Family of Tyler Tyler Clementi walk the GWB
Jane Clementi, second from right, the mother of Tyler Clementi, holds onto the arms of Ronnie Kroell, left, and Elliot London, as they walks across the George Washington Bridge in honor of Tyler's memory and to bring attention to bullying awareness. At far left is Charlene Sonenberg, the mother of Ronnie Kroell. Fort Lee, NJ 11/10/13 1:16:51 PM (Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)
(Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)
NEW YORK -- About five years after Rutgers student Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge, a legal institute has been launched in his honor to assist other victims of cyberbullying across the country.
The Tyler Clementi Institute for Internet Safety was launched on Saturday at New York Law School as part of a collaboration with the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which is run by Clementi's parents, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.
One of the goals behind the pro bono institute is to make attorneys available in every state to advocate on behalf of victims in schools, corporate settings and courts, the report states. The institute is the first of its kind in the country, according to the report.
The institute was announced this weekend during the first annual Tyler Clementi Internet Safety Conference at the law school's building in lower Manhattan, the report states.
The event brought together "policy makers, political and business leaders, attorneys, social scientists, academics, teachers, students, and nonprofit advocates, all focused on the conference's theme: combatting cyberharassment in all its forms," according to the law school's website.
MORE:
The 18-year-old Clementi, of Ridgewood, jumped off the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22, 2010, a few days after learning his roommate used a webcam to share video of the freshman in an intimate encounter with another man.
The roommate, Dharun Ravi, was convicted in March 2012 of invasion of privacy and related charges. Ravi later served 20 days in the Middlesex County jail before he was released.
A new institute has been launched at New York Law School in honor of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, pictured above, to assist other victims of cyberbullying.
In 2013, the Tyler Clementi Foundation and Rutgers University launched the Tyler Clementi Center at the university, which is focused on helping students to make the transition from home to college.
According to the foundation's website, the new legal institute "will educate students, lawyers, judges, and the public to raise awareness about the problem of cyberbullying and provide research, analysis, and direct services to help families, policymakers, and schools reduce the frequency and ameliorate the effects of cyberbullying of at-risk youth."
"The TCIIS will include a first-of-its-kind direct service litigation clinic to help victims of harassment obtain justice and provide needed perspective in impact litigation. Research generated by TCIIS will help with litigation, legal defense and legal training around the country," the website states.
"TCIIS will also hold conferences, workshops, and symposia focused on education and research, and host a hotline where victims of harassment can learn about their rights and seek justice."
Ari Waldman, an associate professor at New York Law School and the founder and director of the institute, described the institute on his website as "a full service education and direct outreach initiative that, among other things, includes the only pro bono law school clinic representing victims of cyberharassment for free!"
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.