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 Fellowship Program | Public Interest Law Curriculum | Public Interest Law Faculty
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Sparer Alumni | Centers Home
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Ruchika Budraja ’10 Yale University, B.A. in Economics and History, May 2003; University of Southern California, M.P.P. in International Policy/Development, May 2007 Placement: Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (New York, NY) Ruchika is passionate about the protection of individual civil liberties, working, in particular, with the South Asian American community. As an undergraduate at Yale University, Ruchika co-founded the South Asian Conference Council (SACC), an organization that seeks to promote awareness of issues affecting the South Asian American community. Her involvement with SACC led her to explore methods of combating increased harassment and institutionalized racism affecting the South Asian American community in the wake of September 11. Since graduating from Yale and stepping down as Co-coordinator of SACC, Ruchika has remained committed to the protection of civil liberties. She has worked with organizations like the South Asian Network (SAN) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) to demand government accountability and transparency as a means of formulating effective and just national security policies that will simultaneously protect individual liberties. Meridel Bulle ’10 Princeton University, A.B., Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, May 2005 Placement: The Door (New York, NY) Meridel is passionate about improving the lives of the country’s most vulnerable populations, particularly though access to education and healthcare. Meridel devoted her undergraduate career to the study of public policy, writing her senior thesis on community-based comprehensive early childhood education and care. Her intensive community service, focused on after-school programs, literacy, community re-development, and affordable housing, created the basis for Meridel to seek systemic change through the law. Following her graduation from Princeton, Meridel expanded her research on vulnerable children and families at the Center for Research on Child Wellbeing where she gained perspective on the interaction between research and policymaking. Meridel plans to pursue a career in public service. Jeannie Chung ’10 Yale University, B.A. religious studies, May 2003 Placement: Housing Works (New York, NY) Jeannie has worked for a variety of non-profit organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Rights and AIDS Projects, and the Institute of Medicine as a Profession at Columbia University. Her interests center on how certain areas of law, especially in immigration, housing, employment, and health care, protect or discriminate against the LGBT community and people living with HIV/AIDS. She will use her Sparer Fellowship for an internship with Housing Works, an organization that provides legal services for people living with HIV/AIDS and the LGBT community experiencing adverse treatment in housing, places of public accommodation, and in health care. Jennifer Effron ’09 Tulane University, BA sociology, 2003; Hunter College, Masters in Urban Planning, candidate 2009 Placement: Housing Conservation Coordinators (New York, NY) Jennifer spent 2.5 years teaching New York City public school children about how to recognize, resist and report instances of child abuse before beginning law school. It was this experience that led her to pursue a dual degree in law and urban planning, in order to build a career in community development and tenant advocacy. Adequate housing and healthy communities provide the foundation for success for both children and adults and is an issue that Jennifer feels passionately about. Last summer Jennifer returned to New Orleans to work in the housing unit at New Orleans Legal Assistance. While there, she assisted residents as they continued to struggle to recover from Hurricane Katrina. Jennifer also worked with not-for-profits this past semester through Brooklyn Law School’s Community Development Clinic. This summer she will work for the Housing Conservation Coordinators in New York City. They are a not-for-profit whose focus is on tenant advocacy and community organizing. Ted Farley The George Washington University, B.A. in Communication 2004 Placement: Urban Justice Center, Domestic Violence Project (New York, NY) Ted’s passion for public interest spans several different areas of social justice. Before starting law school, Ted worked as a communications assistant with Children’s Rights and helped to publicize the organization’s efforts to reform statewide child welfare systems. Since then, he served as an intern for Lambda Legal— a nationwide organization that works to achieve the full recognition of civil rights for the LGBT and HIV affected populations. There, he focused on issues of judicial independence and created a nationally circulated publication on the importance of constituent participation in state judicial systems. He will use his time as a Sparer Fellow this summer as an advocate for victims of domestic violence with the Urban Justice Center. Jane Fox ’09 University of Michigan, B.A. in Art History, B.A. in Literature, May 2002 Placement: The Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division (New York, NY) Jane came to Brooklyn Law School to pursue a career in criminal defense. From 2003 to 2006 Jane worked for the Innocence Project, a national non-profit and policy center dedicated to freeing the innocent through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system. While at the Innocence Project, she helped raise awareness about the causes of wrongful convictions—mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, faulty