Meet the Fellows

Ahmad Abdulwadood ’29
Ahmad Abdulwadood seeks a career in juvenile defense. Before returning to New York City, Ahmad double majored in Africana studies and government and legal studies at Bowdoin College. At college, Ahmad split his time between labor and mutual aid organizing, working as a peer educator at the Office of Gender Violence Prevention, and research experiences at the Maine Conservation Voters, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and the American Bar Foundation. After graduating,  Ahmad worked at the New York Public Library as an after-school teacher at Riverside Library.

Zander D'Anconia Arnao ’29
Zander Arnao is passionate about fighting corporate power and elite influence in American democracy, and plans to pursue a career focused on antimonopoly law. Zander earned his B.A. in public policy and M.A. in international relations from the University of Chicago. Prior to law school, he served as a public interest technologist at the Federal Trade Commission and a policy analyst at the Knight-Georgetown Institute, where he focused on competition policy in digital markets. Zander also regularly publishes commentary and scholarship on topics related to law and political economy. 

Jack Barrett ’29
Jack Barrett is passionate about crafting better environmental regulatory law and understanding legal roadblocks to the energy transition. He earned a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College after completing a dual-major in environment, economics & politics and international relations. Jack has worked as a wildland firefighter with CalFire, a stage technician at the Garrison Theater, and a development intern at The Carter Center. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, slacklining, and billiards.

Lalise Beyene ’29
Lalise Beyene is passionate about promoting human rights and advocating for refugees through stronger international frameworks and policies. Lalise earned her B.A. in international relations and economics at the University of Southern California. Before law school, she worked for the United Nations World Food Programme, where she contributed to initiatives aimed at improving operational effectiveness and supporting sustainable development and humanitarian outcomes.

Ama Boham ’29
Ama Boham is passionate about indigent criminal defense and economic policy that redirects resources from punishment toward violence prevention and root-cause community care. Ama has a B.S. in policy analysis and management from Cornell University, where she minored in crime, prisons, education, and justice. Ama spent two years postgrad as a senior paralegal at Youth Represent, where she directly supported justice-impacted young people with criminal and employment legal issues, followed by a year as a legal assistant at the civil rights high-impact litigation firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel. Ama is the Cornell school record holder and Ivy League Champion in the 60m hurdles.

Rehan D. Chaudhuri ’29
Rehan Chaudhuri aspires to a career in plaintiff-side litigation focused on advancing sexual & reproductive liberty – and, more broadly, substantive equality – as a constitutional right. Rehan earned a Bachelor of Civil Law with Distinction from the University of Oxford, where he specialized in jurisprudence and equality law. He also graduated second in his class with an LL.B. from the University of Leeds. After his initial studies, Rehan spent 3 years as a senior U.S. litigation paralegal at the Center for Reproductive Rights. There, he assisted with litigation to expand medical exceptions to state abortion bans and to develop the right to choose where and with whom to give birth. While at Leeds, he provided in-court support to domestic violence survivors, and he interned at a migrant support clinic. Rehan is a first-generation law student and a first-generation American.

Jack Covert ’29
Jack Covert seeks a career in public interest law focused on serving transgender people and advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights. Before moving to New York, he graduated from Tulane University with a B.S. in psychology and a B.A. in philosophy. In Louisiana, Jack interned with a legal aid organization, supporting intake and case development for low-income, unhoused, and veteran clients.

Dina Eldawy ’29
Dina Eldawy hopes to explore anti-war advocacy at the intersection of international law and U.S. foreign policy. Dina Eldawy studied international relations at Syracuse University ('19), and pursued her graduate studies in the United Kingdom as a Marshall Scholar, studying migration and imperial history from the University of Sussex and Oxford, respectively. While living in Syracuse, Dina was first introduced to upstate New York's refugee communities and volunteered weekly with refugee youth. Dina later worked with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C., in the largest refugee resettlement program at the time.

Catie Fee ’29
Catie Fee aims to use her career to address the harms of the American criminal legal system through direct services and system-level advocacy. She received her B.A. in sociology with a minor in human rights from Stanford University. Since graduating, Catie has spent two years at the Bronx Defenders, where she worked with clients to navigate the consequences of criminal and family court involvement, such as property retrieval after arrest, access to NYC shelters, and addressing police misconduct.

Chandler Gallaher ’29
Chandler Gallaher is passionate about gender and reproductive justice. Chandler earned a B.A. in women's and gender studies and politics from Sewanee: The University of the South. Before law school, Chandler worked at a nonprofit law firm as an advocate for survivors of sex and labor trafficking.

Ellis Glazer ’29
Ellis Glazer is interested in pursuing a career in plaintiff-side antitrust litigation or civil rights appellate work. He studied political science at American University with a minor in philosophy and graduated magna cum laude. Prior to law school, Ellis interned with the Legal Services Corporation and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. At American University, he was vice president of the Model United Nations Team and a research assistant evaluating the efficacy of United Nations Human Rights Treaties.

Sophia Gustafson ’29
Sophia Gustafson is passionate about how human rights and civil rights frameworks can support environmental justice. In 2024, Sophia graduated from Harvard, where she studied environmental science and public policy, with a secondary in ethnicity, migration, and rights. Throughout college, she held internships at the World Resources Institute, Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute, and the Environmental Defense Fund, and engaged in on- and off-campus environmental justice activism. Leading up to law school, Sophia worked as a case manager at a nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness, while simultaneously managing a nonprofit that she founded in 2010, which supports orphaned children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sawyer Huckabee ’29
Sawyer Huckabee is pursuing a career advocating for free expression and LGBTQ+ rights internationally. At Columbia College, Sawyer graduated with a B.A. in English literature and a minor in mathematics. Sawyer's commitment to free expression began while working as a protest journalist at Columbia's radio station, WKCR. After witnessing institutional pressure directed at WKCR's journalism, Sawyer began collaborating with the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Student Press Law Center to advocate for the free expression rights of journalists and the broader public.

Piper Janoe ’29
Piper Janoe is interested in international civil and political human rights law, particularly as it intersects with governance, conflict, and displacement. Piper earned a dual B.A. in international relations and political science from The Johns Hopkins University and a master's in conflict resolution at Georgetown University, with a certificate in refugees and humanitarian emergencies. Before pursuing law school, Piper worked in the humanitarian and development sector, including as a humanitarian aid worker in South Sudan with the U.N. International Organization for Migration. Piper also spent part of her career working in the political and policy space, including as a staff member on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Piper is from Oklahoma and, though beginning her undergraduate career as an English literature major, pivoted to a focus on international relations after discovering her passion for international human rights issues while volunteering with a local refugee resettlement organization in Baltimore.

Sebastian Javadpoor ’29
Sebastian Javadpoor is dedicated to the intersection of First Amendment rights and immigration enforcement, having worked closely with peers who have faced targeting and deportation proceedings related to their pro-Palestine advocacy. Sebastian has remained a perpetual student of Columbia University, having earned his B.A. in political science and psychology and an M.A. in political science. Sebastian has spent the entirety of his academic career working in public and community service, having served as an executive aide to Attorney General Letitia James and a mental health hotline operator at Columbia's own Nightline. Recently, Sebastian has returned to organizing, where he works as a political strategist for political campaigns and public figures seeking to uphold a lasting peace in Israel & Palestine.

Akash Kaza ’29
Akash Kaza aims to become deeply involved in voting rights and public service at the municipal and state level and to explore these interests in law school. Akash studied political science and economics at Northeastern University and is completing a master's in public administration at the University of Connecticut. Before law school, Akash worked for the City of Hartford, CT as the mayor's communications director; he also worked on Governor Tim Walz's traveling team during the 2024 Presidential Election, served as campaign manager of Luke Bronin's congressional campaign, and other elections across the country. Akash is the son of South Indian immigrants and a proud Connecticut lifer.

Ruhma Khawaja ’29
Ruhma Khawaja’s interests include asylum/refugee law, incarcerated people's rights, post-9/11 civil liberties, and human rights in South Asia and the Middle East, and she intends to pursue a career in civil and human rights law with a focus on unlawful and inhumane detention. Ruhma graduated from Brown University, where she received a B.A. in international and public affairs and an undergraduate certificate in engaged scholarship. At Brown, Ruhma has engaged with multiple public service organizations, spanning issues such as asylum law, prison reform, refugee policy, voting rights, and housing law. Since graduating and moving to NYC, Ruhma has worked at the Legal Aid Society's criminal defense practice and the Federal Defenders of New York. Ruhma is Pakistani-American with Kashmiri ancestry, and she is a first-generation student.

