Public Interest and Public Service

Before BC Law:

Immediately after undergrad I worked in retail management. Eventually, I ended up working in local government administration and policy.

Why BC Law:

I chose to attend BC Law because of cooperative culture within the student body.

Before BC Law:

Prior to law school, I worked in youth development. I served for two years as an AmeriCorps City Year member at a high school in Miami and then joined a DC-based nonprofit that focused on narrowing the opportunity gap for low-income and young people of color. 

Why BC Law:

I was really impressed with the breadth of public interest offerings, particularly the number of clinics and the opportunity to take a 1L spring elective. I loved that BC was so intentional about introducing 1Ls to PI law and excited to see how much the public interest program and community had grown as a result.

Best experience at BC Law:

Being a part of the public interest community has been the best part of my BC law experience so far. It's been wonderful getting to meet like-minded students, who helped me see my 1L courses through different perspectives and stay connected to my purpose for attending law school. I've also learned so much from the PI professors who have not only practiced the kind of law that I hope to practice, but have become true experts in their fields.

Before BC Law:

I worked for Congresswoman Jackie Speier for six years in both her District and Washington D.C. offices. I began as a Caseworker and Field Representative, helping constituents resolve issues with the federal government. Then, I transitioned to her Capitol office and covered a broad policy portfolio that included health care, tech & anti-trust, and environmental concerns, among others.

Why BC Law:

I chose BC Law because of its robust track record with public interest and its commitment to developing a vibrant and supportive community of students and professors.

Best experience at BC Law:

Public Interest Retreat - It was great connecting with other students who are passionate about public interest and looking to use their legal careers to help others.

Leadership Roles:

BC Law Ambassador; Middle Eastern Law Students Association; Women's Law Center

Before BC Law:

Before law school, I worked at a non-profit that serves families experiencing housing insecurities and homelessness in the greater Boston area, focusing on achieving sustainable housing solutions through advocacy and community organizing efforts.

Why BC Law:

I chose BC Law because of its faculty's dedication to academic and professional growth. As a 1L, I've already witnessed this commitment and have seen BC’s commitment to experiential learning through diverse clinical opportunities.

Best experience at BC Law:

So far, the best BC law experience has been the 2023 Public Interest Law Retreat because it offered a remarkable opportunity to engage with seasoned legal professionals, distinguished faculty members, and fellow law students who may be public-interest minded. Hearing from the practicing lawyers not only reaffirmed my passion for my chosen career path but also provided invaluable insights into the realities of the legal profession.

Leadership Roles:

Public Interest Law Foundation - 1L Lead

Before BC Law:

I graduated from Tufts University in 2014 and have worked for the past eight years in politics and government, serving as a staffer for United States Senator Ed Markey, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Massachusetts State Senator Barbara L'Italien, and others. My work at the local, state, and federal levels has focused on political organizing, coalition building, and community-based outreach.

Why BC Law:

I chose BC because it is the best place for me to develop the skills and perspective that will help me continue building a career in public service. My legal interests include Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Election Protection. 

Best experience at BC Law:

I immediately fell in love with BC Law's collegial culture, amazing legal clinics, and passionate students and faculty. 

Favorite Clinics and Programs:

Civil Rights Clinic; Externship with Campaign Legal Center; Externship with Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Rappaport Fellowship in Mayor Michelle Wu's Office; BC Defenders Clinic

Before BC Law: 

Before law school, I worked in the nonprofit sector in both civic education and democracy policy. In these roles, I helped pass state legislation for action civics education in MA, led student voting summits, and supported faculty partnerships with policymakers. While working, I also successfully ran for City Council in my community, becoming the youngest woman elected citywide in my community. During my 1L, I was re-elected for a second term on my City Council and am currently running for Mayor in my city.

Why BC Law:

The amazing faculty, public interest opportunities, and collaborative student body led me to BC Law. BC Law empowers you to explore what YOU want to get out of law school and how to become the best zealous advocate for others.