forensics, snitch testimony, and prosecutorial misconduct—that are systemic in our justice system and impact all criminal defendants. Last summer, Jane worked as a Legal Intern at the Prisoners’ Rights Project of the Legal Aid Society where she advocated on behalf of mentally ill prisoners in New York State. Jane is also dedicated to progressive legal activism and is involved in the BLS chapter of the National Lawyers’ Guild where she has co-chaired Student Day Against the Death Penalty and Anti-War Week/Surge for Peace. She will use her Sparer this summer to intern at the Criminal Defense Division of the Legal Aid Society. Jane is committed to being a “people’s lawyer” in the words of National Lawyers’ Guild Founder Arthur Kinoy and providing quality criminal defense to those in need. Aleksandra Fridman ’09 Johns Hopkins University, B.A. in Psychological and Brain Sciences, May 2006 Placement: Legal Momentum (New York, NY) Alex is interested in the intersections of the law with class, gender and sexuality. While living in Baltimore, she volunteered with Planned Parenthood and Food Not Bombs, and was involved with reviving the Baltimore Women’s Health Collective. As a summer intern with the Urban Justice Center's Sex Workers Project, Alex interviewed clients, both in English and Russian, who were petitioning for legal immigration status as trafficking victims. At Brooklyn Law School, Alex is involved with the National Lawyers Guild, BLSPI and OutLaws. She has worked as a legal intern at Legal Aid's Civil Division (on housing and immigration issues) and the Prisoners’ Rights Project (advocating for prisoners' access to health care). Alex will be spending her Sparer summer at Legal Momentum working on impact litigation cases challenging abstinence-only education. Kristin Gallagher ’11 Boston College, Boston, B.A. in Political Science, May 2005 Placement: Women’s Initiative on Gender Justice (The Hague, Netherlands) Kristin is interested in international human rights issues and is committed to combating violence and discrimination against women. While attending college, Kristin spent a semester studying Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Balkans. During her time there, she worked on analyzing legal structures that increase the political power and voice of women to ensure equal opportunity in post-war reconstruction efforts. Following graduation, Kristin was an active volunteer for Independence House, coordinating trainings for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Through this experience, she gained a greater understanding of how the justice system can better serve survivors of violence and work to end the vicious cycle of domestic abuse. As an Outreach worker for Vinfen, Kristin also developed ways for people suffering from homelessness and mental illness to gain better access to legal services. Kristin is fluent in Spanish and speaks Arabic. She plans to use her legal education to strengthen women's rights at home and abroad following graduation. Elena González ’09 Cornell University, B.A. in Government, International Relations Concentration, May 2003 Placement: Local Initiatives Support Coalition (New York, NY) Elena González earned a B.A. in Government from Cornell University. Prior to law school, Elena volunteered as an AmeriCorps member at the New Jersey Community Development Corporation. In that capacity, she advised low-wage earners enrolled in personal savings programs and developed a financial literacy curriculum for youth. As a fellow for the Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest, she interned at Safe Horizon Immigration Law Project in Jackson Heights, New York, assisting domestic violence victims seeking legal immigration status. Most recently, Elena interned at the BLS Legal Services Corp. Community Development Clinic where she drafted business formation documents for non-profits. Elena will spend her Sparer summer at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation in New York City, an organization that provides support and raises capital for community development initiatives. Jaime Huertas ’10 University of Pennsylvania, B.S. in Economics, May 2002 Placement: Timap for Justice (Freetown, Sierra Leone) Just prior to law school, Jaime spent two years doing community and economic development work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Helping immigrant entrepreneurs to develop their own businesses, Jaime also focused on community development and worked on lobbying campaigns promoting immigrant rights. Seeing first hand the need for strong public advocates, he hopes to use his legal education to protect the legal rights of those struggling to find their place and protect their interests. Jaime plans to spend this summer in Sierra Leone doing community development and legal aid work. Nashonme Johnson ’10 Stanford University, B.A. in Political Science, May 2006 Placement: Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (Tel Aviv, Israel) Nashonme developed a passion for public service while working for The Rackets Bureau in the New York County District Attorney's Office. While there she worked with the Deputy Bureau Chief on several high-profile organized crime cases by helping to conduct long-term investigations, transcribing wiretaps for use in the grand jury and coordinating witness interviews with the FBI, NYPD and Attorney General's Office in preparation for trial. At the same time Nashonme has also been interested in International Human Rights issues, and explored this area while studying Hebrew in Israel and actively learning about ways to prevent terrorism with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Nashonme hopes to couple all of her public interests by working with a government agency that tackles international human rights issues. Nashonme is a graduate of Stanford