Jacqueline Kline ’29
Jacqueline “Ellie” Kline is interested in human rights and international humanitarian law. Ellie earned her B.A. in Russian, East European, & Eurasian studies and film & media studies at Smith College, and her M.A. in Russian, East European, & Eurasian studies at Stanford. Before law school, Ellie was a lobbyist and junior staff assistant on Capitol Hill. She also interned at the United Nations on their Holocaust Outreach Programme team.

Andres Cruz Leland ’29
Andres Cruz Leland is interested in a career in public defense and advancing access to justice by strengthening public defense systems, legal aid, and judicial institutions around the world. He earned a B.A. in anthropology with a minor in human rights from the University of Chicago. Before joining Columbia, Andres was a Fulbright grantee in Morocco, where he researched the role of judicial reform in expanding access to justice for Amazigh Indigenous communities and served as a trial paralegal at the Federal Defenders of New York, where he supported the defense of indigent clients in domestic and international criminal cases. His work has also included asylum law, advocacy for survivors of domestic violence, policy advocacy supporting peacebuilding efforts in Israel–Palestine, and prisoners' rights litigation. Before starting law school, Andres spent 300 days traveling through Latin America, Asia, and the Balkans.

Shahid Khan Naeem ’29
Shahid Khan Naeem is focused on using the tools of antitrust and financial regulation to build a more just and stable economy. He is a graduate of Vassar College, where he studied political science and history. Before law school, Shahid worked on tech policy at the Department of Financial Services, the New York State financial regulatory authority, and led the finance program at the American Economic Liberties Project, an antimonopoly think tank that helped lead the Biden administration's antitrust revival. Previously, Shahid worked at the defense think tank CSIS, and he maintains a keen interest in international political economy and U.S. foreign policy.

Amy Nam ’29
Amy Nam is interested in addressing issues related to criminal representation, incarceration, and policing. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in law, history, and culture. During college, she worked on judicial opinions in various civil and criminal matters and spearheaded a cognitive evaluation and treatment program at the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. Amy is a second-generation Korean-Canadian and the first in her family to attend law school.

Sarah Ogundare ’29
Sarah Ogundare is excited about exploring movement law and civil rights law, especially in the housing justice context. Sarah graduated from Brown University with a concentration in international and public affairs and a certificate in data fluency. Sarah spent two years working as a paralegal at Relman Colfax, a plaintiff-side civil rights law firm that focuses on fair housing and fair lending. She also spent a year as a John Lewis Scholar (a program founded by the Faith and Politics Institute), exploring John Lewis’s principles and political advocacy around faith-based nonviolent activism.

Jared Ortaliza ’29
Jared Ortaliza is passionate about promoting healthcare accessibility and affordability. Jared graduated from the University of California – Los Angeles, where he studied human biology and society and minored in Asian American studies. Before law school, Jared was a policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation researching healthcare costs and policy changes to the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces.

Caroline Reed ’29
Caroline Reed seeks a career focused on the intersection between immigration and labor law. Caroline graduated with honors from Yale University with a major in history, writing a senior thesis about the response to the AIDS epidemic in U.S. women's prisons. At Yale, Caroline advocated for better mental healthcare, employees' rights, and progressive political campaigns through leadership positions in Students Unite Now, the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project, Elis for Rachael, and Yale Young Democratic Socialists of America. She also worked as a rock climbing guide in Maine and New Hampshire. Caroline is the first in her family to attend law school.

Sean Reilly ’29
Sean Reilly is committed to using the law to fight for working people and looks forward to learning about new pathways to do so. Sean graduated from American University in Washington D.C., having earned a B.S. in economics with minors in sociology and Arabic language. Since finishing his undergraduate education, Sean has spent more than a decade in the labor movement, holding positions as a rank-and-file union leader, organizer, and most recently as a strategic researcher. He has seen firsthand the life-changing impact of robust and militant union organizing.

Laila Rodenbeck ’29
Laila Rodenbeck is passionate about refugee advocacy and investigating torture and war crimes. Laila graduated with honors from Brown University with a double concentration in economics and politics, philosophy, and economics. After graduating, Laila worked at a social impact-focused consulting firm advising global clients. There she supported clients such as the U.N., USAID, and the Caribbean Development Bank on a range of strategic projects. Hailing from Cairo, Egypt, Laila has also spent time as a volunteer grassroots organizer in New York City, as well as in Cairo working with refugees.

Sonia Subramaniam ’29
Sonia Subramaniam is pursuing a career in education policy and advocacy because she is passionate about educational equity. Sonia graduated from Vanderbilt University with a double major in neuroscience and Spanish, and earned her master's degree in special education from CUNY Hunter College. Before law school, Sonia completed the Teach for America program. She spent three years teaching 3rd and 4th grade with the Harlem Children's Zone.

Kaila Sung ’29
Kaila Sung is passionate about international human rights, with a particular focus on advancing the rights of women and children. She graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with B.A.s in international and public affairs—with a focus on security—and business economics.  During her undergraduate studies, Kaila spent a semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, to study humanitarian law. Before beginning law school, she interned with the United Nations NGO Branch, where she supported engagement with civil society organizations around the world. Kaila is from Honolulu, Hawaii, and is a first-generation Japanese-Taiwanese American. She is the first in her family to attend law school.

Shuyan Tang ’29
Shuyan Tang is passionate about asylum reform, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and their intersection with legislative policymaking. He earned his B.A. in political science from the University of Michigan with highest distinction and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Before law school, Shuyan was an LGBTQ+ activist in China and advocated for immigrants while working in Congress. His experiences as a former asylum seeker motivated him to build a more humane and accessible immigration system. Shuyan is a Truman Scholar and the first in his family to attend college and law school.

Emily Whitehead ’29
Emily Whitehead is interested in the intersection of policy and the law and aspires to have a career in government. Emily attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied political science and business administration. Before law school, Emily worked in the speechwriting and research teams at the White House, was part of the paid media team for Kamala for President, and served as the executive communications strategist at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Hannah Agar ’28
Hannah Agar is interested in international human rights and criminal justice reform. Hannah graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in sociology and political science with a concentration in law and human rights. Before law school, Hannah worked at the Legal Aid Society Bronx Criminal Defense Practice. At Columbia, Hannah is involved with the CLS ACLU, the Incarcerated Survivors Project, and the Journal of Gender and Law. Hannah is a first-generation college graduate.

Charles April ’28
Charles Aprile is interested in the intersection of labor and international law. He received his B.A. in urban studies from Swarthmore College, and his MSc in development studies from SOAS, University of London. Charles was an organizer for the New York Hotel Trades Council, and later the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, where he coordinated campaigns and represented workers in grievances and negotiations. Charles spent 1L year as a proud member of the National Lawyers Guild, the Workers' Rights Student Coalition, and the Law and Political Economy Project. Charles spent 1L summer as a Peggy Browning Fellow at Global Labor Justice in Washington D.C. Charles is fluent in Italian and Spanish, and has a working knowledge of Russian, Portuguese, and French.

Leah Bahramipour ’28
Leah Bahramipour aspires to a career focused on the intersection of environmental and social justice, advocating for a future where all have access to a healthy environment. She graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a double major in environmental studies and politics. At New York University, Leah explored various avenues of public service, interning with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the United Nations. After graduation, she served as a legal assistant and research analyst with the Sierra Club, where she developed a passion for reforming the structures that perpetuate environmental injustice. As part of the Environmental Moot Court, Leah researched and advocated for stricter water pollution control measures during her 1L year. Leah spent her 1L summer as an intern with the California Attorney General’s Office in the Natural Resources Law and Environmental Justice and Protection Sections. Leah is the daughter of Iranian immigrants and a native Californian.

Jonah Berger ’28
Jonah Berger is interested in pursuing a career advancing workers’ rights and immigrant justice. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Cambridge, where he wrote a dissertation on the history of U.S. child labor. Jonah also worked as an investigator at the Fair Labor Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office enforcing the state’s wage and hour laws. Jonah spent his 1L spring volunteering with Crisis Planning for Immigrant Families, and looks forward to co-leading the Workers’ Rights Student Coalition during his 2L fall. During his 1L summer, Jonah worked as a judicial intern for Judge Liman in the Southern District of New York.

