PUBLIC INTEREST RESOURCE CENTER SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMS
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.� ~Margaret Mead
HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM The HOPE Fellows Program gives rising 2L and 3L students, with a commitment to public interest advocacy, the opportunity to create their public interest dream job at an agency locally, nationally or internationally, and receive a stipend from the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center. HOPE Fellows work with public interest organizations to provide legal advocacy, policy development and implementation, and to devise systems to enhance the delivery of legal services. The HOPE Fellows Program challenges students to identify host agencies and develop on-site projects to uniquely address the unmet needs of the organization’s constituency. Upon their return to Miami Law, HOPE Fellows design and implement initiatives to educate and engage law students in advocacy related to their area of concentration. Over the years, the program has grown from just two fellows, placed in local agencies, to up to twenty fellows, each summer, across the globe.
The HOPE Fellowship has allowed me to return to the Los Angeles Public Defender's Office for a second summer and continue to learn from the incredible attorneys who work there. We are very fortunate to have the support of the HOPE Office and to have access to funding to pursue our social justice career paths. This kind of opportunity and support is why I chose Miami Law. ~Maddie Seales HOPE Fellow 2019 Office of the Los Angeles County Public Defender, Los Angeles, CA
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
ARIANA ABOULAFIA § CLASS OF 2020
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC DEFENDER, MIAMI, FL Ariana Aboulafia graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California in 2016, with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Law, History and Culture, as well as a minor in Forensics and Criminality. As a 1L, she served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow and worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida in the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Division. As a 2L, she served as the Vice President of OUTLaw and as an intern with the ACLU of Florida, as well as a scholar for the Aqua Foundation for LBT Women. As a 3L, she is serving as the Senior Articles Editor for the Race and Social Justice Law Review and as a member of the Public Interest Leadership Board and the Society of Bar & Gavel. During the summer of 2019, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade Public Defender.
ERICA AUER § CLASS OF 2021
OFFICE OF THE ORLANDO PUBLIC DEFENDER, ORLANDO, FL Erica Auer graduated from California State University, East Bay with a B.S. in Business, majoring in Accounting and Marketing. Prior to law school she worked in the technology industry in San Francisco, CA. During that time she also volunteered as an academic tutor with Girls, Inc. and ran the mentor program on the all-boys maximum-security unit of the San Francisco Juvenile Hall with Each One Reach One. As a 1L, she joined the Criminal Law Society and volunteered with Exchange for Change at Dade Correctional Institute. As a 2L, she is serving on the Mentorship Committee for the Public Interest Leadership Board. During the summer of 2019, Erica served as a HOPE Fellow with the Office of Orlando Public Defender, in the Juvenile Division.
ALEXIS BAY § CLASS OF 2020
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION, WASHINGTON, DC Alexis Bay graduated from University of Texas Pan-American in May 2014 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Legal Studies. Alexis interned with the Beyond Oil campaign with the Sierra Club in Washington, DC during undergrad as a Bill Archer Fellow. Following graduation, Alexis spent two years working with various grassroots movements on LGBTQ+, immigration, environmental, and reproductive justice issues on the border. As a 1L, Alexis was a research assistant for the Human Rights Clinic and a volunteer with the Immigration Clinic. As a 2018 HOPE Fellow, Alexis worked with the Texas Civil Rights Project in Alamo, Texas. As a 2L, Alexis worked with the Human Rights Clinic on projects focusing on immigration, women, and gendered violence. Alexis also serves as Chair of the Advocacy Committee of the Public Interest Leadership Board. During the summer of 2019, Alexis served as a HOPE Fellow with the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration in Washington, DC, assisting with their Detainee Correspondence Project.
