PUBLIC INTEREST RESOURCE CENTER SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMS
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.� ~Margaret Mead
HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM The HOPE Fellows Program gives rising 2L and 3L students, with a commitment to public interest advocacy, the opportunity to create their public interest dream job at an agency locally, nationally or internationally, and receive a stipend from the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center. HOPE Fellows work with public interest organizations to provide legal advocacy, policy development and implementation, and to devise systems to enhance the delivery of legal services. The HOPE Fellows Program challenges students to identify host agencies and develop on-site projects to uniquely address the unmet needs of the organization’s constituency. Upon their return to Miami Law, HOPE Fellows design and implement initiatives to educate and engage law students in advocacy related to their area of concentration. Over the years, the program has grown from just two fellows, placed in local agencies, to include up to twenty fellows, each summer, across the globe.
I never could have imagined that I would have the opportunity to go to the Middle East and have the good fortune to learn from experts and grow with some of the brightest minds in the legal profession. Because of the support of the HOPE Fellowship, not only did I get to experience a vastly different culture and legal system, I was able to to experience it in the context of fighting for women's rights. ~Callan Martinez, HOPE Fellow 2016, Kuwait
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
LILLI BALIK § CLASS OF 2018
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Miami, FL Lilli Balik graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University, in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology. At Miami Law, she has served as the Vice President for If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice. She also served as an intern with the Health Rights Clinic and is a member of the Society of Bar and Gavel. During her 1L summer, Lilli served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Disability Independence Group. During the fall of her 2L year, she was a judicial intern with the Honorable Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She is participating in the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program during her 3L year. During the summer of 2017, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in their Miami District Office.
LAURA BLAINE § CLASS OF 2018
BAY AREA LEGAL AID, San Francisco, CA Laura Blaine received her B.A in Political Science from the University of Florida in 2013 with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Arabic. While at UF, she worked in domestic violence prevention and interned at a women’s shelter. During a semester abroad, she completed research on Moroccan legal treatment of domestic violence and shelters for victims. During her 1L summer, she worked for the Department of Children and Families Legal Services Division, and during her 2L year she represented foster children and youth as a member of the Children and Youth Law Clinic. She also volunteers with and has organized toy drives for Lotus House, a non-profit organization that provides housing for homeless women and children. During the summer of 2017, Laura continued her work in the areas of domestic violence prevention and victim advocacy as a HOPE Fellow with Bay Area Legal Aid in San Francisco.
KIANA COURTNEY § CLASS OF 2018
US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES, Washington, DC Kiana Courtney received her B.A. in Communication from Wake Forest University in 2013 with a concentration in Rhetorical Studies and minors in Sociology and Environmental Studies. While there, she served as an intern for WFU’s Office of Sustainability and worked with the United Nations Environment Programme. After graduating, she joined Teach For America and taught 8th grade physical science in Atlanta Public Schools. As a 2L at Miami Law, Kiana served as an intern with the Environmental Justice Clinic, where she will continue as a Fellow during her 3L year. She was Vice President of the Black Law Students Association and Vice Justice of Phi Alpha Delta during her 2L year and will continue as the Community Relations Chair and Marshall in those organizations in the coming year. In addition, she will also serve as Events Editor and Articles and Comments Editor for the International and Comparative Law Review. During her 1L summer, Kiana was a HOPE Fellow and Kozyak Minority Mentoring Foundation Fellow with Earthjustice, a public interest environmental law agency in Tallahassee. During the summer of 2017, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resource Division in Washington, D.C.
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
TREY EVANS § CLASS OF 2019
PUBLIC DEFENDER SERVICE FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, DC Trey Evans graduated magna cum laude from Louisiana Tech University in 2012 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Geography. In 2014, he earned his M.B.A. with a concentration in Innovation. Prior to law school, he worked at a regional bank conducting anti-money laundering and fraud investigations and was a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. Since enrolling at Miami Law, he has participated in multiple HOPE-sponsored events and assisted with a project for Miami Waterkeeper. During his 2L year, he is serving as the Director of Alumni Affairs for the Maritime Law Society and Co-Chair of the UNetworking Initiative. He also has a leadership role with Miami Law’s ACLU chapter. During the summer of 2017, Trey served as a HOPE Fellow with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia in Washington D.C.