Mackenzie Berwick ’28
Mackenzie Berwick aspires to a career focused on the intersection of technology and law. Before making her way to New York, Mackenzie earned a B.A. from UC Berkeley and dedicated her time to the Human Rights Center, conducting digital investigations of human rights abuses. Through her professional and academic experiences, Mackenzie was exposed to the way in which technological innovation has outpaced the laws that seek to govern it. In law school, Mackenzie aims to address this gap in policy and innovate interdisciplinary solutions to further justice and fairness. Mackenzie spent her year as a Davis Polk Leadership Fellow working to bridge the gap between institutional and academic uses of artificial intelligence, with a focus on equity and inclusion. She looks forward to continuing that work through her roles with the Science and Technology Law Review and the Society for AI and Law as a 2L. She is also interested in exploring AI's impact on the judiciary and on campus employment outcomes across the public, government, and private sectors through her other on-campus engagements. Mackenzie spent her first summer as a volunteer legal intern at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of California, working on criminal matters.

Sylvie Binder ’28
Sylvie Binder is committed to spending her career on legal matters related to urban environmental justice and legislation that combats climate change. In 2022, she graduated from Columbia College with a B.A. in American studies and a special concentration in sustainable development. Sylvie has professional experiences in local and state government (NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, Town of Rye, NY, NYSERDA). Through those opportunities, she's observed that though each jurisdiction has unique laws and policy priorities, there's significant overlap in climate change-induced challenges–and therefore, overlapping opportunities for solutions. Sylvie's time in government has illuminated her desire to learn how to use the language of the law to the advantage of those most at risk of climate impacts, not only for her lifelong home of New York, but jurisdictions all around the world. Sylvie spent her 1L year actively engaged in student organizations like the Environmental Law Society, Law and Political Economy Society, and the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. She also interned at the Sabin Center, a policy think tank working to combat the proliferation of polluting data centers near communities. Sylvie spent her 1L summer as a legal fellow at the New York Office of the Attorney General’s Environmental Protection Bureau.

Michelle Brucker ’28
Michelle Brucker is passionate about international refugee law and immigration reform. Michelle earned a B.A. in politics and government at Sciences Po in Reims, France, and a degree in political science from Columbia University. Before law school, Michelle worked as a humanitarian volunteer and advocate for various non-profit organizations, including the International Rescue Committee and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia. She also worked as a paralegal for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. At CLS, Michelle is involved with the Society of International Law and the European Law Moot Court. Michelle is trilingual and the first in her family to attend law school in the United States.

Celena Castelnuovo-Tedesco ’28
Celena Castelnuovo-Tedesco is passionate about ethics, human rights, and education. In 2022, she graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in philosophy, a minor in global health, college honors, and departmental research honors. From 2022-2025, Celena built and directed a pro bono program at a national mass action boutique. Ready for more, Celena moved to New York and became the first in her family to attend graduate school. She spent her 1L year organizing for the Columbia Law ACLU, editing for the Journal of European Law, and participating in the Careers in Law Teaching program. As a 2L, Celena is co-president of the Columbia Law ACLU and an editor for the Human Rights Law Review. She also holds leadership positions with the California Society and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. Celena spent her 1L summer at the University of California, Office of General Counsel, working on system-wide legal issues in research, federal relations, charitable development, healthcare, and faculty affairs.

Bianca Dammholz ’28
Bianca Dammholz aims to build a career advancing meaningful criminal justice reform, exploring avenues in prosecution, defense, and policy advocacy to drive systemic change. Bianca earned her Bachelor of Laws (the U.K.'s primary law degree) from the University of Oxford, graduating with First-Class Honors. She went on to complete a specialized LL.M. in technology and policy from Georgetown University, graduating at the top of her cohort. Bianca views law as a powerful vehicle for change, shaped by her work with the FTC on its new enforcement mandate, with the ACLU and Georgetown's Center for Privacy and Technology to expose the hidden surveillance business model, and through direct advocacy for a wrongfully convicted individual. Her involvement in the wrongful conviction community fuels her commitment to start her legal career in the U.S., focused on advancing much-needed reform across the criminal legal system. In law school, Bianca spent her 1L year working with the Parole Advocacy Project, the Plaintiff's Law Association, and the Science and Technology Law Review. She also worked as a research assistant for Professor Liebman researching historical trends in schooling and religious immigration. Bianca spent her 1L summer with the Federal Public Defenders Capital Habeas Unit in Austin, Texas, where she worked on death penalty litigation.

Melat Eskender ’28
Melat Eskender is passionate about providing holistic, community-based public defense and advocating for the needs of low-income, Black and Brown New Yorkers. Melat graduated with distinction from Yale University with a B.A. in political science. Before law school, Melat interned at The Office of the Federal Defender for the District of Connecticut, the Bronx Defenders, and the Southern Center for Human Rights. These experiences were formative to her interest in ensuring dignity and justice for those impacted by our criminal legal system. During her 1L year, Melat was a member of Columbia Law Students for Palestine, National Lawyers Guild, the Parole Advocacy Project, the Frederick Douglass Moot Court External Team, and she volunteered with the New Sanctuary Coalition. Melat spent her 1L summer in New York as an intern at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem's Criminal Defense Practice. Melat is the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants and the first in her family to attend law school.

Michael Gelb ’28
Michael Gelb is passionate about immigration defense, public defense, and working to bring about systemic change to the immigration and criminal legal systems. Michael graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science with High Distinction in human development and minors in inequality studies and law and society. Before law school, Michael first worked at a law firm in Manhattan, where he assisted with several pro bono and Criminal Justice Act cases, and then worked at a federal public defender's office in Atlanta, Georgia. At Columbia, Michael was a member of the Parole Advocacy project in his first year, through which he helped an incarcerated individual prepare for his first parole hearing. Michael also joined the Environmental Law Moot Court, where he wrote a brief and did an oral argument concerning standing and timeliness issues. Michael spent his 1L summer at the American Friends Service Committee, mainly working with immigrants in ICE custody and fighting against their detention and deportation. Having observed inequities and excessive punishment in the legal system, Michael plans to continue working with people accused of crimes and to work towards reforming the legal system.

Steven Gray ’28
Steven Gray is dedicated to advancing the human rights and self-determination of people who use/d drugs and is passionate about sustaining the movement to end the War on Drugs. Steven earned a B.A. in psychology with a concentration in health, with minors in public policy and sociology from City University of New York - Hunter College. Steven has organized community members, service providers, and elected officials to build power to end the War on Drugs and mass incarceration, while steering campaigns to win policies rooted in public health and humanity, and not criminalization, in New York State. Steven is a native New Yorker and the first person in their family to attend college.

Maggie Kormann ’28
Maggie Kormann aspires to a career in civil rights, focused on the intersections between poverty, disability, and the criminal justice systems. Maggie graduated magna cum laude from Boston University in 2023, with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology, and a minor in public policy analysis. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Maggie worked within the realm of racial, criminal, and social justice in multiple nonprofit organizations, electoral campaigns, and government. After graduating, Maggie worked as a racial justice policy analyst for the City of Boston’s Equity and Inclusion Cabinet and as a program associate with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. As part of the Parole Advocacy Project at CLS, Maggie worked on a team to support an incarcerated client in preparing for his upcoming parole hearing; she is greatly looking forward to being a direct services team leader as a 2L. Maggie also spent her 1L as a student editor on the Journal of Gender and Law, and will be continuing her journal experience as a 2L editor on the Columbia Law Review. For her 1L summer, Maggie worked in New York with the Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Practice, as an intern with the Special Litigation Unit. Maggie is a native New Jerseyan, an Egyptian-American, and the first in her family to attend law school.

Yoonseo Lee ’28
Yoony Lee is broadly interested in the intersection of economic policy, health equity, and regulatory law. Yoony graduated with honors from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in economics, where she won the Thomas E. Bowman award. At Berkeley, Yoony conducted research on reproductive healthcare rights as an RA for Berkeley Law. She was also a Bay Area Legal Aid (AmeriCorps) legal assistant, where she filed domestic violence restraining orders and housing eviction claims for unrepresented Bay Area residents. Since graduating, she has served as a research assistant at the RAND Corporation in Boston, contributing to FFRDC-based projects on scaling maternal health access delivery frameworks, K–12 education equity, and federal prescription drug pricing policy with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. As a law student, Yoony is involved with the Health Law Association and the Journal of Gender and Law. Yoony’s first summer was spent interning with the Attorney General of the State of New York in the Healthcare Bureau. Yoony is a first-generation Korean-American immigrant and has lived in 5 states to date. She is the first in her family to attend professional school. She speaks Korean in full professional fluency and Chinese at an elementary level.