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
CAITLYN BURNITIS § CLASS OF 2020
AMARA LEGAL CENTER, WASHINGTON, DC Caitlyn Burnitis graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in May 2017 with a B.S. in Telecommunications and a minor in Non-Profit Organizational Leadership. While in college, she served as Vice President of Gators Against Human Trafficking. In 2016, she served as an intern with Southern Legal Counsel. As a 1L at Miami Law, Caitlyn founded the Miami Law Alliance Against Human Trafficking. She also took part in the ACLU of Florida’s “Say Yes to Second Chances” campaign, which brought Amendment 4 to the ballot. During the summer of 2018, she worked as a legal intern at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida in the Criminal Division. As a 2L, Caitlyn took part in the Human Rights Clinic in the Fall of 2018 as part of the COURAGE in Policing Project, which works within the community to improve law enforcement response to domestic violence and sexual assault reports. She also participated in a project with the EEOC, working to educate non-profits about the services provided to human trafficking survivors. She volunteered with Farmworker Justice in the spring of 2019, researching various labor and farmworker laws across the state. She serves as the President of Miami Law Alliance Against Human Trafficking, Vice-President of the ACLU-UM Chapter, Fundraising Chair of the Public Interest Leadership Board, and Social Media Chair of the Race and Social Justice Law Review. During the summer of 2019, Caitlyn served as a HOPE Fellow with Amara Legal Center in Washington, DC, which provides free legal services to sex trafficking survivors and people whose rights were violated while taking part in the commercial sex industry.
JAMILA FLOMO § CLASS OF 2021
THE MULTICULTURAL MEDIA, TELECOM AND INTERNET COUNCIL, WASHINGTON, DC Jamila Flomo graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2015 with a B.A. in Politics and minor in Media Studies. While in college, Jamila interned at the Women’s Media Center, an organization started by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem to amplify women’s voices in the media. Jamila held other internships during college with Women in Film and Video, the White House, and Organizing for America. Following graduation, Jamila worked at Maret School as the Development Assistant and then at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, created under the Obama Administration as part to the Affordable Care Act to fund scientific research that offers patients and caregivers information that they need to make important healthcare decisions. As a 2L, Jamila is participating in the Human Rights Clinic. During the summer of 2019, Jamila served as a HOPE Fellow with the Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council (MMTC) in Washington, DC.
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
CONNOR HEALEY § CLASS OF 2020
U.S. SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ATLANTA, GA Connor Healey graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Entrepreneurship. While completing his undergraduate degree, he was involved in Gator Teens Mentors, a mentoring program that provides to support to at-risk high school students. He was also a Teaching Assistant for the course Principles of Entrepreneurship while in college. At Miami Law, he is enrolled in the Business, Innovation, Law, and Technology concentration. During the summer of 2018, Connor served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, where he worked as a legal intern in the Drug Trafficking Unit. As a 2L, he participated in the Federal Appellate Clinic and he was also accepted into the joint J.D./M.B.A. program. During the summer of 2019, Connor served as a HOPE Fellow with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Atlanta, GA.
JULIE HOCHSZTEIN § CLASS OF 2020
SOUTHERN COALITION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, DURHAM, NC Julie Hochsztein graduated with honors from the University of Florida in May 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science, Economics, and Sociology and a minor in History. She was awarded the Bob Graham Center for Public Service Certificate in Public Leadership. Julie received her Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2011. While at UNC, she conducted research on citizens academies and prepared her findings for a thesis entitled Citizens Academies: A Tool for Increasing Civic Engagement. In 2010, she began working with the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer as a policy analyst with the Retirement Services Division. She then joined the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as a data analyst, where she managed the Unique Identification System for schools and coordinated data collection for the Office of Civil Rights. In 2013, Julie became a research analyst with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and then worked as an independent contractor conducting data analysis for governmental and private entities. She also served as a precinct official with the Wake County Board of Elections. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Julie served as an intern with the City of Miami City Attorney’s Office, assisting with litigation research and legislation before the City Commission. She participated in Miami Law’s Human Rights Clinic during the spring semester of her 2L year. During the summer of 2019, she served as a legal intern with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice Voting Rights Project in Durham, NC.
