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.
Public Interest Archive (45 Stories)
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.
Erin Hayes ’21L Works for Racial Justice in Texas
Third year law student Erin Hayes works pro bono as legislative director for the Racial Justice Coalition of Texas.
Career Paths: Karen Vallejos-Corrales ’20L
After graduation, Karen Vallejos-Corrales will work for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, an organization that provides free legal services to low-income people facing legal problems.
Career Paths: Amanda Triplett ’20L
After graduation, Amanda Triplett will practice antitrust law as a trial attorney in the Health Care Division of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition in Washington, D.C.
W&L Law Releases 2019 Graduate Employment Report
According to the report, 92.7% of the class of 2019 secured a full-time, long-term job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage.
Public Policy and Health Advocacy
Madeline Morcelle '15L is lobbying congress, drafting bills, analyzing legislation, developing strategies to safeguard health access, and more.
Career Paths: Lauren Bennett ’19L
After graduation, Bennett will be working as an Assistant Public Defender with the Colorado State Public Defender.
Career Paths: Kathy McLaughlin ’19L
After graduation, McLaughlin will be working for the Colorado State Public Defender as a Deputy Public Defender.
Career Paths: Alex Shoaf ’19L
After graduation, Shoaf will head west to work for the Colorado State Public Defender.
Access to Education
Carrie Macon '20L worked with the Guardian ad Litem education team at the Children's Law Center in Washington, DC this summer.
Policy in Action at NextGen America
Georgi Pisano-Goetz ‘20L spent her summer at San Francisco-based voting rights group.
Strong JAG Placement, 10 Month Employment Highlight W&L Law Graduate Report
Washington and Lee University School of Law has released a report on employment rates for its class of 2017.
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.
Law Students Reflect on Shepherd Internships
2Ls Bethny Barrett and Lauren Bennett spent their 1L summers in public interest positions funded by the Shepherd Program.
First-Year Law Students Attend Equal Justice Works Job Fair
On Friday, October 27, twenty 1Ls joined 2Ls and 3Ls interviewing in Washington, D.C. at Equal Justice Works (EJW), the largest legal public sector career fair in the country.
Career Paths: Kit Thomas ’18L
Kit Thomas '18L spent her summer at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, a non-profit trial level death penalty organization located in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a graduate of Centre College and is interested in a career in capital defense and criminal justice.
Career Paths: Jessica Winn ’17L
Jessica Winn is originally from Newberg, Oregon and studied Political Science at Carnegie Mellon University. At Washington and Lee, she is involved in Law Review, German Law Journal, Law Ambassadors, WLSO, ACS, and PILSA.
Summer Experience: Emily Tichenor ’16L
Law Changes Lives at Compassion International.
Career Paths: Ember Eyster ’15L
Ember Eyster '15L, from Bonita Springs, FL, is a graduate of the University of Florida. She is a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic.
Career Paths: Anjelica Hendricks ’15L
Anjelica Hendricks '15L, from Richmond, VA,is a graduate of James Madison University. She is a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic.
Career Paths: Brandon Hicks ’15L
Brandon Hicks '15L, from Charlotte, NC, is a graduate of North Carolina Central University. He is a student attorney in the Immigrant Rights Clinic.
Career Paths: Imani Hutty ’15L
Imani Hutty '15L, from Philadelphia, PA, is a graduate of Temple University. He was a member of the Black Law Students Association Mock Trial team that won a national championship at the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial competition.
Career Paths: Laura Iheanachor ’15L
Laura Iheanachor '15L, from Wake Forest, NC, is a graduate of East Carolina University. She is a member of the Black Law Student's Association Mock Trial team.
