Legal Assistant.  In this position she assisted the general practitioner, prepared complaints, affirmations, jury instructions, affidavits in matrimonial, real property and probate matters.  She also compiled a successful opposition to a summary judgment in a multi-million-dollar personal injury lawsuit.  During the fall of this year (1988) she also participated in Fordham's two-credit Judicial Clinical Program, where she researched and wrote opinions, observed trials and court procedures.

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May 27, 1999

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Contact

No data available

Family

No data available

Personal

No data available

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Professional

Employment Information

Former

• Attorney

  Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen, P.C.

  Start:

  02/1995

  End:

  05/1999
• Law Clerk

  US District Court

  Start:

  09/1990

  End:

  06/1991
• Law Clerk

  Goodwin Procter LLP

  Start:

  01/1990

  End:

  08/1990
• Attorney

  Goodwin Procter LLP

  Start:

  01/1990

  End:

  05/1999
• Divestmen Coord

  New York Public Interest Research Group

  Start:

  01/1985

  End:

  06/1987

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Amherst

Reunion Class

• 1984

Graduation Year

• 1984

Major(s)

• Political Science

Other Academic

Secondary Schools

• Marymount School of New York

Higher Ed

• Fordham University

  Field of Study:

  Law

  Degree:

  Doctor of Jurisprudence

  Year:

  1990

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Amherst

Volunteering

• Wade Fellow

  Role:

  Member

  Start:

  July 1998

  End:

  May 1999
• Alumni Fund

  Role:

  Associate Agent

  End:

  May 1999

Athletics

• Women's Volleyball

Post-Graduate

Publications/ Creative Works

• Note-'Times Baring and Realty...'Urb Law 1989
• Writing/Rsrch Edit-Urban Law Journal 1989-90
• Urban Law Journal Member 1988-89
• Articles in the 'Boston Bar Journal'

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