EMMA HOLLOWELL § CLASS OF 2018
US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, Washington, DC Emma Hollowell graduated from the University of Virginia with distinction in 2015, earning a B.S. in both Environmental Science and Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law, and a minor in global Global Sustainability from the UVA School of Architecture. While pursuing her J.D., she is also working on a Master of Professional Science from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She has served as an intern with the Environmental Justice Clinic and is a member of the International and Comparative Law Review. She has also worked with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Florida Sea Grant. During her 3L year, she is serving as as president of the Environmental Law Society, secretary of the Maritime Law Society, and secretary of Divebar. During the summer of 2017, Emma served as a HOPE Fellow with the Environment and Natural Resource Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
JENNIFER LEDIG § CLASS OF 2018
US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, Washington, DC Jennifer Ledig graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN in 2013 with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Geography and Hispanic Studies. Prior to law school, she taught English in South Korea and subsequently worked at a government consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area. During her 1L summer, she served as an extern with the Federal Communications Commission in the Disability Rights Office. During her 2L year, she was an intern with the Environmental Justice Clinic, focusing on housing justice and municipal equity. She is continuing her work with the Environmental Justice Clinic as a Fellow during her 3L year. Jenny is also a member of the University of Miami Law Review. During the summer of 2017, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington, D.C.
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
MICHELLE PEREZ § CLASS OF 2018 US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Hartford, CT
Michelle Perez earned a B.A. in International Relations from Boston University in 2004 and an M.S. in Environmental Systems Management from the Pratt Institute in 2010. Prior to law school, she was an environmental consultant who worked on compliance and sustainable planning on both the domestic level and international levels. Her projects included research and environmental field work in India, Brazil, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia and New York with the U.S. Department of State, UNDP, Urban Green Council and Suffolk County, New York. During her 2L year, she participated in the Environmental Justice Clinic and served as president of the Association of Caribbean Law Students. During the summer of 2017, Michelle served as a HOPE Fellow with the United States Attorney’s Office in Hartford, CT.
NICOLE PORTNOV § CLASS OF 2018
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Washington, DC Nicole Portnov received her B.A. in International Studies from Boston College in 2007, and her M.A. in Education from Hunter College in 2011. Prior to entering law school, she was a middle and high school social studies teacher in New York City, an adjunct in Sociology at a local technical college, and a freelance writer and editor at Policymic.com covering news, politics and culture. While in New York City, she helped start the NYC Chapter of Days for Girls, an organization providing health education and sustainable sanitary products to women globally, and a regular volunteer docent at the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance. At Miami Law, Nicole is a Miami Public Interest Scholar, President of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, an Intern with the Health Rights Clinic, Executive Editor of the International and Comparative Law Review, and Fundraising Co-Chair of the Public Interest Leadership Board. During her 1L summer, she was a Legal Fellow at the SAFE Center for Survivors of Human Trafficking at the University of Maryland, College Park. During the summer of 2017, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Office of Federal Operations in Washington, D.C.
CHRISTINA ROBINSON § CLASS OF 2018 LAMBDA LEGAL, New York, NY
Christina Robinson graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami in 2013, with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry. At Miami Law, Christina is a Miami Public Interest Scholar and a member of the Honor Council. During her 1L summer, she served as a legal intern with New York Legal Aid’s Criminal Practice, working alongside the DNA Unit, where she co-presented a CLE to the Queens borough on the fundamentals of DNA testing. During the fall of her 2L year, she interned with the ACLU of Florida and in the spring, she participated in the Children & Youth Law Clinic. As a 2L, she also served as the Vice President of OUTLaw, Secretary of the Society of Bar & Gavel, as a member of both the Race & Social Justice Law Review and the Public Interest Leadership Board. She also won the Best Casenote Award for the Race & Social Justice Law Review and was a
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finalist for Toppel Career Center’s Graduate Student of the Year. As a 3L, she is serving as President of OUTLaw and Writing Competition Editor of the Race & Social Justice Law Review and as Chair of Mentoring for the Public Interest Leadership Board. During the summer of 2017, Christina served as HOPE Fellow with Lambda Legal in New York.
MAC KENZIE SACKS § CLASS OF 2018
THE MOVEMENT FOR QUALITY GOVERNMENT IN ISRAEL, Jerusalem, Israel Mac Kenzie Sacks graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2015 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Judaic Studies. At Miami Law, she is President of the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board. During her 1L summer, she served as a judicial intern with the Honorable Dorian Damoorgian of the Fourth District Court of Appeal. During her 2L year, she participated in the Immigration Clinic, representing indigent clients and going to detention centers to conduct knowyour-rights presentations. As a 3L, she is participating in the Federal Appellate Clinic. During the summer of 2017, she served as a HOPE Fellow with The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, where she focused on the protection of whistleblowers.
