2019 Klau Center Summer Fellowships announced
The Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights has announced its 2019 Summer Fellowships for students working in public interest organizations that promote civil or human rights, and/or the enforcement of federal rights on behalf of underrepresented minorities. Three fellows have been chosen to receive funding for summer 2019.
Sarah Karchunas, a second-year student at Notre Dame Law School, will serve as a legal intern at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in Appellate Litigation Services. Karchunas will assist appellate attorneys in cases involving employment discrimination through research, drafting of legal memoranda, and reviewing court records. She will also craft legal arguments to be used in amicus briefs on behalf of the EEOC.
Karchunas has focused much of her public service on underrepresented and marginalized communities, working with the homeless and low-income immigrant populations. “These experiences have opened my eyes to the societal effects of discrimination,” she said. “The intersection of the dignity of every human being and the right to work free of discrimination will be what I dedicate my time to at the EEOC.”
Chen Kuang, a first-year student at Notre Dame Law School, will intern with the Civil Practice of the Legal Aid Society of New York City, placed with the Family Law/Domestic Violence unit. There Mr. Kuang will focus on immigration issues, assisting attorneys to defend the legal rights of victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. His duties will include research on current immigration policy and drafting of affidavits. “This internship will allow me to contribute to the ongoing discourse of holistic human flourishing in an increasingly fragmented world,” Mr. Kuang explained. “We tend to ignore the fact that a huge number of victims of domestic violence or human trafficking are immigrants trapped in abusive relations.”
Kuang’s fellowship is made possible through the generous support of the Pasquale Family Endowment for Excellence.
Tladi Marumo, a doctoral candidate studying international human rights law at Notre Dame Law School, will serve an internship at the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in New York City. Mr. Maruma will assist the UNGC in its efforts to align the business practices of members to address the human rights and sustainability goals outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Marumo is a South African lawyer and director of the Good Law Foundation, which advocates for the rule of law, human rights, and democracy. He approaches his work with UNGC in light of his country’s long struggle to create a just social order. “History is an argumentative terrain of contested power,” he said, “but the future inquires not about power, but whether our contemporary actions will, in days to come, be found to have created conditions in which social justice can flourish for generations who come after us.”
Klau Center Summer Fellows receive funding to assist with travel and living expenses, and upon their return to campus, share their experiences with the wider Law School community. Previous Klau Center Summer Fellowship recipients can be seen here.
Originally published by at klau.nd.edu on April 18, 2019.