Tolliver Mance ’28
Tolliver Mance seeks to join the work of reimagining and reforming our criminal legal system. Tolliver graduated with high honors from the University of Virginia with a double major in politics honors and African American and African studies. Growing up, Tolliver learned the importance of selfless participation in community from her father's integration story. As a law student, Tolliver is involved with the Frederick Douglass Moot Court, the Journal of Race and Law, and Racial Literacy for Racial Justice. She interned with the Coalition for Property Tax Justice during her 1L summer. Tolliver is a native Virginian and lover of poetry.

Isabel Manning ’28
Isabel Manning is interested in criminal legal reform and advocacy for system-involved individuals, both domestically and internationally. She is also hoping to explore the intersection of the First Amendment and the carceral regime. Isabel earned her B.A. in history and a minor in psychology from Columbia University. Before law school, Isabel worked at a civil rights law firm representing victims of police and prison abuse in New York. Most recently, she served as a learning associate at the Prison Journalism Project. At CLS, Isabel is involved with the Parole Advocacy Project and CLS ACLU.

Meagan Matt ’28
Meagan Matt is passionate about immigration reform, decarceration, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Meagan graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a double major in international relations and Spanish literature. At Tufts, Meagan was a teaching assistant in the Degrees Behind Bars Program, where she taught Spanish II to incarcerated men at MCI-Concord Prison. She also led English classes for Spanish-speaking immigrants through Tufts Teach-in-CORES. Before law school, Meagan worked as a paralegal at Legal Aid DC, assisting attorneys in the Immigration and Family/Domestic Violence Units. As a law student, Meagan is involved with the Trauma-Informed Lawyering Society, the Parole Advocacy Project, and the National Lawyers Guild as well as the Gender and Sexuality Moot Court. She interned with the Brooklyn Defender Services of New York’s Immigrant Family Unity Project in her 1L summer. Meagan is fluent in Spanish and enjoys running and dancing in her free time.

Bryan Miller ’28
Bryan Miller’s general areas of interest include LGBTQ advocacy in the Global South, economic justice, international human rights, and impact litigation. Bryan graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Black studies. Growing up queer in Jamaica, a country Time magazine once called "the most homophobic place on earth," Bryan developed a passion for LGBTQ rights. Still, a biologist at heart, he is also extremely passionate about environmental justice.  During his 1L year, Bryan served as a staff editor for the Journal of Gender and Law and was a member of the gender and sexuality moot court. Bryan’s 1L summer was spent working at Zhicheng Public Interest Lawyers, a NGO based in Beijing, China, where he conducted comparative legal research on labor-rights enforcement and child protection.

Maya Mitrasinovic ’28
Maya Mitrasinovic is passionate about housing justice and protecting New York City residents from displacement. Maya graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a B.A. in urban studies with a specialization in sociology. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, and attending the city's diverse public schools, Maya gained direct exposure to the complicated issues and tradeoffs that occur in making cities work for everyone. At CLS, Maya is involved with the Tenants’ Rights Project, the Parole Advocacy Project, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Law and Political Economy Society. Her 1L summer was spent with the civil rights firm Kaishian & Mortazavi. Maya is fluent in Greek and Serbian and spent the year before law school living in Cyprus on a Fulbright fellowship.

Max Niles ’28
Max Niles is passionate about exploring the intersection between housing justice and economic justice. Max graduated cum laude from Brown University with an A.B. in history and public policy. Before law school, Max spent two years as a paralegal at a plaintiff-side civil rights litigation firm focused on fighting discrimination and segregation in housing and lending. Most recently, Max spent a year teaching English at a secondary school in Madrid, Spain. At Columbia, Max is involved with the Tenants’ Rights Project, the Parole Advocacy Project, the Law and Political Economy Society, and the National Lawyers Guild. Additionally, he is involved with the Journal of Race and Law. For his 1L summer, Max interned with the ACLU of Alabama.

Salomé Ragot ’28
Salomé Ragot is passionate about immigration advocacy, international human rights, and decarceration. Salomé graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in global studies and Spanish. Before law school, Salomé worked as a resettlement officer in Egypt and as a case manager helping asylum seekers navigate services in the Bay Area. During 1L, Salomé co-founded the student organization Community for Immigrant Empowerment and was involved in Crisis Planning for Immigrant Families, Trauma-Informed Lawyering Society, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Human Rights Association. Salomé spent her 1L summer supporting immigrants fighting against detentions and deportations at Pangea Legal Services in San Francisco. Salomé speaks French and Spanish and is trying to learn Arabic.

Cecilia Sebastian ’28
Cecilia Sebastian is interested in economic justice, environmental justice, and prisoners’ rights. Prior to Columbia, she received a Ph.D. in German studies from Yale University; she also holds a B.A. in philosophy and German from Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. in German literature from the Goethe University in Frankfurt. Cecilia has taught, tutored, and volunteered with the Yale Prison Education Initiative and Wesleyan University's Center for Prison Education.  During her 1L summer, she returned to New Haven to intern at the Office of the Federal Defender for the District of Connecticut, where she worked on a motion for compassionate release. At Columbia, Cecilia is also a fellow in the Academic Scholars Program. Her first book, Critical Theory in Revolt: How Angela Davis and the New Left Remade the Frankfurt School, will be published by Verso Books in January 2027.

Keerat Singh ’28
Keerat Singh’s interests include international human rights, labor rights, impact litigation, and corporate accountability. Keerat holds a B.S. in business and global affairs with minors in Spanish and diplomatic studies from Georgetown University. Keerat has worked across Colombia, Peru, and New York for the International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps--on a humanitarian assistance program for Venezuelan migrants and a gender and youth inclusion program for global food security activities. Keerat is active in the National Lawyers’ Guild, Tenants Rights Project, CLS for Palestine, Human Rights Association, Workers Rights Student Coalition, and SALSA, and looks forward to being a part of their leadership as a 2L. During her 1L year, she was a member of the LALSA Asylum & Refugee Moot Court, and editor for the Columbia Journal of Race and Law. Keerat’s 1L summer was spent in Singapore as a casework intern advocating for migrant workers rights with Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME). Keerat is trilingual and the first in her family to attend law school.

Doris Turkel ’28
Doris Turkel seeks a career in public defense. She is interested in the intersections of punitive legal systems and aims to engage in movement lawyering to reform these systems, as well as to advance holistic and community defense models. Doris was born and raised in NYC and graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Binghamton with a B.A. in philosophy, politics, and law, along with minors in human rights and education. Doris has engaged in community organizing, policy advocacy, and journalism in both Broome County and New York City, and has worked in several public defender offices supporting individuals facing criminal, immigration, and civil legal issues. After college, she worked as an intake specialist at the Broome County Public Defender’s Office, and then as an investigator and civil legal advocate at The Bronx Defenders, with much of her work focused on supporting those incarcerated and directly impacted by punitive legal systems. At CLS, she is a part of the Parole Advocacy Project, where she will serve as co-president in her 2L year. She is actively involved with the Jailhouse Lawyers Manual, competed in LALSA’s Asylum & Refugee Moot Court, and volunteered with the New Sanctuary Coalition. She spent her 1L spring break working at the Orleans Public Defender’s Office. Doris spent her 1L summer in New York City as a legal intern for the ACLU's National Criminal Law Reform Project.

Jack Waxman ’28
Jack Waxman seeks to use law and organizing to strengthen opportunity structures for young people. Jack studied political science at Cornell University and earned a Master's in special education at Hunter College. While at Cornell, Jack taught math at a state prison, led the Cornell Democrats, and served on the board of the national public health foundation Tobacco 21. Before law school, Jack taught special education at a public high school in East Harlem for two years. At Columbia Law School, Jack is involved with the Parole Advocacy Project. Jack’s first summer was spent at the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights.

Gabriella Zalot ’28
Gabriella Zalot is interested in utilizing the law to dismantle the systemic drivers of inequality that currently plague our country. Gabby earned her B.A. in law, technology, and culture with a minor in history from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Upon completing her bachelor's, Gabby worked as an affirmative action specialist at the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Working in the Title VI Unit, Gabriella helped to ensure that New Jersey's roadways were both accessible to all and did not disproportionately burden any particular communities. At Columbia, Gabby was a staff editor for the Journal of Race and Law during her 1L year and will continue with the journal as a notes editor in her 2L year. Additionally, Gabby was a 1L board member of the Law and Political Economy society and will continue as the infrastructure policy advocate for the society next year. For her 1L summer, Gabby worked with the Neighborhood Defenders of Harlem with their housing practice unit. Gabby also played Division 1 soccer at NJIT and will be the first in her family to attend law school.