Best experience at BC Law: 

Every year, I enjoy the Public Interest Law Retreat that the Scholars plan for 1Ls. This wonderful weekend combines our stellar alumni network of practitioners, 3Ls, faculty, and various sessions that enable 1Ls to see themselves as attorneys. Attending the retreat during my 1L year was one of the first times I felt like an attorney.

Leadership Roles:

Public Interest Law Foundation - Past Co-Director of Community Events; BC Law Ambassador; Environmental Law Society; Women's Law Center

Favorite Clinics and Programs:

PILF - Co-President (2022-23); LSA 3L Rep; Rappaport Center Advisory Board; LAHANAS 2021 Summer Retreat Outreach Coordinator

Before BC Law:

Prior to Law School I worked in rural North Carolina with a local not-for-profit focused on community engagement and advocacy around kindergarten readiness, early childhood literacy, and educational equity. 

Why BC Law:

BC was easily my top choice not only because of the opportunity to complete a dual degree but also because of its focus on creating servant leaders. Being able to learn how to craft legal arguments and analyze case law from a social justice perspective has been instrumental to my development as a legal professional.

Best experience at BC Law:

Attending the Public Interest Law Retreat was always my favorite part of the year! It allows you to kick off the year surrounded by like-minded individuals who are just as passionate about social justice and advancing the common good.

Leadership Roles:

Public Interest Law Foundation - Co-President (2022-2023), VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; LAHANAS Summer 2021 Retreat Outreach Coordinator; Black Law Student Association - 1L Representative; Law Student Association - 3L Representative; Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy Advisory Board

Favorite Clinics and Programs:

Immigration Law Clinic; Civil Rights Clinic; Internship with the Children's Program at RAICES (Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services); Internship with Lawyers for Civil Rights; Internship with the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme at Lawyers for Human Rights

Before BC Law:

Prior to law school, I worked in the Dominican Republic in the counter-human trafficking sector. I worked with practitioners who provided direct legal services, as well as those working for justice system reform, and I was inspired to follow in their footsteps through a legal career.

Why BC Law:

I chose to attend BC Law because of its emphasis on community and mentorship and it's extensive immigration law opportunities. I've since found all of those things to be true -- I've been able to build meaningful relationships with friends and faculty dedicated to public service and I've been involved in immigration practice at every step of my legal education. Long-term, I hope to draw upon these experiences to engage with regional migration policy and human rights advocacy in the Americas.

Best Experience at BC Law?

My best experiences at BC Law have been the many opportunities for experiential learning, especially through the Immigration and Civil Rights clinics. I learned so much from my clients -- their strength, resilience, kindness, and even humor, often in the midst of harrowing circumstances. Sometimes we had wins, and I got to celebrate with my clients and see the deep satisfaction they felt from standing up for their rights. Other times, we lost, and I felt defeated by systems that are so often stacked against my clients. In both situations, I was honored to be beside my client, doing my best to advocate for their interests, and learning how to push for larger, systemic change.

Leadership Roles:

Immigration Law Group- Advocacy Chair; Bond Project- Coordinator; Research Assistant- Professor Katharine Young; Boston College Law Review- Executive Articles Editor; Harvard Law & International Development Society- BC Law Liaison

Favorite Clinics and Programs:

Civil Rights Clinic, Movement Lawyering, Race Relations and the Law, Constitutional Law, Externship: Voting Rights Practice Group of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Before BC Law:

Before law school, I worked in local government for the cities of Kansas City, Missouri and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Working at the local level gave me a chance to see the impact that policies and law have on the quality of life of those we served and pushed me into law school to be a part of creating thriving communities, even if indirectly.

Why BC Law:

I was impressed with BC Law’s commitment to students who are looking to work in public interest law—and I have not been disappointed! It is my hope to work for a national non-profit civil rights organization that has attorneys working in many different issue areas.