GITA HOWARD § CLASS OF 2021
TIBETAN LEGAL ASSOCIATION, DHARAMSHALA, INDIA Gita Howard graduated from Scripps College in 2017 with a B.A. in Psychology. While in college, she participated in the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights in England, where she studied human rights systems and religious conflict. After the workshop, she began researching for former CNN Senior Asia Correspondent, Mike Chinoy, on his biography of international human rights lawyer and activist, Kevin Boyle. She was also a research assistant at
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the Scripps College Legal Decision Making Lab. Prior to law school, Gita worked as an intern reporter at West Hawaii Today. During the summer of 2019, Gita served as a HOPE Fellow at the Tibetan Legal Association in Dharamshala, India, an organization dedicated to advocating for the legal rights of the Tibetan people.
NESTOR PEREZ § CLASS OF 2020
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY, CORAL GABLES, FL Nestor Perez graduated magna cum laude from Florida International University with a B.A. in International Relations. In 2010, he was one of 75 recipients of the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange yearlong fellowship in Germany. During his time there he studied political science at the at GeorgeAugust-Universität in Göttingen, served as an intern at the German Parliament, and as a writer at the Pogrom Magazine for the human rights organization Society for Threatened Peoples. Upon returning to the U.S., he worked for President Obama’s reelection campaign, the Jackson Health public hospital funding referendum campaign, and Planned Parenthood’s Miami implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Nestor earned his Master’s Degree in Political Science at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. During the summer of 2018, he served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the North Miami Beach City Attorney's Office. As a 2L, he participated in the Tenants’ Rights Clinic with Legal Services of Greater Miami. During the summer of 2019, he served as a HOPE Fellow with the Coral Gables City Attorney’s Office.
THERESA PINTO § CLASS OF 2020
OFFICE OF MIAMI-DADE COMMISSIONER DANIELLA LEVINE-CAVA, MIAMI, FL Theresa Pinto graduated from Florida International University in 1996 with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Religious Studies, and earned a Master of Science in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley while working on her Ph.D. Her graduate school research involved the recognition systems of endophytic fungi from both evolutionary and ecological perspectives. While at Berkeley, Pinto also spent time working with the Xiacui at the Recurso Micológia in the Mexican Cloud Forest to train technicians in genetic identification of economically important fungal resources. As a 1L, Theresa participated in Miami Law Immigration Clinic’s Alternative Spring Break, writing motions to help reopen the immigration cases of Somalian refugees who had been abused during a failed deportation. During the summer of 2018, Theresa worked as the Student Editor for JOTWELL, an online law journal that reviews significant legal scholarship, founded by Miami Law’s Michael Froomkin. As a 2L, Theresa participated in the Environmental Justice Clinic, where she worked on displacement issues in the West Grove and as part of the litigation team for Miller v City of Ft. Myers. During the summer of 2019, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Office of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine-Cava, working on waste stream and climate change adaptation issues.
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WILLIAM QUINLAN § CLASS OF 2020
HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS, WASHINGTON, DC William Quinlan graduated from the University of Miami in 2016 with a B.A. in Economics, where he was an Isaac Bashevis Singer Scholar. Before law school, he worked with high school students as a member of City Year Miami, an Americorps program. At Miami Law, he is Secretary of the Public Interest Leadership Board and was the recipient of the HOPE Outstanding 2L Award for his community service with the Miami Climate Alliance, the Urban Debate League, and others. He was also a member of the Federal Appellate Clinic. During the summer of 2018, he clerked for Our Children's Trust in Eugene, Oregon, working on federal and state-level public interest climate litigation. During the summer of 2019, he served as a HOPE Fellow in Washington, DC with the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
KRISTEN RANGES § CLASS OF 2020 MIAMI WATERKEEPER, MIAMI, FL
Kristen Ranges graduated from the University of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, where she majored in marine sciences with a concentration in biology and minored in public policy. After research-based experiences in the field of marine biology, she decided to expand on her knowledge of marine science and learn more about conservation of the marine environment through policy and law. Kristen, a joint JD/PhD student, has fostered this interest at the University of Miami Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy as a PhD student, at Miami Law through courses and organizations that involve environmental, coastal, and maritime law, and through an externship with a Miami-based non-profit organization, Miami Waterkeeper. Kristen continued to work with Miami Waterkeeper throughout the summer of 2019 as a HOPE Fellow where she helped to further their mission to “ensure swimmable, drinkable, fishable water in South Florida for all.”