Johan Cavert ’28
Kit Donovan ’28

Vanessa Braganza ’27
Vanessa Braganza is passionate about civil rights and civil liberties, especially constitutional matters pertaining to racial, gender, and anti-LGBTQI+ discrimination. Vanessa earned her Ph.D. in English literature at Harvard, where she wrote and published on women's hidden histories--and, in particular, the history of Renaissance women who were cryptographers. Before that, she earned her B.A. in English from UVA. Vanessa's decision to become a civil rights litigator was sparked by witnessing the racial violence at Charlottesville's Unite the Right Rally, which inspired the thought and hope that the law could help to close the gap between our constitutional promise of equality and its realization. During her 1L summer of law school, Vanessa worked for the Law Office of Max Rodriguez PLLC on cases involving Title VII sexual harassment/assault and retaliation, defamation, and personal jurisdiction issues. Her 2L summer was spent at the Constitutional Accountability Center. Vanessa is also a writer and hopes to use her creative career to place women's histories and issues of civil rights before the public in compelling ways. She writes for Smithsonian Magazine and recently finished her first book, The Secret Seekers: A Book Detective's Quest to Decode the Renaissance, which tells the true stories of the women in Shakespeare's time who made and broke secret codes.

Henry Brody ’27
Henry Brody is excited to explore the intersection of law and government policy - how a civil servant can wield their tools to enact justice and change. Henry graduated from Williams College with a double major in history and political science. Working as an investigative analyst at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office prior to law school, Henry witnessed the transformation of abstract law and policy into real-world impact. At CLS, he is a part of the Columbia Law Review and has participated in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court. During his 1L summer of law school, Henry interned with Judge Lara Eshkenazi in the Eastern District of New York. In his 2L summer, he interned at the New York City Law Department.

Danna Burshtine ’27
Danna Burshtine aspires to a career in either tenant or criminal defense and is interested in exploring possibilities in Native American law. Danna studied religious studies at the University of Chicago. A born-and-raised Upper Westsider, Danna spent her time before law school back on her home turf, working in a coffee shop/restaurant in Harlem, only a few blocks away from Columbia. There, she connected with all sorts of New Yorkers who inspired her to use her law degree to work for her community. Danna is a member of the Tenants’ Rights Project and the Parole Advocacy Project at Columbia Law. During her 1L summer, Danna worked at the Legal Aid Society in their Harlem Housing Unit - Group Advocacy, where she helped tenants' associations affirmatively advocate for their rights. Her 2L summer was spent at the Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem Criminal Defense Practice.

Sophia Dalldorf ’27
Sophie Dalldorf is passionate about child advocacy and education policy. Sophie holds a B.S. in statistics and public policy from Duke University. Before law school, Sophie was a teacher in NYC through Teach for America and then worked as a paralegal in the Child Abuse Bureau at the Manhattan DA’s Office. Sophie is the co-president of the Education Law and Policy Society and the Suspension Representation Project. She is involved with the Journal of Law and Social Problems as well. Sophie spent her 1L summer in New York City as a legal intern on the Juvenile Rights Practice team at Legal Aid and then her 2L summer with the Family Justice Law Center.

Will Damarjian ’27
Will Damarjian is passionate about immigration justice and views the border as a site of violence against queer people. Will earned a B.A. in comparative literature from University College London. While at UCL, Will worked with the London Museum to study the effects of gentrification, migration, and policing on LGBTQ nightlife in London. Since graduating, Will worked as a guest contributor for Think Pieces with the Institute of Advanced Studies to consider the role of complaint in feminist higher education organizing. Before law school, Will was a community organizer in their home state of Utah helping ban conversion therapy, address the high recidivism rate of incarcerated Utahns, and helping to create the Salt Lake City Mutual Aid Fund. At Columbia Law School, Will externed with the Legal Aid Society and the Bronx Defenders in their respective immigration units. They worked pro bono on various pro se immigration projects and coordinated for Ravi Ragbir to present during a campus lunch talk on pro se filings. They worked as a 2L staffer for the Journal of Gender and Law. Will spent their 1L summer at Brooklyn Legal Services New York, and their 2L summer at the Legal Aid Society in the Immigration Unit.

Ryan Dyke ’27
Ryan Dyke is passionate about civil rights, voting rights, and criminal justice reform. He is particularly interested in exploring how and when government systems can be best utilized to effectuate rights. Ryan earned his B.A. in cognitive science at the University of Michigan, with minors in moral and political philosophy and crime and justice. Ryan interned at a non-profit focused on international poverty relief policy and at a county public defender's office before spending two years as a paralegal in the Special Victims Division at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. His work in the criminal legal system is a driving force for his desire to reform government systems to better serve all people. As a 1L representative for the American Constitution Society and Columbia Law Students for Voting Rights, Ryan studied the importance of a responsible, principled judiciary and its necessary role in ensuring civil rights. He attained hands-on experience by volunteering for the ACLU Voting Rights Project during his 1L spring semester. Ryan worked as a legal intern at NYLAG's Tenants' Rights Unit in his 1L summer, where he represented clients facing poverty in eviction proceedings. Ryan continued doing government accountability work in his 2L summer internship.

Alexis Jade Ferguson ’27
Jade is passionate about capital defense and prison abolition. Jade holds a Bachelor’s in culture and politics with a concentration in criminal justice and gender equity from Georgetown University and an MPhil in criminological research from the University of Cambridge. While at Cambridge, Jade interned at a civil impact litigation firm fighting workplace abuse and racial discrimination. They wrote their graduate dissertation on the relationship between anarchist criminology and Black Lives Matter. Before law school, Jade spent time in Alabama researching racial disparities in the administration of capital punishment and engaged in grassroots organizing, civil impact litigation, and critical criminological research. From working at D.C. Jobs with Justice, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research to Black Girls Vote, Solomon Law Firm, and the Telluride Association, Jade has unearthed interests in exploring transformative justice and abolition in the Deep South. They were admitted through the Leadership Experience Admissions Deferral program (LEAD) and they are a 1L advocate in the Human Rights Institute. Jade is an organizational coordinator for the Parole Advocacy Group, the managing online and symposium editor for the Columbia Journal of Race and Law, and a staffer on the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual. They are a participant in the Criminal Appeals Externship. Jade spent their 1L summer at the ACLU of Alabama, fighting the death penalty through capital appellate litigation and supporting direct services. They were with the Mecklenburg Public Defender in their second summer. Jade is an award-winning spoken word poet and first in their family to attend law school.

Maurice Frediere ’27
Maurice Frediere is interested in voting rights and civil rights because of his belief that civic and political engagement can empower communities to make the change they need. Maurice earned a B.A. in economics and political science from Rice University where he graduated with honors for his thesis on preventing recurrence of civil wars in post-conflict societies. At Rice, Maurice served as student body vice president, helped lead response and rebuilding efforts in Houston during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and worked on a number of civic engagement campaigns. After college, Maurice worked as a middle and high school special education teacher in Title I schools. His experiences as a teacher exposed him to the immense challenges faced by children and their families having to contend with systemic disinvestment and injustice. At Columbia, Maurice served as president of the Columbia Law Democrats, vice president of Columbia Law Students for Voting Rights, vice president for Advocacy of American Constitution Society, and as a volunteer for the Domestic Violence Project. Maurice was involved with the NASLA Moot Court and the Journal for Law and Social Problems. Maurice spent his 1L Summer in Houston, Texas, as a law clerk for the Voting Rights Division of the Texas Civil Rights Project. He was with the Fresno County Public Defender's Office in his 2L summer. Maurice is the first in his family to attend law school and he is excited to use the law as a tool to serve and give back.

Kailey Griffith ’27
Kailey Griffith is interested in the intersection of human rights and environmental justice, with a particular focus on indigenous peoples' rights and corporate accountability in agribusiness. Kailey holds a B.A. from New York University where she pursued an individualized major in sustainable development and environmental justice. While at NYU she took on leadership positions in several student environmental activist groups, including canvassing for the Sunrise Movement. After graduating, she worked for the Global Center on Food and Agriculture at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs where she developed an interest in reducing diet-related chronic diseases through agriculture reform. Kailey joined the Native American Law Student Association Moot Court during her 1L year and continued as a coach as a 2L. She is also a notes editor for the Human Rights Law Review at Columbia, and took part in the Environmental and Climate Justice Clinic where she worked with clients on advancing legislation for food and drinking water safety. Kailey received the Morrison and Foerster Public Interest Fellowship in Japan and spent her 1L summer working for Human Rights Now in Tokyo. For her 2L summer, Kailey was with EarthRights International, an international nonprofit at the frontlines of climate justice and corporate accountability. Kailey is the daughter of an army veteran and the first in her family to attend law school.

