$227,956 In Grants Awarded to Students and Alumni Working in Public Interest Positions
62 students and recent graduates received grants this summer to support their work in public interest positions.
Public Interest Archive (32 Stories)
Career Paths: Makayla Foust ’26L
After graduation, Makayla Foust will work in Misdemeanor Early Representation Unit at the Dekalb County Public Defender’s Office.
Experience Spotlight: Allie R. Cyr ‘26L and Emma Claire Canterbury ’26L
Allie Cyr and Emma Claire Canterbury discuss their time in the Criminal Justice Clinic.
Summer Experience: Julia Lanning ’26L
Julia Lanning spent the summer as a student case worker in the Black Lung Clinic.
Summer Experience: Caroline Penfield ’26L
This summer, Caroline Penfield worked at the Public Defender’s Office in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Career Paths: The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office
Four members of the Law Class of 2025 are headed to work for the District Attorney's office in Brooklyn, New York.
Alumni Spotlight: Karen Vallejos Corrales ’20L
Karen Vallejos Corrales is Executive Director of the Dream Project, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Virginia students whose immigration status presents barriers to higher education.
W&L Law Releases 2024 Graduate Employment Report
According to the report, 95 percent of the class of 2024 secured a job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage.
Criminal Justice Clinic Students Win Freedom for Client Due to Ineffective Counsel
Katie Heller ‘24L and Nina Gagnon ‘24L gained valuable practice experience before beginning careers as public defenders.
Asking the “Why”
Mikayla Nasis '25L reflects on working in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office for Rockbridge County and the City of Lexington.
Alumni Spotlight: Anjelica Hendricks ’15L
Anjelica Hendricks is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School where she focuses on criminal law.
Meet Siju Oshin ’26L: Legal Fellow with the International Refugee Assistance Project
This semester, Siju Oshin is working in an independent research position with a global legal aid and advocacy organization.
Summer Experience: Cody Losey ’26L
Cody Losey spent the summer as a student caseworker in the Black Lung Clinic.
Summer Experience: Malia Devencenzi ’26L
This summer, Malia Devencenzi interned with the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
$236,800 in Grants Awarded to Students and Alumni Working in Public Interest Positions
83 students and recent graduates received grants this summer to support their work in public interest positions.
Career Paths: Tara Blackwell ’24L
After graduation, Tara Blackwell will be working at the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic (GCLC) as a Donoghue Fellow with the Homelessness Advice and Representation Program.
Summer Experience: Barbara Merryman ’24L
Barbara Merryman spent her summer clerking with the Juvenile Litigation Division of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore.
Summer Experience: Yardley Borten ’25L
Yardley Borten spent the summer as a legal intern at the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project (MAIP) in Washington, D.C.
Alumni Spotlight: Negin Farahmand Wood ’12L
Negin Farahmand Wood is Senior Assistant Public Defender at Office of the Public Defender for Fairfax County.
$323,000 in Grants Awarded to Students and Alumni Working in Public Interest
105 students and recent graduates received grants to support their work in public interest positions.
More than a Number
In the Rights of Prisoners practicum, Courtney Ebersohl '24L urges the Virginia Parole Board to see past the crime.
W&L Law Releases 2022 Graduate Employment Report
According to the report, 96.6 percent of the class of 2022 secured a job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage.
Help During the Hardest Times
Mallory Kostroff ‘23L discusses her year as a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic.
W&L Law Commits $330,000 Annually to Public Interest Students and Alumni
W&L Law has announced the creation of a program to guarantee financial support for current students and graduates interested or serving in public interest and government careers.
Career Paths: Alicia Ochsner Utt ’23L
After graduation, Alicia Ochsner Utt will be working at the King County Department of Public Defense in Seattle, Washington.
Alumni Spotlight: Junior Ndlovu ’20L and Natey Kinzounza Ndlovu ’20L
Junior and Natey Kinzounza, who met at W&L Law, are both trial attorneys who honed their skills in moot court and summer externships.
With the Brooklyn Defender Service
Shannon McGrath ‘23L spent the fall working in the criminal defense practice of the Brooklyn Defender Service.
Career Paths: Chris Chino ’21L
As a public defender, Chris Chino enjoys fighting for his clients in the "theatre of trial."
Warren Buff ‘21L Awarded Equal Justice Works Fellowship
Buff will serve as the Housing Justice Fellow with Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Summer Experience: Alex Castro ’22L
This summer, Alex Castro '22L was a legal intern for El Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, a nonprofit that specializes in labor rights violations committed against migrant workers.
Teach For America Prepares Students for the Challenges of Law School
Nam Kang ’21L and Nate Reynolds ‘22L reflect on how their experience with Teach for America is guiding their time in law school and beyond.
A Voice for the Homeless: Sam Petsonk ’13L in the Spotlight for Advocacy Work
For those who remember W&L Law alumnus Sam Petsonk '13L, they will not be surprised by the recent feature in WV Living detailing his work for the homeless population of Charleston.