CARLY STARKEY § CLASS OF 2018
EQUAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES, San Francisco, CA Carly Starkey graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University in May 2013 with a B.S.W. in Social Work and then earned an M.S.W. in Social Work from FSU in August 2014. She has served as a social worker in schools and homeless shelters and as the Project Coordinator for the Institute for Family Violence Studies, forming policy proposals and creating trainings surrounding issues of domestic violence, child abuse, and campus sexual assault for students, lawyers, and law enforcement. At Miami Law, Carly is a Miami Public Interest Scholar and a member of Bar & Gavel. During her 1L summer, she worked as a legal intern with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. As a 2L, Carly took part in community lawyering on issues of environmental contamination and gentrification as a clinical intern with the Environmental Justice Clinic and is continuing work as a fellow during her 3L year. During the summer of 2017, Carly served as a HOPE Fellow with Equal Rights Advocates in San Francisco, applying legal skills to expand economic and educational opportunities and access for women and girls.
BRITTANY THOMAS § CLASS OF 2018
LEGAL AID SOCIETY, CRIMINAL DIVISION, New York, NY Brittany Thomas graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2014 with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Prior to law school, Brittany worked with Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, where she advocated against the use of the Death Penalty. During her 1L summer, she served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow, working as an Executive Intern for the Miami-Dade Public Defender, Carlos Martinez. During her 2L year, she was an intern with the Environmental Justice Clinic, advocating for affordable housing in the City of South Miami. For this work, she received the Innovative Service in the Public Interest Award from Miami Law. She returned as an Environmental Justice Clinic Fellow
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
during her 3L year. During the summer of 2017, Brittany served as a HOPE Fellow with The Legal Aid Society of New York in the Criminal Division.
HALEY WEISS § CLASS OF 2018
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, Miami, FL Haley Weiss graduated from Florida State University in 2014 with a B.S. in Accounting and a minor in Hospitality. Upon graduation, she worked as an accountant for a year before starting law school. At Miami Law, Haley is a member of the University of Miami Law Review and will serve as an Articles and Comments Editor during her 3L year. She is also a Student Ambassador and has served as an intern with the Investor Rights Clinic, where she has returned as a Fellow during her 3L year. During her 1L summer, she worked as an intern with the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. During the summer of 2017, Haley served as a HOPE Fellow in the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Miami office.
LAUREN WIDDOWSON § CLASS OF 2018
OFFICE OF THE COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, Chicago, IL Lauren Widdowson graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. While at Auburn, she participated in the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program. At Miami Law, she is a member of the Student Bar Association, the Criminal Law Society, and Miami Law Women. During her 3L year, she is serving as chair of Books and Buddies. During her 2L summer, she worked as an intern with Florida Department of Children and Families in the Children’s Legal Services Department. During the summer of 2017, Lauren served as a HOPE Fellow with the Office of the Cook County Public Defender in Chicago.
The HOPE Fellowship gave me the opportunity to pursue my true passion of promoting and advancing justice for disenfranchised communities. The Miami Law HOPE office has allowed me to open my eyes to my true calling: helping others. ~Brittany Thomas HOPE Fellow, Legal Aid Society, New York, NY
MIAMI LAW HOPE FELLOWS PROGRAM
I was honored to receive the HOPE Fellowship Award because it enabled me to pursue one of my dreams and work abroad in international human rights law with a public sector agency in Jerusalem. ~Mac Kenzie Sacks The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
I was honored to receive the HOPE Summer Fellowship which allowed me to work with NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. It had been my dream to work for a federal agency and this dream became a reality because of HOPE. The HOPE team has always nurtured my love and commitment for service. ~Linet Suarez, HOPE Fellow 2016 and Miami Scholar, Washington, DC
Without the HOPE Fellowship, I never would have been able to go to New York City and work with such an outstanding public interest organization as the Legal Aid Society. I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity. ~Ariana Barlas, HOPE Fellow 2016, New York, NY
“It is phenomenal to see the HOPE and SPIF students evolve as public interest advocates through their work locally, nationally and internationally. They are touched by the people and communities they serve and are committed to effectuating change and promoting access to justice for others.� ~Marni Lennon, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono
SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM The Summer Public Interest Fellows Program (SPIF) is designed to engage the public interest-minded student during the summer following their first year of law school. This selective program involves full-time work at a South Florida public interest agency for eight weeks during the summer along with a legal research and writing project. Fellows also participate in a seminar where members of the bench, bar and legal community visit and students share their work in the public sector. Participating students are given a stipend and receive three academic credits. HOPE is proud to support the public interest work of an increasing number of students who serve clients and communities in extraordinary ways.