Michael Gross ’27
Michael Gross is passionate about policymaking and civil justice work related to housing in New York City. He graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in political science and peace and conflict studies. Before law school, Michael spent two years at the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board investigating allegations of misconduct by NYPD officers, including cases involving serious injury, large-scale police operations, and unreasonable searches and seizures. Michael is the president of the Law and Political Economy Society, co-chair and co-founder of the Tenants' Rights Project, co-founder of the Columbia University Tenants' Union, the public interest chair of the Black Law Students Association, a legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild, the co-chair of the Economic Development Committee on Community Board 9, an articles editor with the Journal of Race and Law, a research assistant for Professor Richard Briffault, and an extern with the NYC Department of City Planning. He spent his 1L summer working in the New York City Council's Legislative Counsel and Drafting Division, where he drafted bills and resolutions in collaboration with city council members. In his 2L summer, Michael worked at the Legal Aid Society in their Civil Practice Law Reform Unit. Michael is Austrian and Ethiopian and grew up in Kenya before moving to New York City. He also speaks German fluently and is the first person in his family to attend law school.

Ivanna Guerra Navarro ’27
Ivanna's experience living on the border has inspired her to pursue a career in immigration, with an emphasis in detention defense. Ivanna earned her B.A. in history with minors in philosophy and art history from Vassar College. Before law school, Ivanna worked as a pro bono administrator at The Legal Aid Society (LAS). Prior to her tenure at LAS, she worked as an administrative fellow for the Jeh Johnson ALANA Center and Transitions Program at Vassar College. At Columbia Law School, Ivanna served as the president of the Disabled Law Students' Association (DLSA), where she advocated for better treatment for students with disabilities on campus. Along with her participation in DLSA, Ivanna was a staff editor for the Human Rights Law Review. She participated in the Immigration Defense and Law, Power, and Social Change externship. During her 1L summer, Ivanna interned for LatinoJustice, an organization at the forefront of fighting for civil rights for Latinos against the Trump administration. In her 2L summer, she worked for the Bronx Defenders, Immigration Defense Unit. Ivanna is trilingual and the first in her family to attend law school.

Sam Hernandez ’27
An ardent believer in the importance of public institutions, Sam Hernandez is interested in the expansion of democratic values across various facets of public life, including the economy and criminal justice. Before CLS, Sam studied philosophy and English at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Sam witnessed the importance of public institutions that serve the people they represent and the inequity created when they fail to do so. In law school and afterwards, Sam aspires to help build a more robust and democratic economy. Sam currently serves as a managing editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was the secretary of the Columbia Antitrust Law & Economics Association and a board member of the Law & Political Economy chapter at Columbia Law School. In addition, he participated in externships with the Federal Defenders of New York and the Antitrust Bureau at the New York Attorney General's Office. He is a research assistant helping Professor Jeremy Kessler with his book project on the Selective Service and administrative adjudication and, prior to that, assisted Professor Reilly Steel with his research about systematic corruption in American governance. Sam spent his 1L summer at the Antitrust Bureau of the New York Attorney General's Office and his 2L summer at the New York City Law Department. Sam is the first in his family to attend law school.

Cam Humphrey ’27
Cam Humphrey is passionate about the intersection of environmental justice and civil rights law in the rural South. Cam earned his B.S. in agricultural business and economics at Auburn University and a Master's in environmental management from the Yale School of the Environment. At Yale, he worked as a research assistant where he analyzed environmental justice proposals and facilitated discussions on Critical Race Theory, completing his capstone project on the application of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to environmental discrimination claims. Prior to law school, Cam served as a Philanthropy Fellow at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and worked as a program research analyst at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in Los Altos, California. While there, he led the Learn and Build Grants Portfolio to support scalable pro-smallholder farmer approaches to tropical forest conservation in the Congo Basin and other tropical forest regions, in addition to working tirelessly to support Black grassroots organizations in the rural South fighting for environmental justice. Cam is the president of Black Men's Network and the co-president of Columbia Law Democrats. During his 1L year, he served as a staff editor on the Columbia Journal of Race and Law. He also served on the Frederick Douglass Moot Court team. Cam spent his 1L summer in Durham, North Carolina, as a legal intern for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and his 2L summer in the Legal Defense Fund’s D.C. Office. Cam is a Birmingham, Alabama native and the first in his family to attend law school.

Zac Johnson ’27
Zac Johnson is passionate about destabilizing systems of inequality by creating wide-scale repair through litigation. Before coming to New York, Zac studied public policy and history at Duke University, with a certificate in human rights. Zac was involved in Duke Student Government, where he helped create new programs, classes, and institutional practices designed to create a more radical campus. In New York, Zac has worked as a narrative and campaign strategist for progressive movements, focusing on issues such as reparations, corporate accountability, and environmental justice. At Columbia Law School, Zac served as managing notes editor for the Columbia Journal of Race and Law. He participated in the Law, Power, & Social Change externship with Local Solutions Support Center and will join in the Post-Conviction and Reentry Justice Clinic in the Fall. Zac spent his 1L summer as an intern at Shanies Law, supporting the firm's wrongful conviction and civil rights practice. During his 2L summer, Zac interned with the Special Litigation Unit at the Legal Aid Society, helping to develop ambitious impact litigation and policy campaigns.

Ria Kanani ’27
Ria is passionate about advocating for victims of sexual harassment and discrimination. Ria graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in international political economy and a minor in Spanish. Before law school, Ria worked for over five years as a legal operations manager at Allan & Martelle LLP, focusing on domestic violence and minors’ counsel cases. In college, she interned at the U.S. House of Representatives and later at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, where she researched the intersection of juvenile courts and domestic violence. She is an articles editor on the Columbia Human Rights Law Review and an active leader in Columbia Law School’s public interest community, serving in leadership roles with the Student Senate, Plaintiff’s Law Association, and the Domestic Violence Project, where she focuses on advocacy for survivors of gender-based violence. She also competed on Columbia’s Gender & Sexuality Moot Court team and contributed to a petition to the Supreme Court of India through the Human Rights Advocacy Program. During law school, Ria has gained extensive litigation experience in prosecution through externships with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. She spent her 1L summer as an intern with the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation and her 2L summer at Sullivan & Cromwell and Merson Law PLLC, where she continued her work representing survivors. Ria is a native Californian and enjoys hiking, painting, and dancing.

Joseph P. Kelly ’27
Joseph is interested in working in the criminal justice system and advocating for decarceration and rehabilitation. Joseph graduated with honors from Vassar College with a B.A. in American studies and women’s studies and a correlate in political science. While at Vassar, Joseph was a political science research assistant with Dr. Taneisha N. Means and co-authored two published papers with her and other students. Most recently, Joseph was a paralegal at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in the appellate section where he worked on legal briefs. During his 1L summer in law school, Joseph interned with Gay Men’s Health Crisis. For his 2L summer, he was with the Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice. Joseph is an Eagle Scout and wrote his senior thesis at Vassar on fatphobia in pop culture and media.

Ria Bindra McDonald ’27
Ria McDonald is deeply interested in the intersection of law and policy, particularly as it relates to antitrust, housing, and elections. Ria graduated with honors from the University of Oxford, where she earned her B.A. in philosophy, politics, and economics. Her areas of focus were security and conflict, public economics, and political sociology. Ria's study of public economics and critical theory, as well as her work in the democracy reform field, has driven her interest in using the mechanisms of law, government, and the market in order to further social justice aims. During her time at CLS, Ria has been involved in direct services work with the Parole Advocacy Project and the Tenants' Rights Project. She will serve on the board of the Law and Political Economy Society and Columbia Law Students for Voting Rights, and participate in an externship with the Antitrust Division of the Office of the New York Attorney General. For her 1L summer, Ria served as a legal fellow in Congress to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, where she conducted legal and policy research on upcoming bills and Supreme Court decisions, as well as contributed to statutory drafting. In her 2L summer, she interned with Bantle & Levy, an employment discrimination firm. Ria, a devoted New Yorker who is deeply inspired by state and local government, was recently appointed as a voting member of Manhattan Community Board 9.

