Class of 2024 Clinical and Pro Bono Programs Commencement Newsletter

Former Facebook employee Dylan Moses ’24 came to the Cyberlaw Clinic to learn about the intersection of cybersecurity and the First Amendment; he learned more than he’d even imagined in the clinic.

“My commitment to achieving educational equity stems from my own experience in the U.S. public school system,” reflects advanced clinical student Vanessa Agudelo ’24.

“To me, the right to vote is not only a symbol of our democracy, but a precious representation of my history as a African-American woman in America,” writes Regina Fairfax ’24.

Morgan Hurst ’24 looks forward to bringing her education from the Election Law Clinic back to her home state of Texas.

Marisa Wright ’24 and her clinic team fought to restore voting power to Wisconsin residents – and won.

“My clinic project showed me what it was like to be an advocate, to find the best possible routes through law and policy that would vindicate the goals of my client,” reflects Sebastian Miller ’24.

“Moving beyond the Zoom screen and spending time with our partners in South Africa was not only fulfilling but integral to understanding the on-the-ground context of food bank operations and the feasibility of particular policy recommendations,” writes Kristen McEnroe ’24.

Salomé Van Bunnen LL.M. ’24 worked with a school in Tanzania to create a negotiation course especially aimed at women and girls.

Julio Quiroz Colby’s ’24 clinical experiences were pivotal to informing his fellowship project building out a new practice area for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

Ellie Samuels ’24 attended the Reproductive Health Summit, featuring events spotlighting pressing topics and technological advancements.

Aliyah Graves-Brown ’24, Apoorva Dixit ’24, and Zainab Kahloon ’24 worked to prevent the construction of a new federal prison in Appalachia and investigating opportunities for alternative investment in the impacted community.

Jake Soria ’24 travelled to New York and Kosovo to hold the United Nations accountable for placing hundreds of displaced Roma in housing where they were exposed to lead poisoning.

Nikki Santos ’24 has spent three semesters working to hold the seventh largest supermarket chain in the world accountable for human rights abuses in its seafood supply chain.

As Co-President of Harvard Mediation Program, Kate Strickland ’24 found the community she was seeking in law school among her fellow mediators.

Bertha Aniagyei LL.M. ’24 describes the Harvard Mediation Program as the “experience of a lifetime” and found the answers to her questions about the role of a mediator.

Nathan Bartholomew ’24 worked on a pair of cases seeking justice for incarcerated Rastafarians whose dreadlocks were shorn by prison officials.

Joshua Payne ’24 discovered the importance of minority business certification services while working with his client.

“Working in the clinic, improving upon feedback from your instructors, and helping your clients reach their goals truly gives you the opportunity to showcase your best and to see your classmates shine as well,” writes Kaetlyn Conolly ’24.

“This program offers constant opportunities for practical self-development through conversations with instructors, clients, and peers—all while simultaneously assisting disadvantaged groups in the community,” writes Alec Johnson ’24.

In an advanced clinic, students who have completed at least one semester in an LSC clinic return to their clinic for a succeeding semester or semesters. Because advanced clinical students have already completed the classroom requirements for their clinic, when they return, they can devote all their time to the specific lawyering opportunities they want to pursue.

Annika Reno ’24 represented a client in federal court whose car had been unlawfully seized by debt collectors.

Lorea Mendiguren ’24 represented clients and conducted research on the potential and pitfalls of buy now, pay later loans.

“During my time in court through the clinic, I aimed to speak to every defendant (before the debt buyers’ attorney did) to inform them of the legal options they were entitled to,” writes Morgan Sperry ’24.

“As a young boy, I could’ve never imagined that one day I’d be advocating for people facing similar challenges. As a student attorney at the Legal Services Center, I’ve been able to do exactly that, all while sharpening my legal skills,” writes Alfredo Rosales ’24.

Melissa Morgan ’24 fought for her client’s safe housing in the Housing Justice for Survivors Project.

Caroline Hatley ’24 worked on a policy project designed to combat the use of far-right online forums to organize online harassment campaigns against LGBTQ+ activists and allies.

Madison Wulf Elbich ’24 filed an first amicus brief for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals just two weeks in to her first clinical experience.

Sam Holloway ’24 helped a client fully clear her public record whose reputation was still being threatened because of Internet media articles containing unproven allegations.

Alex Zhang ’24 built a close relationship with his client while creating his estate plan in the Estate Planning Project.

Veteran Nathan Lowry ’24 found working with a veteran client to secure his access to benefits helped his own transition from the military to lawyering.

Strategic lawyering by a team of students led Veterans Affairs to change its long-standing benefits policy, expanding access to LGBTQ+ veterans.

“Almost exactly 1 year after reading my favorite case, I found myself at 28 Liberty Street — a few steps from the Brooklyn Bridge, even fewer steps from Wall Street — dealing with a federal farming case of my own,” writes Edward Jung ’24.

“Little did I know that the generous guidance and support from OPIA and OCP advisors, clinical instructors, and alumni would lead to two distinct yet equally enriching externships in D.C.” writes Alice Chen ’24.

Heather Zhou ’24 worked on real legislation between attending hearings and markups in her placement with Senator Richard Blumenthal’s Judiciary Committee staff.

“Working at the Joint Committee on Taxation was a great opportunity to practice statutory interpretation in the real world, with real stakes,” writes Samantha Strimling ’24.

“If you spend a semester working in a community court—seeing so many cases and people each day—you start to get a sense of the cumulative impact of the criminal legal system,” writes Caroline Gillette ’24.