University of Virginia, M.Ed. in Curriculum & Development, August 2005; B.A in English, May 2001

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Placement: Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. A, Community & Economic Development Project, Brooklyn, NY

For the seven years between college and law school, Alex Brandes taught English in Brooklyn public schools and universities. Using texts, world events, and universal questions as jumping-off points, he fostered technical improvements in, and enriched understanding of, the communication skills of adolescent and adult students, while maintaining classrooms that were engaging, productive, and respectful. Alex believes that teaching English has been good preparation for both the written and the oral aspects of a legal career. He hopes to use his teaching experience and legal education as tools for providing support to individuals, organizations, and causes that create a fair and robust society.

McGill University, B.A. in Political Science, May 2006

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Placement: New Mexico Environmental Law Center, Santa Fe, NM

Paul Cossu developed a passion for public service while working with victims of crimes at the New York County District Attorney’s Office. After working in the Victim Assistance Center of the D.A.’s Office, Paul transferred to the Frauds Bureau where he worked on stock fraud cases, helping investors get restitution for their losses. In law school, in addition to being a member of the executive board of the Art Law Association, Paul is also enthusiastically focused on issues in environmental and election law. He began working with a Brooklyn-based environmental organization, Trees Not Trash, to help it become incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation. He is excited to be going to the New Mexico Environmental Law Center in Santa Fe this summer.

The George Washington University, M.A. in Philosophy and Social Policy, June 2000 Northeastern University B.S. in Political Science and Economics, May 1995

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Placement: New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), New York, NY

Ruth DeLuca’s interest is public health and creating and sustaining healthy communities. She has worked as a paralegal at Skadden Arps, and advocated for campaign finance reform and alternative energy initiatives. Upon completing her master's degree, Ruth worked for BIO, a non-profit membership organization, representing biotechnology companies on such issues as FDA reform, reimbursement policy, national healthcare policy, regulation of biotech crops, and small business and economic development issues. Ruth's long term goal is to assist the medical community in providing quality, comprehensive health care to low-income children and adults by advocating for policy change and working directly with clients who would not otherwise have legal representation.

UC Berkeley, Political Science, May 2007

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After graduating from college, Archana spent several months in New Orleans coordinating volunteers for two nonprofit Katrina-relief organizations. This work helped solidify her belief that one individual can make a tremendous impact and it was with this belief that she began law school. Since her time at BLS, Archana has worked actively with the BLS chapters of the National Lawyers Guild and Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest, the Wikimedia Foundation, and the Brennan Center for Justice. In the summer of 2009 she interned at the Urban Justice Center Street Vendor Project, and is currently involved in launching a pro-bono project at BLS to encourage students to get involved in the Vendor cause. She looks forward to providing direct legal services and community organizing support to Housing Conservation Coordinators this summer.

Barnard College ‘03, NYU Wagner School of Public Service ‘08

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Placement: Human Rights Watch, New York, NY

Amy Hsieh’s passion for health and human rights stems from her experiences with the medically underserved while interning at the Center for Immigrant Health. Realizing that the law and policy can be leveraged to improve health for a broader population, she sought to pursue a career in global public health law and policy. Prior to law school, Amy worked as a program coordinator at the NYU School of Medicine’s Division of Primary Care, where she helped to develop, implement, and evaluate various training programs that prepare health professionals to care for medically underserved communities. She also consulted with ReliefWeb, a web-based disaster management information platform, on ways to maximize timely and relevant information sharing among disaster and emergency relief providers. Amy has also participated in volunteer projects at the Legal Aid Society’s Health Law Unit that assess various aspects of Medicare access for supplemental security income recipients. Amy plans to use her legal education and experience as means to enhance health rights and improve health outcomes globally.

Haverford College, B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, May 2004

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Placement: New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Foreclosure Prevention Project, New York, NY

Since starting law school, Erica Kyzmir has become devoted to issues of economic justice and consumer rights. She is an active member and former co-chair of the Civil Legal Advice & Resource Office (CLARO), a clinic that provides free legal assistance to pro se consumer debtors who have been sued by creditors. This past summer, she continued her work with CLARO as an intern for the Brooklyn Bar Associations Volunteer Lawyers Project where, in addition to helping individuals with their consumer debt problems, she also assisted litigants with bankruptcy, family, and elder law issues. With her current involvement in the Consumer Counseling and Bankruptcy Clinic, Erica counsels and represents low-income individuals filing Chapter 7 bankruptcies. She looks forward to spending her summer at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where she will work with the Foreclosure Prevention Project and continue to assist the disadvantaged in their struggle for economic justice.