Annie McGovern ’27
Annie McGovern intends to pursue a career dedicated to human rights advocacy, specifically focusing on the promotion of gender and racial equity. Annie earned a B.A. in psychology and government from Wesleyan University. Following her graduation, she worked as a domestic violence advocate for Safe Horizon. During her time at Wesleyan, Annie served as a policy and grassroots advocacy intern for NARAL Pro-Choice and volunteered as an abortion doula for Planned Parenthood. She discovered her passion for international human rights after being selected to work on a project researching the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict. At Columbia, Annie has served as president of If/When/How, Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and Chair of Research and Pro-Bono for the Human Rights Association. She is the Education Officer for the Human Rights Institute's 1L Advocates Program and a Max Berger Public Interest/Public Service Fellows Program Advisory Board Member. In her 1L year, she researched the relationship between rights violations and political participation for the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association. In 2L, she was a student attorney in the yearlong Smith Family Human Rights Clinic and assisted Professor Madhav Khosla with the upcoming Oxford Handbook on Law & Authoritarianism. She has  served as a staffer for the Journal of Gender and Law and the Human Rights Law Review. In her 1L year, Annie participated in the Human Rights Institute's 1L Advocacy Program. She was selected as a board member for the Human Rights Association's Research and Pro Bono Committee and served as a staffer for the Journal of Gender and Law. Annie spent her first summer of law school in The Gambia, where she interned with the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa. Annie spent her second summer as a legal intern for the Global Justice Center in NYC. Annie is proudly the first in her family to attend law school.

Ishani Mehta ’27
Ishani is interested in climate/refugee advocacy work, redistributive economic justice work, and health law and gender justice. Before starting law school, Ishani studied mechanical engineering and religious studies at Brown University. After graduating, Ishani worked in government consulting for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Unaccompanied Children's Program and she interned with the Rhode Island Center for Justice doing tenants’ rights work and suspension-representation work for youth in Providence K-12 schools. At Columbia, Ishani was the public interest chair for EWOC and If/When/How as a 1L, and a participant in the Immigrants' Rights Clinic. For her second year, Ishani was the empirical scholarship officer of the Columbia Law Review, a student attorney in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, a research assistant for Professor Christine Ryan as part of the Reproductive Freedom Project, as well as a teaching assistant for civil procedure. In her first summer, Ishani interned in the chambers of the Honorable Zahid Quraishi in the District of New Jersey. During her 2L summer, Ishani was a Summer Associate at Hecker Fink and a Summer Intern at the Gender Equality Law Center. 

James Morrison ’27
James is interested in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and working in the labor and employment law space. James graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in philosophy, politics, and economics and English. James then attended Oxford University, where he earned his Master of Public Policy (MPP). In the summer of 2023, James worked with LGBT Ireland, an organization that sought to advance LGBTQ+ policy priorities in the Republic of Ireland. James then went on to work as a plaintiff-side legal assistant in the employment law space. At Columbia Law School, James served as the treasurer of Outlaws and was the coach of the Gender and Sexuality Moot Court Team in his second year. He was a practicum student in the Gender & Sexuality practicum, where he worked on asylum applications with the Urban Justice Center. For his work on gender and sexuality issues, James received the Allan Morrow Scholarship for the 2025–26 school year. James spent his 1L summer at the Civil Rights Bureau at the New York Office of the Attorney General, and his 2L summer at Bloch and White, a civil rights firm focused on civil rights and criminal defense work.

Quinn Muscatel ’27
Quinn is passionate about protecting immigrants' rights and driving meaningful reform within the immigration system. She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a double major in political science and French and a minor in religious studies. Before attending law school, Quinn’s experience includes work with the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, immigrant non-profit organizations, and the U.S. Department of State, all of which have deepened her commitment to assisting migrants and refugees in achieving safety and prosperity. While at Vanderbilt, Quinn volunteered with the Nashville International Center for Empowerment, a non-profit organization assisting refugees. There, she helped families integrate into the greater Nashville area by teaching English, navigating the U.S. school system, and applying for status and assistance in the United States. During her 1L year, Quinn served as a representative for both Trauma-Informed Lawyering and the Human Rights Association and participated in the Asylum and Refugee Law Moot Court. As a 2L, she continued her involvement as vice president of Trauma-Informed Lawyering and as advocacy chair for the Human Rights Association. Quinn spent her 1L summer at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office in the Immigration Unit where she assisted in deportation defense. She interned with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project in her second summer of law school.

Danielle Nwosa ’27
Danielle is passionate about child welfare system reform and its intersection with race, class, and justice-involvement. Danielle graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a double major in human development & family sciences. After graduating, Danielle worked in social impact consulting and development. Through these roles, she supported several nonprofits and philanthropies including a reentry program for formerly incarcerated women and an international human rights organization. During her time at CLS, Danielle has been involved with the Parole Advocacy Project, the Frederick Douglass Moot Court, the Columbia Human Rights Law Review, and the Jailhouse Lawyers’ Manual. She spent her 1L summer in Lesvos, Greece interning with Defence for Children International, where she worked on asylum applications for unaccompanied children and single mothers. For her 2L summer, Danielle interned with the Office of the Attorney General of California. Danielle is a proud Nigerian-American and the first in her family to attend law school.

Anna Perry ’27
Anna is interested in social justice and human rights work. Anna graduated cum laude with honors from Cornell University with a B.A. in philosophy and English and a minor in law & society. Before law school, Anna worked as a legal assistant at Michigan Legal Services, a tenants' rights legal services nonprofit in Detroit. At Columbia, Anna co-founded the Tenants' Rights Project, which connects students with pro-bono opportunities in the local community and serves as a space to discuss housing policy through on- and off-campus events. She is also a member of the Parole Advocacy Project, through which she and her team have spent the past year working with a currently incarcerated client to prepare for his parole hearing. Anna served as a 1L staff editor and then parliamentarian on the Journal of Asian Law. During her 1L summer, Anna interned at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, Appellate Section. Her 2L summer was with the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem. Anna is the first in her family to attend law school.

Macario Ramirez-Moriarty ’27
Macario Ramirez-Moriarty is interested in environmental law and immigration. Macario graduated from the University of Minnesota with a double major in political science and economics. Growing up the son of a Mexican immigrant, Macario saw family members struggle with the complicated legal system in the United States. At the same time, he saw how much sound legal counsel can benefit the life of an immigrant and their family. As a 2L at Columbia, Macario served as one of the public interest chairs for the Latinx Law Student Association and as the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Environmental Law. He also participated in an externship with the Bronx Defenders, the Environmental and Climate Justice Clinic. Macario spent his 1L summer at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and his 2L summer at the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, working with migrant farmworkers as part of their Agricultural Workers Project.

Madigan Ruch ’27
Madigan (Madi) Ruch is committed to pursuing a career in capital defense, criminal legal reform, and post-conviction advocacy. She graduated with a BSc in philosophy, politics, and economics from University College London. Prior to law school, Madi was employed as a support worker at a transitional housing program. There, she witnessed the lasting effects of institutionalization on vulnerable individuals and developed an interest in the law as a vehicle to both advocate for the immediate needs of clients while also pursuing broader systemic change. At CLS Madi is the executive articles editor of the Columbia Law Review, externed in the Constitutional Rights and Death Penalty program at Squire Patton Boggs, participated in and coached the Native American Moot Court, and was selected as a 1LAP fellow in the Human Rights Institute. Madi spent her 1L summer as a legal intern for the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Office of Public Defenders and her 2L summer at the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project in Durham, North Carolina. Madi is originally from Toronto, Canada, and is the first in her family to attend law school.

Liel Sterling ’27
Liel Sterling is an aspiring civil impact litigator committed to advancing economic justice, particularly at its intersection with gender justice. She graduated with honors from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where she co-founded the Ithaca Tenants Union and Cornell's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Before law school, Liel worked as a paralegal at the ACLU Women's Rights Project, where she supported the organization's employment and housing justice litigation. At CLS, Liel co-founded the Tenants' Rights Project, served as treasurer of the Workers' Rights Student Coalition, participated in the Gender and Sexuality Practicum, and worked as a research assistant to Professor Kate Andrias. She currently serves as executive financial editor and ombudsman of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems and as a student attorney in the Mediation Clinic. Liel spent her 1L summer in the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General's Office and her 2L summer at Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C., a New York City plaintiff-side employment law firm. Outside of law, she is a classically trained opera singer and proudly calls New Jersey home.