The Miami Law SPIF program has connected me to community organizations and helped me to focus on the importance of outreach to invoke change. ~Maria Rodriguez SPIF Fellow, Office of the Miami-Dade Public Defender, Miami, FL
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
ANGELA AUDIE ยง CLASS OF 2019
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC DEFENDER, Miami, FL Angela Audie graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2014 with a B.S. in Psychology and minors in English and Environmental Action and Leadership. As an undergrad, Angela served as a Youth Development Worker with an agency that provides services and leadership to the emerging needs of young people and their families in Evanston, IL. Prior to law school, she interned as an environmental advocate with a non-profit organization that works to defend natural resources and protected habitats throughout the United States. At Miami Law, Angela is a Books and Buddies volunteer and serving as Vice President of Community Affairs for the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund during her 2L year. During the summer of 2017, Angela served a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender.
MATTHEW BAUER ยง CLASS OF 2019
LEGAL SERVICES OF GREATER MIAMI, INC., Miami, FL Matthew Bauer graduated summa cum laude from Western Illinois University in 2013 with a B.S. in Medical Sciences and minors in Chemistry and Psychology. Prior to law school, Matt worked at the University of Idaho, where he assisted students through the student judicial system and fostered a culture of inclusivity and well-being for a residential campus of approximately 2500 students. As a 1L, Matt was elected as a senator to represent his class section in the Student Bar Association and served as a Student Ambassador for Miami Law. As a 2L, Matt continues to serve as a Student Ambassador and is participating in the Children and Youth Law Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Matt served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Legal Services of Greater Miami, where he worked in the Health and Income Maintenance Unit.
GISELLE CARRATALA ยง CLASS OF 2019
LEGAL SERVICES OF GREATER MIAMI, INC., Miami, FL Giselle Carratala graduated from Macalester College in 2012 with a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies. Prior to entering law school, she worked for Americas Society/Council of the Americas, where she served as an internal committee member of Young Professionals of the Americas. She also worked as a legal assistant at a Miami law firm focused on the representation of international clients. During her 2L year, she is serving on the executive board of the Hispanic Law Student Association and participating in the Investor Rights Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Giselle served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Legal Services of Greater Miami, focusing primarily on homeownership and consumer protection issues.
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
KATHERINE CHATTERJEE § CLASS OF 2019
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE STATE ATTORNEY, Miami, FL Katherine Chatterjee graduated from Florida International University in 2012 with a B.A. in Sociology. After graduation, she interned with The Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the legislative affairs department. At Miami Law, Katie serves on the executive board for the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and is a member of Miami Law Women. During her 2L year, she is participating in the Children and Youth Law Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Katie served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in the Felony Domestic Violence Unit.
HALEY COVE § CLASS OF 2019
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC DEFENDER, Miami, FL Haley Cove graduated from Florida State University in 2015 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Social Science with a focus on Sociology and Political Science. As a 1L, Haley was elected as a senator to represent her class section in the Student Bar Association. During her 2L year, she is serving as Co-Chair of Fundraising for the Public Interest Leadership Board and Vice President of the Miami Law Chapter of the ACLU. She also serves as a Miami Law Ambassador and has volunteered with the Community Justice Project, Feeding South Florida, and Planned Parenthood. During her 2L year, she is participating in the Environmental Justice Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Haley served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender.
NICHOLAS DILTS § CLASS OF 2019
CITY OF MIAMI ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Miami, FL Nicholas Dilts graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 with a B.A. in Business Administration and a specialization in Finance. While in college, he served as Family Relations Captain for the Children's Miracle Network Dance Marathon, working with affected families and volunteering at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital. He also served as a UF Student Government Senator. At Miami Law, Nicholas is participating in the Business of Innovation, Law, and Technology Concentration. During the summer of 2017, he served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the City of Miami Attorney's Office.