KENYA ROTHSTEIN § CLASS OF 2021
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION/ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT SECTION, WASHINGTON, DC Kenya Rothstein graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 2016 with a B.A. in Legal Studies and a B.S in Environmental Studies. Before law school, she worked as an Assistant Paralegal for Fragomen Worldwide, a business immigration law firm. As a 2L at Miami Law, Kenya is serving as the President of the Environmental Law Society and the Green Grad Group, a multidisciplinary, multi-grad campus organization focused on improving sustainability performance on campus. During the summer of 2019, Kenya served as a HOPE Fellow in Washington DC with the Department of Justice Natural Resources Division in the Environmental Enforcement Section.
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JORDAN SADDORIS § CLASS OF 2020 U.S. SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION, WASHINGTON, DC
Jordan Saddoris graduated from Central College in Pella, IA in 2017 with a B.A. in International Business Management and a minor in Political Science. During college, he served on the board of directors for an African-based non-profit and cofounded the non-profit Nyame Do Women's Empowerment Center, which created and operates a skilled-trade school for women in Asikuma, Ghana. He was also a member of the men's basketball team. At Miami Law, Jordan has participated in the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program, preparing federal tax returns for underserved Miami residents. During the summer of 2019, Jordan served as a HOPE Fellow with the Office of Compliance Inspections & Examinations as a part of the Student Honors Legal Program at the Securities & Exchange Commission's headquarters in Washington, DC.
MADDIE SEALES § CLASS OF 2020
OFFICE OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, LOS ANGELES, CA Maddie Seales graduated from Amherst College in 2009 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, concentrating in Political Science, Sociology, and Black Studies. Prior to law school, she was an actress in Los Angeles and an Immigration Case Manager at the International Rescue Committee in New York, NY and BronxWorks. At Miami Law, Maddie has served as the Vice-President of the National Lawyers Guild – Miami Law chapter, the Community Service Co-Chair of the Black Law Students Association, and an intern in the Environmental Justice Clinic. She is a Miami Public Interest Scholar, the current President of the Public Interest Leadership Board and a Senator in the Student Bar Association. During the summer of 2018, Maddie was an intern at the Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender, in the Appellate Division and the Criminal Courts Branch. She returned to that office as a HOPE Fellow during the summer of 2019.
GABRIELLE WYNN § CLASS OF 2020
CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, NEW YORK, NY Gabrielle Wynn graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2016 with a degree in Communications. At Miami Law, she participated in the Human Rights Clinic, where she worked on a case addressing the human rights violations experienced by female drug users in Estonia. She had the opportunity to speak about this work before a UN committee in Geneva. She also served as Community Relations Chair for the Black Law Students Association. As a 3L, she will serve on the Race & Social Justice Law Review and the Society of Bar & Gavel. During the summer of 2019, she is serving as a HOPE Fellow with the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York City where she will work in the Human Rights Law Department to develop advocacy and policy materials that address maternal health disparities among women of color and access to reproductive technologies.
“It is phenomenal to see the HOPE and SPIF students evolve as public interest advocates through their work locally, nationally and internationally. They are touched by the people and communities they serve and are committed to effectuating change and promoting access to justice for others.� ~Marni Lennon, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono
SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM The Summer Public Interest Fellows Program (SPIF) is designed to engage the public interest-minded student during the summer following their first year of law school. This selective program involves full-time work at a South Florida public interest agency for eight weeks during the summer along with a legal research and writing project. Fellows also participate in a seminar where members of the bench, bar and legal community visit and students share their work in the public sector. Participating students are given a stipend and receive three academic credits. HOPE is proud to support the public interest work of an increasing number of students who serve clients and communities in extraordinary ways.