Fordham University, B.A. in English Literature, May 2003; CUNY-Lehman College, M.S. Secondary English Education, June 2006

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Placement: Advocates for Children, New York, NY

Luis Morales’ commitment to legal advocacy for equal resources and opportunities in under-served communities began with his work as member of the New York City Teaching Fellows. A 2003 corps member, Luis spent three years teaching 7th and 8th graders in the South Bronx. He also worked at Harlem RBI, a youth development agency in East Harlem, first as a Program Coordinator and then as a Program Manager. In this role, he helped staff and participants strive toward the organization’s mission of helping youth “recognize their potential and realize their dreams.” Luis sees law school as providing the necessary tools to move the rusty gears of city bureaucracies to meet the needs of its residents. He will spend his summer working with Advocates for Children ensuring that no child is deprived of an equal, quality education due to race, class, language facility, status as an immigrant or ethnic minority, or any other status.

University of Utah, B.A. in Sociology, December 2007

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Placement: Safe Horizon - Anti Trafficking Program

Leigh realized that her calling was public interest law when, while working with the marginalized communities of Salt Lake City, she came to appreciate the power of a zealous advocate. Throughout law school, she has engaged with organizations working around immigration and related issues, interning with Central American Legal Assistance doing political asylum and deportation defense work for Central and South Americans and Urban Justice Center’s Community Development Project. At Global Workers Justice Alliance, she is linking American advocates with human rights defenders abroad to facilitate the protection of rights for transnational workers. Leigh has traveled to New Orleans to work to improve disaster relief services for people with disabilities, and is an active member of the National Lawyers Guild, coordinating Brooklyn Law School NLG’s Immigration Court Watch program. She is most interested in the places that immigration issues intersect with other areas of the law – for example, labor/employment issues.

Johns Hopkins University, B.A. in International Relations, May 2004
Pace University, M.S.T. in Childhood Education, December 2006

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Placement: The Door, New York, NY

Michael Mastrangelo's deeply-rooted commitment to juvenile rights issues took shape in the South Bronx, where he taught middle school with the Teach for America program.  Having worked for three years to expand the educational opportunities of his students, Michael was acutely aware of the legal issues affecting children and families in low-income urban communities and sought a career in legal advocacy for at-risk youth.  Following his first year at Brooklyn Law School, Michael interned at the Children's Law Center in the Bronx.  At CLC, Michael assisted attorneys who represented children in custody, visitation, and guardianship proceedings in Bronx Family Court.  With the valuable insights he gained into the family court system and the ramifications of legal issues affecting children, Michael's appreciation of the importance of legal advocacy in obtaining equality of opportunity for New York City's youth reached a new height.  This summer, Michael will work with The Door, an organization that seeks to empower young people by providing legal advocacy and comprehensive developmental services.

Boston College, B.A. in History and Communications, May 2006

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As an undergraduate at Boston College, Cristina developed a commitment to public service when she became involved with the AIDS Awareness Committee, an organization promoting education, fundraising and volunteerism that she eventually directed for two years.   Experiences an intern with Senator John F. Kerry’s Boston office, a domestic violence shelter volunteer and a post-Hurricane Katrina Gulf Coast volunteer furthered her desire to pursue social justice issues.   While at Brooklyn Law School, she has used her BLSPI Fellowship to intern with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, and currently she is working at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on a class-action sex discrimination lawsuit.  This summer as a Sparer Fellow she hopes to do direct client services at a non-profit organization.

Trinity College, B.A., May 2005

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Lesley developed her passion for public service during her New York City Urban Fellowship with the Department of Homeless Services. She is also interested in animal and environmental rights, and is an active member of Brooklyn Law’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and Environmental Law Society.  Lesley also volunteers her time providing assistance to the New York State Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee and to the Nonhuman Rights Project.  Last summer, she interned with Federal District Judge Faith Hochberg, in the District of New Jersey.   Lesley graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a major in English literature and a minor in Spanish.

Public interest law was what drew Alexandra to BLS, where she has found support and encouragement for her interest in gender and the law. A 2009 BLSPI Fellow, she spent her 1L summer working at STEPS to End Family Violence’s Alternatives to Incarceration Program. There, she advocated for survivors of domestic abuse accused of crimes related to their abuse. Most notably, she investigated and wrote a pre-indictment memorandum on behalf of a survivor; the memo was presented to the Brooklyn District Attorney and significantly reduced the criminal charges against her client. Recognizing the dramatic lack of services for abuse survivors charged with crimes, she organized a speaker panel at BLS to raise awareness of the unique legal issues affecting this population. She has also interned with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), helping to bring employment discrimination suits on behalf of individuals whose rights have been violated through sexual harassment, racial discrimination and age discrimination. At BLS, she is actively involved with the Legal Association for Women, where she is the Domestic Violence Chair, and with BLSPI.

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, M.A. in International Relations, June 2001; Wesleyan University, B.A. in History, May 1998

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Placement: Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, NY

After obtaining her M.A. and before starting law school, Leila Rachidi worked in the field of international justice, rule of law and conflict management. She spent three years at Partners for Democratic Change, managing programs on transparency and reform of local government in the post-conflict Balkans. At the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Leila worked for four years on the development of a premier international campaign that promotes a fair, effective and independent International Criminal Court. Her interest is to work on incorporation of the developing norms of international criminal justice into domestic legal systems in order to close gaps of impunity for those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity worldwide. She will spend summer 2009 at the Center for Constitutional Rights assisting the organization in prosecution of abuses of human and constitutional rights.

