Nine Public Interest Summer Scholarships Awarded
Nine students were awarded public interest summer scholarships from the Women’s Legal Forum, Asian Law Student’s Association, and the Environmental Law Society. Seven scholarships were funded by the Women’s Legal Forum with proceeds from the Fr. Mike Show Feb. 25. Two other scholarships are funded by the Asian Law Student’s Association and the Environmental Law Society. The scholarships will help fund the students’ public interest positions in various cities his summer.
The 2015 Women’s Legal Forum Summer Scholarship recipients:
Kaitlin Abrams has received the top award (perhaps best referred to as the Brian M. Israel Scholarship for his generous contributions to the WLF fund at the Fr. Mike Show) and she will be working this summer at Start Small Think Big, Inc, which invests in the businesses of entrepreneurs and small-business owners who demonstrate the capability to maintain a viable business, but lack the resources to do so.
Elizabeth Rowe will be working at Cook County Public Defender and the Chicago Legal Clinic providing crucial legal services to under-served individuals in the Chicago area.
Sarah Wolfson will be working at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in the Appeals Division, which reviews legal issues brought from rulings of trial judges in the criminal courts. Sarah will be doing extensive legal research for written briefs, and assisting with preparation of oral arguments to the appellate courts.
Kate Ballou will be working at the Boston Trial Office for the Child and Family Law division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services working on cases in which the Department of Children and Families removes children from their homes because of claims of neglect or abuse.
Shelby Dolezal will be working at the New York State Division of Human Rights in the Bronx in the Division Initiated Action Unit where she will assist in looking for patterns of discrimination, including discrimination based on gender or sex, and bringing claims against organizations suspected of committing systematic discrimination.
Katherine Brown will be working for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in the H.E.A.T. (Human Exploitation and Trafficking) Unit. This unit focuses on crimes dealing with pimping, pandering, and the exploitation of vulnerable victims.
Julie Blindauer will be working in either Chicago or Washington, D.C., fulfilling her dedication to public service. A commitment to public interest is one of the greatest attributes of the NDLS community, one that Julie has shared through her history of volunteering and professional development.
The 2015 Environmental Law Society scholarship in environmental law recipient, Timothy Farina, will be working for the Environmental Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office this summer. The Attorney General’s Office is responsible for enforcing environmental laws and regulations both civilly and criminally.
The 2015 Asian Law Students Association scholarship benefiting the Asian community recipient, Christina Shakour, will be working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Washington, D.C., regional office assisting Asian refugees waiting in Caribbean refugee camps for third-country resettlement.
The Women’s Legal Forum exists to promote discussion and understanding of legal issues affecting women and of issues affecting women lawyers and their colleagues. Asian Law Students Association advocates the needs and concerns of Asian Americans at the Notre Dame Law School. The Environmental Law Society’s goal is to bring interested students together to discuss pressing environmental legal issues