University with a major in Political Science and a minor in Middle Eastern Languages. Shayna Kessler, ’10 University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A. in Political Science and Spanish Placement: New York Civil Liberties Union, Reproductive Rights Project (New York, NY) Shayna’s background is in criminal justice advocacy. At the Bronx Defenders, a holistic public defense organization, she organized fundraising and networking activities, developed youth and community programs, and conducted outreach and public education on effective approaches to addressing public safety concerns. At the Correctional Association of New York, Shayna worked to establish more humane prison policies. There, she monitored prison conditions and issued reports in areas such as fostering safer prison environments, improving programming, treatment and healthcare opportunities for inmates and enacting more humane and effective sentencing laws and disciplinary practices. She was also a coordinator of the Drop the Rock Coalition to repeal New York's harsh and ineffective Rockefeller Drug Laws. Sarah Rose Leiwant ’09 Wesleyan University, B.A. in American Studies and Psychology, May 2001 Placement: Institute for Humanitarian Law (San Remo, Italy) After graduating from Wesleyan University, Sarah moved to Italy where she lived for several years. In Italy, she wrote pieces for the International Herald Tribune and Corriere della Sera and taught English to immigrant children from the Sudan as well as children in Southern Italy. Upon returning to New York, Sarah was the Travel Editor at La Cucina Italiana, an Italian cooking and lifestyle magazine. Continuing a lifelong commitment to working with children, last summer Sarah interned at The Children's Law Center, where she worked with law guardians representing children in contested custody disputes. This fall, Sarah interned at Sanctuary for Families, representing survivors of domestic violence in their divorces and helping them get their lives back on track. This semester, Sarah is interning at the Center for Reproductive Rights, splitting her time between the Domestic and International Legal Programs. This summer, Sarah will be working at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, where she will be exploring a long-held interest in international human rights law. Zaid Mohiuddin ’10 University of Pennsylvania, B.A.S. in Systems Engineering, May 2005 Placement: Timap for Justice (Freetown, Sierra Leone) Zaid is interested in sustainable community development, both domestic and international. While at Penn, he tutored elementary school students in West Philadelphia and worked to strengthen the partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and local religious communities. After graduating, he joined the Urban Fellows Program and worked for New York City government. Through the program, he worked in the public affairs office of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, which is involved with the redevelopment of Ground Zero. Having gained insight in one of the largest and most complex development projects in New York City, he expanded his focus to include international development. He briefly worked for Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, on issues of democracy and accountability. Afterwards, he traveled to Syria where he spent a year studying Arabic and working with an NGO that trained young Syrians in business and entrepreneurship. Lauren Monosoff ’10 Columbia University, B.A. in Anthropology, May 2001 Placement: InMotion (New York, NY) While working for several years at Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice, Lauren developed a strong passion for advocating for young people in foster care and those alleged and adjudicated to be juvenile delinquents. That passion has led to related interests in domestic violence issues, prison reform, criminal defense, community development, and women's rights. Lauren looks forward to gaining further exposure to and experience working on these various issues through internships, law school organizations, and clinics over the next three years. JoAnn Ponce ’10 Portland State University, B.S. in Psychology, June 2004 Placement: (Deferred to Summer 2009) JoAnn helped develop the Global Health Leadership Forum, an international program created to rethink health policy and health systems change at the University of California, Berkeley in conjunction with Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Through her work at the Forum, JoAnn began working with Dr. Tayeb Al-Hafez in helping him create his vision, the Society of International Health Leaders -- an organization with the purpose of achieving global health equity. Currently, JoAnn works with Street Law en Espanol, a community outreach effort to disseminate information on tenant’s rights and financial literacy for Hispanic communities. JoAnn intends to use her legal education in the field of international development and human rights, with a particular emphasis on Latin America. Robert Quackenbush ’09 University of Florida – B.A. in History, Secondary Education Minor, August 2002 University of Florida – M.Ed. in Secondary Education, Social Studies Education major, August 2003 Placement: The Legal Aid Society, Prisoner’s Rights Project (New York, NY) Robert's pursuit of public interest issues began in high school as a volunteer serving Fort Lauderdale's homeless community and low-income day care centers, but this pursuit quickly took on a more progressive edge after the 2000 election. After becoming involved in campus anti-war and anti-globalization organizing at the University of Florida, his career path brought him into the classroom as a middle school social studies teacher, mentoring students in low-income, high-crime areas of Gainesville, FL and Northeast Washington, DC. Although his role as