Through my work with Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., I gained a deeper understanding of the challenges facing veterans who have encountered difficulties re-integrating into post-military life. The entire HOPE team guided and encouraged me every step of the way; providing invaluable mentorship and insight as I learned more about the practice of law, and myself. In short, HOPE and the SPIF program have helped me do my part to fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to “care for those who have borne the battle.” ~Alice Kerr SPIF 2018 Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. Miami, FL
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
BETHANY BLAKEMAN § CLASS OF 2021 OFFICE OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY ATTORNEY, MIAMI BEACH, FL
Bethany Blakeman graduated from Georgetown University in 2016 with a degree in government and a minor in journalism. As a 2L, Bethany is serving as the vice president of the Environmental Law Society and participating in the Environmental Justice Clinic. She is interested in ocean conservation and climate change, particularly the relationship between coastal communities and the ocean resources they depend on. During the summer of 2019, she served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Miami Beach City Attorney's Office, focusing on the city's resiliency efforts.
KRISTEN CALZADILLA § CLASS OF 2021
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, MIAMI, FL Kristen Calzadilla graduated from the University of Miami in 2014 with a B.A. in History and minors in English Literature, Psychology, and Motion Pictures. While an undergraduate student, she was a coordinator for America Reads, a federally funded tutoring program for students reading below grade level. Prior to law school, she worked as a high school teacher, teaching World History, World Religions, Philosophy, and Holocaust Studies. During the summer of 2019, she served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow at the Miami-Dade School Board Attorney’s Office.
JARED COVE § CLASS OF 2021
OFFICE OF THE BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, FT. LAUDERDALE, FL Jared Cove graduated from the University of South Florida in 2018 and received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences with concentrations in Sociology and Psychology, along with a minor in Communication. At Miami Law, Jared is a member of the Public Interest Leadership Board and is the President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. During the summer of 2019, he served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Broward County Public Defender.
ADRIAN DOUGLAS § CLASS OF 2021
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, MIAMI, FL Adrian Douglas graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Political Science and Criminal Justice. During undergrad, he started “The Cut”—a barbershop initiative which provided discounted haircuts, free food, and a platform for leaders within the Black male community. As a 1L at Miami Law, Adrian mentored young men in the criminal justice diversion program Empowered Youth. He aims to create and run a diversion program of his own upon graduation. During the summer of 2019, Adrian served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender.
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
BECKY ESQUENAZI § CLASS OF 2021
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, MIAMI, FL Becky Esquenazi graduated from the University of Southern California in 2016 with a B.A. in Business Administration and a minor in Psychology and Law. Prior to law school, she participated in Teach for America. From 2016-2018, she was an Algebra teacher, Algebra lead, and head soccer coach at Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami. She also received an M.A. in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami. As a 1L, she participated in the Legal Writing Course at Dade Correctional Institution. As a 2L, she is participating in Miami STREET Law and the Innocence Clinic. During the summer of 2019, she served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender.
ALEXA FLORA § CLASS OF 2021
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, MIAMI, FL Alexa Flora graduated cum laude from Suffolk University in 2015 with a B.S. in Sociology with a concentration in Crime and Justice and minors in Philosophy and Business. She was presented the professor-appointed Award for Academic Excellence in Sociology. After graduating, Alexa worked as an auditor at a large law firm in Boca Raton, Florida, while also volunteering with children living in poverty in Palm Beach County. As a 1L at Miami Law, Alexa served as a Miami Law Ambassador. During her 2L year, she is participating in the Human Rights Clinic. During the summer of 2019, she served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender.
SEAN HOOD § CLASS OF 2021
GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM, MIAMI, FL Sean Hood graduated with honors from Northeastern University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2018 with a B.S. in Criminology and double minors in Law & Public Policy and Political Science. At Northeastern, Sean worked as a legal support intern in NEU’s Cooperative Education Program at two separate venues: The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts, and the Law Offices of Pierce & Mandell in Boston. Prior to law school, Sean was a full-time legal support intern for a Boston personal injury law firm, Schwartz & Schwartz. At Miami Law, Sean is a member of the Criminal Law Society, participated in the court observation program for the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, and is working toward his certification as a Guardian ad Litem. As a 2L, he is taking part in the Innocence Clinic. During the summer of 2019, Sean served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow at Guardian ad Litem.