Best experience at BC Law:

The Civil Rights Clinic helped solidify that I wanted to practice as a civil rights lawyer and I learned so much in a short period of time. I have used what I learned in the Clinic in every externship and internship since and it was such a great foundational experience. Socially, the annual ski trip to Killington, VT gave me a chance to practice showboarding (a new law school hobby) and connect with my peers in a less structured setting.

Before BC Law:

A graduate of Fairfield University, I obtained a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Black studies; I was also the recipient of the St. Ignatius Loyola Medal, Fairfield University’s highest student achievement honor. Upon graduation, I spent several years as a teacher at a Boston middle school– where I developed their first ever Civics curriculum and authored curricular discourse that drew acclaim nation-wide by organizations like RAND. Most recently, in November of 2021, I was unanimously appointed as Executive Director of Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus– the youngest to achieve this feat.

Why BC Law:

I chose to attend BC Law due to it's emerging emphasis on public servitude. Housing, Healthcare, Education, and Food Justice are main interest areas. While my career plans are flexible and socio-politically pulse dependent; I do intend to run for, and hold public office.

Best experience at BC Law: 

Rejoining a community that visibly retains its Jesuit mainspring.

Favorite Clinics and Programs:

Civil Rights Clinic, Race Relations and the Law, Secured Transactions, Banking Regulation, Law Practice

Before BC Law:

I worked for the Foreclosure Defense Project at Legal Services of New Jersey for three years prior to law school.

Why BC Law:

I chose BC Law because of the brilliant professors who research so many cool topics and the extensive and very approachable alumni.

Best experience at BC Law:

The most rewarding experience so far was when I was in the Civil Rights Clinic, working with our clients file grievances against the prison to make sure we exhausted administrative remedies before filing a lawsuit. One of the grievances led to the Superintendent of the prison expand access to certain purchases to food in the canteen, which meant a lot for our clients. It highlighted the importance of collaboration between lawyer and client, and led to a positive result.

Leadership Roles:

PILF, Vice President of Finance & Stipends

Favorite Clinics, Courses, and Programs:

Civil Rights Clinic, Supreme Court Experience, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Housing Law and Policy Seminar

Before BC Law:

I spent the three and a half years before law school working at The Legal Aid Society in New York City, where I was a Grant Writer and led on program development for its Civil Practice and helped expand access to justice for marginalized New Yorkers. Prior to that, I worked for a former U.S. President, for a U.S. Senator, and at the U.K. Government Home Office. Public service and social activism have always been deeply important to me. While living in New York City, I was a driver for the Coalition for the Homeless’s Grand Central Food Program and the experience of working with clients in the Bronx was one of the factors that first pushed me to study law. When I was 19, I co-founded a charity in my neighborhood of London to challenge the local government’s decision to close our local library and we now operate the library as a completely community-run enterprise. While studying at the University of St Andrews, I was also elected to the town’s Community Council to help represent the town’s 18,000 residents in local government decisions.

Why BC Law:

I was really drawn to the collaborative environment and the community among students and the opportunity to forge close relationships with mentors and professors. Students seemed to like each other and enjoy law school, at least as much as they could. Above all, I was really hoping to be in an environment where I could forge connections with and learn from my fellow students: BC seemed to offer it!

Best experience at BC Law: 

Being a student attorney in the Civil Rights Clinic has easily been one of the most impactful and formative experiences I have had while at BC Law (and in my professional development more broadly). Clinic was where I first realized that I wanted to be a civil rights attorney and where I got my first experience of representing clients and really interrogating what it means to be a client-centered advocate for the individuals you represent. There is no substitute for the experience of actually doing the work and I learned an unquantifiable amount. I am certain that the experience of working with incarcerated individuals held in solitary confinement is something that will stay with me throughout the entirety of my future legal career.

Leadership Roles:

Co-President - South Asian Law Students Association; Editor in Chief & Staff Writer - Boston College Law Review; Public Interest Law Foundation (Donor Development Chair - Alumni Engagement); Law Student Association - Internal Development Committee; Academic Success Program – Peer Coach; National Lawyers Guild; Disability Law Students Association.