teacher will always remain part of Robert's self-identity, his pursuit of the public interest has become focused on indigent criminal defense and the defense of civil liberties in the New York City area. In addition to internships with the Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Division and Prisoners Rights Project, Robert is an active member of the National Lawyers Guild, both in the law school chapter level and the national level, where he was elected to serve as the NLG's Student National Vice President. Erin Schechter ’09 Goizueta Business School, Emory University, B.B.A., May 2006 Placement: Brooklyn Family Defense Project (Brooklyn, NY) As an undergraduate at Emory University, Erin worked for Creating Pride, a non-profit organization integrating art and music into Atlanta's public schools. It was then that she found her passion for public service. Erin’s concentration is in criminal law and family law, and she plans to pursue a career in one of these fields. In law school, Erin has worked for The Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Division, assisting the defense of Brooklyn's indigent facing criminal charges. She is also an active member of Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest and helps plan monthly fundraisers to support local charities. Erin plans to use her Sparer Fellowship to continue to advocate and ensure justice for families and other individuals that have entered the legal system. Ian Scott ’11 University of Toronto, Toronto, B.A. in Commerce and Economic, M.B.A in Finance, May 1991 Placement: (Deferred to Summer 2009) As a Chartered Accountant (C.A.) and Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A), Ian’s background to date has focused primarily on investment banking and finance. Recently, he made the important decision to change this direction by perusing his dream of becoming a lawyer and working to help others. As a visible minority, he always struggled with the issues of inequality and fair treatment in our society and has now taken concrete steps to address the issues. Ian has a strong interest in immigration law and would like to focus on immigration advocacy as it relates to immigrants that suffer Human Rights abuses in their own country. As a lawyer and advocate, he hopes to give back to the community and help those who have not had the same opportunity, support and/or luck that he has had. Kajal Shah ’10 Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Master of International Affairs, May 2006; Rutgers University School of Business, B.S. in Management, May 2002 Placement: Acumen Fund (New York, NY) Kajal’s interest is in international development and human rights law. Prior to coming to law school, Kajal worked for the Millenium Villages Project in Kenya where, she and a team of graduate students designed a microfinance intervention to cross cut the existing interventions being conducted in the Millenium Village community in Sauri, Kenya. Kajal is interested in poverty alleviation and human rights advocacy, and feels that the legal system has the ability to provide a backbone of support for many different aspects of both fields. While working at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, Kajal worked with development impact indicators to measure and assess the results of IFC projects. This experience exposed her to a wide range of implementation methodologies in the field of international development. Jessica A. Spector ’09 McGill University, B.A. in English Literature and International Development Studies, October 2004 Placement: Urban Justice Center, Domestic Violence Project (New York, NY) Jessica is looking forward to using her law degree to organize with and advocate on behalf of low income individuals and communities. She is especially interested in the intersections between public health and social, economic, and environmental justice. As a college activist, Jessica co-founded the Midnight Kitchen Food Collective at McGill University. Prior to law school, Jessica researched prostate cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In January 2007, Jessica traveled with the Student Hurricane Network to New Orleans, where she interviewed prisoners with mental illness and worked on habeus corpus petitions. She has interned at LegalHealth, a division of New York Legal Assistance Group, and at New York Environmental Law and Justice Project. Jessica currently volunteers as a rape crisis advocate and is an active member of the National Lawyers Guild. She is excited to be spending her Sparer summer at the Urban Justice Center Domestic Violence Project. Amanda Tobin ’10 Cornell University, B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations, May 2007 Placement: Amnesty International, General Counsel’s Office (New York, NY) Amanda developed an interest in workers’ rights and human rights at Cornell’s school of Industrial and Labor Relations where she took courses in the revitalization of the labor movement, labor and employment discrimination, and international economic development. She has worked for labor unions in both the public and private sector; experiences which allowed her to value the manner in which the collective bargaining process grants workers a voice and power against their employer. This respect for collective community action against powerful multinational corporations was affirmed by her participation in a successful campaign to keep Wal-Mart from opening a store in New York City. She hopes to continue to promote workers rights in developing countries by lobbying for international trade negotiations that take into account the “human” element, by pushing to expand labor rights in the U.S. and elsewhere, and by finding creative ways to bring powerful exploitative multinational corporations to justice.
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