MARY GAGLIARDI § CLASS OF 2019
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE STATE ATTORNEY, Miami, FL Mary Caroline Gagliardi graduated from Boston University in 2013 with a B.A. in Communications and an emphasis on Broadcast Journalism. As an undergraduate, she was an anchor and reporter for BUTV10. After graduation, Mary worked for three years as a NBC news reporter, covering homicides, drug rings, corruption and disasters. She also served as an ambassador for the Salvation Army. During the summer of 2017, Mary served as HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the Office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney, where she focused on cybercrime and technology-facilitated abuse and harassment.
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
GEENA KANDEL § CLASS OF 2019 DADE LEGAL AID, Miami, FL
Geena Kandel graduated cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis in 2016 with a B.A. in Psychological & Brain Sciences and minors in Political Science and Anthropology. As a 2L at Miami Law, Geena is serving as president of the Mindfulness in Law student organization. She is also participating in the Children and Youth Law Clinic, where she is advocating for children in foster care and former foster youth in a variety of legal matters. During the summer of 2017, Geena served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Dade Legal Aid, where she focused on family law issues.
TATYANA KRIMUS § CLASS OF 2019
LEGAL SERVICES OF GREATER MIAMI, INC., Miami, FL Tatyana Krimus earned a B.A. in Political Science and History from University of Western Ontario in 2008 and a MS in Public Policy from University College London in 2013. Prior to law school, she worked in public health agencies conducting research and implementing policy initiatives to improve the health of local communities. During her 2L year at Miami Law, Tatyana is participating in the Immigration Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Tatyana served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Legal Services of Greater Miami in the Health and Income Maintenance Unit.
ALEX MEYER § CLASS OF 2019
LEGAL SERVICES OF GREATER MIAMI, INC., Miami, FL Alex Meyer graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 2012 with a B.A. in History and earned his M.A. in International Administration from the University of Miami in 2016. While in graduate school, he worked with the Center for Hemispheric Policy, addressing policy and development issues facing Latin America. As a 1L at Miami Law, Alex took part in HOPE’s Alternative Spring Break Program with the Mississippi Center for Justice, where he researched issues facing pro se litigants in the court system. During his 2L year, he is participating in the Children and Youth Law Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Alex served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Legal Services of Greater Miami in the Children's Advocacy Project.
MEAGAN NICHOLSON § CLASS OF 2019
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Miami Beach, FL Meagan Nicholson graduated cum laude from The Florida State University in 2016 with a B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy and a B.S. in Political Science. While in college, she volunteered with the FSU Environmental Service Program, an organization dedicated to engaging the Tallahassee community with the environment through service, education, and advocacy. She also interned with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and with the Florida Senate, where she worked with the Chair of the Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee. At Miami Law, she is a member of the Maritime Law
MIAMI LAW SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWS PROGRAM
Society and the Environmental Law Society. During her 2L year, she is participating in the Tenants’ Rights Clinic. During the summer of 2017, Meagan served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with the City of Miami Beach City Attorney’s Office.
MARIA RODRIGUEZ § CLASS OF 2019
OFFICE OF THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC DEFENDER, Miami, FL Maria C. Rodriguez graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 with a B.A in Political Science, specializing in International Relations, a B.A in French & Francophone Studies, and a minor in Art History. While at UF, she interned for Teen Court through the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and was the Founding President of UF’s French Mentorship Program. At Miami Law, Maria is taking part in the Social Justice & Public Interest Concentration focusing on Civil Rights. As a 1L, she served as a Miami Law Ambassador and participated in HOPE’s Alternative Spring Break Program with the Mississippi Center for Justice. During her 2L year, she is serving as the Public Relations Chair for the International Law Society. During the summer of 2017, Maria served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow at the Office of the Miami-Dade Public Defender.
REBECCA WASIF § CLASS OF 2019
CATHOLIC CHARITIES LEGAL SERVICES, Miami, FL Rebecca Wasif received her B.A. in Philosophy, with a minor in Criminal Justice, from Florida International University in 2013. Prior to law school, she volunteered with HOPE, Inc., an organization dedicated to fighting housing discrimination in Miami. During her 2L year at Miami Law, she is participating in the Immigration Clinic. During the Summer of 2017, Rebecca served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Catholic Charities Legal Services, focusing on immigration issues.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Interest MIAMILAW HOPE Public Resource Center UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW
1311 Miller Drive B446 ยง Coral Gables, FL 33146 P: 305.284.2599 ยง F: 305.284.3646 umhope@law.miami.edu www.law.miami.edu/hope