Health and Family Law Fellows Take Center Stage

Eight students who are Brooklyn Law School Health Law & Family Law Fellows presented their work on Friday, April 10, sharing the findings from legal research projects that delve deeply into a wide range of fascinating topics.  

The presentations and the luncheon that followed shone a spotlight on the work of students and served as a proud moment for the dedicated faculty members who oversee the fellows. Associate Dean for Academic and Student Success and Professor Karen Porter shepherds the Health Law Fellows as Director of that program, while Professor Elizabeth Chen, who is new to the role this year,  and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Scholarship and Professor Cynthia Godsoe co-direct and guide the work of the Family Law Fellows. 

See photos of the event below:

Deep-Dive Research 

After starting as a mentor, Chen became a co-director of the program this academic year.  

"It’s a pretty unique program that pairs students with faculty and practitioners to do a deep dive into something that students are interested in," she said. "These students are fantastic, generative thinkers and it’s been inspiring to see how they’ve developed these projects."

The genesis of the projects varies and stems from legal experience students gained over the summer, in the clinics, or is simply on a topic that is of longtime interest to the student. Faculty directors set up programming for the fellows, and the students gather as a cohort to discuss the progress of their work. Not all projects result in papers. One Family Law Fellow, Ava Zhang ’27, created a prototype of an app that incorporates AI to help facilitate post-separation mediation. As part of her fellowship, Health Law Fellow Theresa Kircher ’26 convened a panel of scholars, physicians, and advocates to discuss Guardianship and Reproductive Healthcare: Legal Standards and Clinical Realities.  

The students’ work culminates with the presentations. 

"The students have engaged in year-long research projects and done excellent work," said Godsoe. "Their friends and family come to celebrate them, and an important part of the program is audience members, including faculty, asking them questions about their research."  

Below are a list of the student presenters and the titles of their work.    

Abstracts for the Health Law Fellows may be accessed here: https://www.brooklaw.edu/academics/fellowships/family-law-and-policy-fellowship/  

Abstracts for the Family Law Fellows may be accessed here: https://www.brooklaw.edu/academics/fellowships/family-law-and-policy-fellowship/ 

Emma Cohen ’26: Forgetting What is a Child’s Best Interest: Looking at the Role and Appropriateness of New York’s Forensic Custodial Evaluations in Child Custody Cases Impacted by Domestic Violence 

Marina Khan ’26: Coverage Interrupted: The Structural Production of Health Inequality 

Theresa Kircher ’26: Reproductive Rights at the Margins: Charting a Course from Historical Oppression Through Modern Law to Equitable Policy for Individuals Under New York’s Article 81 Guardianship Framework 

Victoria Le Fraga ’26: The Ex Files: How Bankruptcy Reclassifies the Non-Debtor Spouse 

Kyra McTigue ’27: Patent Exclusivity and Vaccine Access 

Allison Sullivan ’27: The UCCJEA: How the Law Works Against Survivors of Domestic Violence, and what Survivors Should Know About Fleeing State Lines with Their Children 

Porter Stracke ’27: Addressing the Shortcomings of Guardianships: Special Needs Trusts as an Alternative to Preserve Autonomy for Individuals with Disabilities in New York 

Ava Zhang ’27: AI and Separation: Easing a Personal Process  

Applications are open to rising 2L, 2P, 3L, 3P, and 4P students through April 17.  
 
Family Law Fellow applicants can apply HERE.

 Health Law and Policy Fellow applicants can apply via the application section on this page: https://www.brooklaw.edu/academics/fellowships/health-law-fellowship/