Connor Sullivan ’27
Connor's areas of interest coalesce around economic justice and include labor law, employment law, consumer law, and housing law. Connor graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in history. Before law school, Connor spent three years as a fundraiser at Caring Across Generations, a national advocacy organization that seeks to advance a care economy with dignified, family-sustaining jobs for direct care workers. As a founding member of Caring Across Generations' staff union, Connor cut his teeth at workplace organizing and helped build collective power with his colleagues during negotiations over the union’s inaugural contract. In his second year at Columbia, Connor served as the president of the Workers' Rights Student Coalition and externed with the Legal Aid Society's Housing Justice Clinic and Economic Equities Project. He also served as an advisor to the Workers' Rights Student Coalition and as a staff editor of the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law. He will extern with the Labor Bureau of the New York State Attorney General's Office as a 3L. Connor spent his 1L summer at the Community Health Law Project, where he helped represent indigent clients in housing, consumer, and public benefits matters. During his 2L summer, he interned with the U.S. Department of Labor in the New York Regional Solicitor’s Office, supporting trial-level litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Occupational Safety and Health Act.  A proud first-generation professional student, Connor grew up in North Carolina and Florida.

Sobechukwu Uwajeh ’27
Sobechukwu Uwajeh is eager to serve those who are most in need by focusing on civil rights, immigration, international law, and domestic government work. Sobechukwu was a 2022 graduate and QuestBridge Scholar at Claremont McKenna College, where she received a B.A. in public policy with a minor in leadership studies. Prior to law school, Sobechukwu joined the administration of Illinois Governor Pritzker as a Dunn Fellow while simultaneously serving as an intern with the Center for Racial Reconciliation at Fellowship Church. She spent her last year before law school as a domestic Christian missionary with Youth With a Mission's Circuit Riders base. On campus, Sobechukwu is the managing submissions editor for the Journal of Race and Law, 3L representative for the Black Law Student Association, and a Columbia Student Senator. She has served as the co-president for Columbia Society for International Law and the online and symposium editor for the Columbia Journal of Race and Law. Sobechukwu spent her 1L summer doing cutting-edge research, advocacy, and resource-building as an intern with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. During her 2L summer, she served as a Black Public Defender Fellow with The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice. Sobechukwu is a proud Nigerian-American and driven by her Christian faith to see fairer and more equitable legal systems.

Selah Williams ’27
Selah Williams aspires to a career focused on racial and economic justice through community-centered work in housing, public defense, and advocacy for protestors’ rights. Selah earned her B.A. in sociology and African American studies from Emory University. Growing up in the South, Selah witnessed firsthand the barriers Black and low-income communities face in accessing legal resources. Before law school, she supported survivors of domestic violence and worked to protect voting rights for historically disenfranchised communities, experiences that shaped her commitment to public interest law. As a law student, she is involved with the Columbia Law Review, the Frederick Douglass Moot Court team, the Parole Advocacy Project, and Racial Literacy for Racial Justice. She worked as a TA for Professor Kendall Thomas. Selah worked as a legal intern in New York City at the Goddard Riverside Law Project, working to prevent evictions and advance tenant organizing efforts during her first summer. In her second summer, she was with the ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project. Selah is a lifelong musician and the first in her family to attend law school.

Valentina Zavala-Arbelaez ’27
Valentina is passionate about defense work, including public defense and family defense. Valentina graduated cum laude from Haverford College with a major in anthropology, minor in educational studies, and concentration in Latin American studies. Upon graduation, Valentina was a post-baccalaureate fellow on HIAS Pennsylvania's Asylee Outreach Program. Most recently, Valentina was a client advocate at the Center for Appellate Litigation, working for their Survivors Advocacy Practice and Appellate Term practice areas. At CLS, Valentina is the president of Queer Trans People of Color, a direct services coordinator for the Parole Advocacy Project, and a public interest co-chair for the Latinx Law Students Association. For their 1L summer, Valentina interned at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender in their Adult Trial Division in Essex County. In their 2L summer, Valentina interned at the Brooklyn Defender Services with their Family Defense practice. Valentina is a first-generation Colombian /Ecuadorian-American and the first in their family to attend law school. 

Keir Adamson ’26
Andrew E. Brennen ’26
Abigail Shaska Carbajal ’26
Katherine Coyle ’26
Ava DeSantis ’26
Caelan Dick ’26
Emily Dinan ’26
Pedro Ariel Dominguez ’26
Carly Feldman ’26
Kylie Nicole Ford ’26
Carly Gittrich ’26
Kalvis Golde ’26
Makayla Haussler ’26
Jasmine M. Heiss ’26
Nina Kumar ’26
Hannah LeBaron ’26
Emma Liles ’26
Caroline Mann ’26
Brenley Markowitz ’26
Jennifer Morgan ’26
Alia Nahra ’26
Samantha Norrito ’26
Emmanuel Uyi Osayande ’26
Sarah Safi ’26
Safia Karasick Southey ’26 GS ’21
Elizabeth Sturley ’26
Charles Touche ’26
Alondra Vazquez ’26
Celeste Woloshyn ’26
Lauren Young ’26
Emma Ziegler ’26

Alexis Birge ’25
Benjamin Davis Boston ’25
Martina Brady ’25
T.J. Braxton ’25
Helena Brittain ’25
Sofia Calvo Castillo ’25
Alexander Cordovés Serrano ’25
Ilana Dutton ’25
Skylar Gleason ’25
Alon Goldfinger ’25
Sara Gomez Bohorquez ’25
Alcira Hava ’25
Angela Hyokyoung Kang ’25
Mikhal Kidane ’25
Hannah Kirk Nass ’25
Anne Li ’25
Anthony Mejia ’25
Katie Mimini CC ’19, LAW ’25
Christopher Neville ’25
Sabriyya Pate ’25
Kristen Popham ’25
Nathan Porceng ’25
Sabrina Rich ’25
Kai Salem ’25
Malik Sammons ’25
Jacob A. Sarasin ’25
Mark Scaggs ’25
Natalie Smith ’25
Aubrey Vial ’25

Zartosht Ahlers ’24
Sarah Al-Shalash ’24
Drew Brazer ’24
Jackeline M. Carcamo ’24
Dakota Fenn ’24
Meanna Gray ’24
Margaret Hassel ’24
Josh Jacob ’24
Jamie Jenkins ’24
Daniel “Jack” Jones ’24
Zachary “Zak” Kayal ’24
Divya Korada ’24
Stephen Kpundeh ’24
Peyton Lepp ’24
Erika Lopez ’24
Kendrick Lu ’24
Ashley Marceus ’24
William Oh ’24
Justin Onwenu ’24
Michael Orlando ’24
Elias Passas ’24
Clayton Pierce ’24
Priyanka Radhakrishnan ’24
Harry Reis ’24
Gabriela Rocío Ramírez Ornelas
Rubí Rodriguez ’24
Nayzak Wali-Ali ’24
Rose Wehrman ’24
Isabel Zúñiga ’24

Christopher Alter ’23
Hunter Baehren ’23
Madhuri Belkale ’23
Molly Bodurtha ’23
Likhitha Butchireddygari ’23
Grace Coleman ’23
Kathrina Dabdoub ’23
Allie Doyle ’23
Nkechi Erondu ’23
Fatima Hasanain ’23
Chakshu Hurria ’23
Emily Katz ’23
Eileen Li ’23
Laura McFeely ’23
Anna Belle Newport ’23
Austin Owen ’23
Lee Rea ’23
Tyler Ritchie ’23
Emma Shumway ’23
Julianna Simms ’23
Patricia Elizabeth Stewart ’23
Imani Thornton ’23
Katherine Wilkin ’23

Katja Botchkareva ’22
Bianca Larez Chavez ’22
Susannah R. Cohen ’22
Diana Costin ’22
Emily L. Drake ’22
Raisa Elhadi ’22
Adaeze Eze ’22
Samuel Fishman ’22
Daimiris Garcia ’22
Abie Green ’22
Ailee D. Katz ’22
Hyun Kim ’22
Kate Kobriger ’22
Geesu Lee ’22
August "Gus" Leinbach ’22
Bridgett McCoy ’22
Stephanie Nnadi ’22
Sana Shahzad ’22
Roger Antonio Tejada ’22
Brandon Vines ’22
Dante Violette ’22
Oren Vitenson ’22