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
TALIA LEWIS § CLASS OF 2021
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, MIAMI, FL Talia Lewis graduated summa cum laude from Florida Atlantic University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. As an undergrad student, Talia interned with the Broward State Attorney’s office as a Victim’s Advocate, helping domestic abuse survivors navigate the criminal justice system. She also worked as a research assistant, studying how effective training could influence conversations on race, oppression, and social justice in professional spheres. She presented the findings at the Florida Conference for the National Association of Social Workers in 2018 and the study was selected for publication. As a 2L at Miami Law, Talia is serving on the Fundraising Committee for the Public Interest Leadership Board. During the summer of 2019, Talia served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender.
MARIA LLORENS § CLASS OF 2021 MIAMI HOMES FOR ALL, MIAMI, FL
Maria Llorens graduated from the University of Florida in 2014 with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in History. After graduating, she worked for two book publishing companies in Miami and Los Angeles and wrote and edited a variety of non-fiction books and feminist graphic novels. Prior to law school, she volunteered with the Florida Guardian ad Litem program and worked with abused children and their parents as they navigated the child welfare system. As a 2L at Miami Law, she is participating in the Immigration Clinic. During the summer of 2019, Maria served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Miami Homes for All.
KALEN NEHLER § CLASS OF 2021
LEGAL SERVICES OF GREATER MIAMI, INC., MIAMI, FL Kalen Nehler graduated from Concord University in 2016 with a B.A. in Sociology, and a minor in Pre-Law. While at Concord, he worked on several research projects including researching minority race relations in urban communities, as well as efforts to decrease the negative stigmas that are attached to mental illness. As a 1L at Miami Law, he volunteered with Americans for Immigrant Justice’s immigration screening clinic on campus, aiding attorneys who provide pro bono legal services to immigrants in the local community, and also volunteered with The Ronald McDonald House. During the summer of 2019, Kalen served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. in the Health and Income Maintenance Unit.
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
CAT OSORIO § CLASS OF 2021
DISABILITY INDEPENDENCE GROUP, MIAMI, FL Cat Osorio graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2018 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Communication Studies. She participated in two servicelearning courses during which she mentored a middle schooler through a program that aimed to reduce dropout rates, performed free vision screenings for preschool-age children, and provided free tax preparation for community members. She also participated in an Alternative Spring Break to New Orleans where she helped to repair a house damaged by Hurricane Katrina and volunteered with the West Alabama Clinic Defenders. During the summer of 2019, Cat served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Disability Independence Group.
AMANDA SUAREZ § CLASS OF 2021 CATHOLIC LEGAL SERVICES, MIAMI, FL
Amanda Suarez graduated from the University of Miami in 2018 with a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science. She served on the executive board of the Association of Commuter Students for three years, raising funds for the American Cancer Society while serving as the Community Outreach Chair. She was also a Commuter Assistant, ensuring that commuter students had a voice across all areas of campus and served as Social Media Manager for Student Government. During the summer of 2019, Amanda served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Catholic Legal Services in the area of immigration law..
KASEY TENDRICH § CLASS OF 2021 DADE LEGAL AID, MIAMI, FL
Kasey Tendrich graduated from The University of Alabama in 2018 with a B.A. in History and Political Science. She worked for the university’s Women and Gender Resource Center, doing education and outreach on interpersonal violence in the Tuscaloosa community. She also interned with the AntiDefamation League. As a 1L at Miami Law, Kasey served as a Student Ambassador and volunteered with the ACLU and Dade Correctional Institution. As a 2L, she is serving on the executive board of the ACLU-UM student chapter. During the summer of 2019, Kasey served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Dade Legal Aid in the Domestic Violence Unit.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
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