University of Delaware, B.A. May 2007

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Amanda is interested in international humanitarian and human rights law. Prior to coming to law school, Amanda worked at the Blessed Place of Safety, an orphanage in Johannesburg, South Africa that provided a home for orphaned, abused and neglected children ranging in age from three months to ten years old. Through this experience, she realized how crucial the legal system was in establishing international standards and mechanisms for the protection and promotion of the rights of children throughout the world. Amanda is currently studying at the University of Essex where she is taking L.L.M. courses in International Human Rights Law.  Studying at Essex is providing her with the opportunity to work on a legal brief dealing with corporate complicity in human rights abuses and to broaden her knowledge in international human rights law.

Georgetown University, B.A. in Psychology, May 2005

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Placement: Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project, Shelter Law Initiative, Brooklyn, NY

Upon graduation, Kathryn Ryan assumed a paralegal position in the bankruptcy department of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP in Manhattan. After nearly two years in the corporate realm, Kathryn put her commitment to social justice into action and joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps: South. In August 2007, Kathryn began a year of service with Legal Services Alabama (“LSA”) in Mobile, Alabama, where she worked as an intake specialist. Her close work with victims of domestic violence at LSA sparked Kathryn’s interest in domestic violence-related issues. As a law student, she volunteers with the Sanctuary for Families’ Courtroom Advocacy Project at Brooklyn Family Court. Kathryn will spend her Sparer summer with the Shelter Law Initiative at the Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project in Brooklyn. The Initiative provides comprehensive services to residents of domestic violence shelters, including representation in Family Court and assistance with housing and welfare related matters.

Princeton University, B.A. in Comparative Literature, May 2002

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Placement: Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, New York, NY

After graduating from Princeton University, Sasha Linney lived abroad for one year in Malaysia and one year in Spain, where she taught, developed her language skills, and traveled. Upon returning to New York, Sasha began a career as an investigator at the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent mayoral agency responsible for investigating complaints against New York City police officers involving the use of excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or offensive language. Through this work, Sasha developed a passion for providing legal services to low-income and minority communities. Since starting law school, Sasha has volunteered for the Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO), a project devoted to assisting pro se litigants who are being sued by creditors or who have other consumer debt issues. Her involvement with CLARO led her to an interest in promoting community economic justice. This summer Sasha will work at the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, where she will continue to assist low income people in the areas of credit, debt, and lending discrimination.

Cornell University, B.S. in Policy Analysis & Management, May 2006

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Placement: Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia, Chiang Mai, Thailand

While an undergraduate student at Cornell University, Randi Scherman developed an interest in affordable housing issues. While participating in a multicultural internship program, she learned about important social and economic issues impacting New York City. Her interest in the legal side of these issues grew during an externship with the Legal Aid Society’s Housing Division in New York City. Following graduation, Randi worked for a human capital consulting firm and assisted clients with corporate governance issues. This summer she will work for Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia (BABSEA) based in Chiang Mai, Thailand with the organization's community-based legal education program. She will also spend some time in Hanoi, Vietnam working with PLD, an NGO think tank, on issues related to law and policy related to legal services and institutional reforms in Vietnam.

Pace University, M.S.T. in Secondary Social Studies Education, May 2006 Bates College, B.A. in Political Science, May 2004

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Placement: Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. A, Group Housing Unit, Brooklyn, NY

Bill Spirer’s commitment to low-income urban communities stems from his experience with Teach for America as a New York City public high school teacher. Teaching government and history in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, he was exposed to the wide array of legal issues affecting his students and their families, including difficulties with housing, benefits, healthcare, immigration status and debt, and realized the pressing need for attorneys willing to advocate on these families’ behalf. As a teacher, he designed a class on government participation and processes which provided his students with skills to advocate for themselves at the local level and connected them to public officials and leaders. His work on the Obama campaign reinforced this belief that neighborhood-based groups can be powerful instruments of change when they have the tools to succeed, and his studies in Ecuador and Cuba added awareness and commitment to immigrants’ issues within these neighborhoods. Bill plans to pursue a career in community-based legal services both as an advocate and an educator, to help ensure that underrepresented urban citizens not only know their rights, but also know how to fight for them.

New York University, B.S. in Culture and Mass Communications, May 2005

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Placement: Advocates for Children, New York, NY

Kate Wood worked in the National Legal Department of the American Civil Liberties Union after receiving her BS degree. She worked with the newly formed Human Rights Project on the ACLU’s first lawsuit challenging the government’s extraordinary rendition program, as well as on projects addressing racial profiling, juvenile justice, and education reform. Kate also worked with the First Amendment Project on student speech, Internet expression, and the rights of protestors. Although her work with human rights and the First Amendment wasn’t exclusively focused on education, the projects that incorporated juvenile rights reaffirmed the interest she always had in these issues. She came to law school to acquire the tools necessary to improve the education system through litigation reform and work directly for students and families who need assistance in securing quality education.