2025 Summer Public Interest Fellow

How would you describe your experience?

I enjoyed my experience this summer with the Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic. I was able to work on meaningful projects, and my writing and advocacy skills have grown exponentially in a few short months. I had the opportunity to work with clients and learned to draft appellate briefs. This is a skill I haven't encountered in my legal education so far. I learned a lot about the law, as well as the criminal justice system as an institution. I am very grateful for the support of my supervisors, Alexandria Harrington and Annabel Mannion, and my team members in navigating this opportunity.

What impacted you the most?

I believe it was corresponding with clients, and a visit to prison that really impacted me the most this summer. Learning about how the criminal justice system works from people who experience it every day was really eye-opening and inspired me to continue my work in advocacy in my career. The clients we work with are inspiring, resilient, and genuinely a pleasure to work with. I am grateful for the perspective this opportunity has given me. I knew change was needed, but learning about the system from an inside perspective really inspired my passion for criminal justice advocacy going forward. I found that both the legal work and the personal connections I've fostered with clients to be extremely educational and helpful in honing my skills as a lawyer and an advocate. I am grateful to have this experience under my belt as I continue to navigate the legal field going forward.

What would you like to share with our donors?

I would like to extend my gratitude to the donors to the Clarence J. Sundram Fellowship who have made this opportunity possible. I found this opportunity to be extremely enlightening, engaging, and inspiring. I had never had the opportunity to work in the criminal justice field before. Without this opportunity, made possible by generous donations from the donors, I may not have ever discovered my passion for advocacy, particularly criminal justice advocacy. I believe this opportunity will shape the rest of my career, in that I was able to work in a field I'm so passionate about so early in my legal career. Advocacy is a responsibility and a power I do not take lightly, and again, I am grateful for the opportunity to get my foot in the door so that I may use my remaining years to foster the skills I learned in the Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic to become the most efficient advocate I can in my legal career. Thank you again for your generous donations, on behalf of my team and my clients I can unequivocally say this opportunity has made a difference in so many lives.