Andrew Bardetti is a May 2018 graduate from Northeastern University School of Law and will be serving as a Borchard Fellow at South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS) in Southeastern Massachusetts. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Boston College in 2012, Andrew served as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) with the Legal Services of Alabama in Mobile. After JVC, he worked as a Campus Minister for Social Justice and Spirituality with the Cornell University and Ithaca College Catholic Communities. In those capacities, he advocated for the needs of vulnerable persons which motivated him to pursue a legal services career in his native state of Massachusetts.
During law school, Andrew chose to pursue a career in law and aging because of his grandmother’s experience in a nursing home and the needs of his elderly neighbors. Internships with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Office and Justice Geraldine Hines (ret.) of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court provided a foundation in housing discrimination and systemic issues facing older persons. However, it was his internships with Greater Boston Legal Services’ Elder Abuse Prevention Project and South Coastal Counties Legal Services which cemented his desire to advocate for the needs of older persons experiencing elder abuse in his local community.
As a Borchard Fellow, Andrew will be launching an elder abuse prevention project to address the unmet needs of older persons suffering from abuse in SCCLS’ service area. Based in New Bedford, Andrew will directly represent older persons experiencing elder abuse in housing, consumer, and benefits cases. In addition, Andrew will create and enhance local elder abuse prevention coalitions by incorporating the best practices of existing multi-disciplinary teams. Finally, Andrew will increase the awareness of elder abuse resources in the community by conducting educational seminars and creating legal informational materials.
