Congrats to our Summer Public Interest Fellows!

Hi everyone!

For my first blog, I would like to share some great news with all of you.

First, we would like to extend our THANKS to all applicants, faculty readers, BPILP, the Dean's Office, and the Development Office for all their hard work in making this year's fellowship selection process such a success!! This year there were close to 30 applications and the overall quality of this year's applications was again outstanding!

The 13th Annual BPILP Auction held earlier this year was the most successful ever as BPILP raised nearly $34,000 to be used towards providing UB Law School students the opportunity to accept unpaid public service summer positions.

Through the combined dedication and support of Dean Makau Mutua, the UB Law Alumni Association, the Student Bar Association, the Domestic Violence Task Force, our very generous alumni and fellow student donors -- who continue to be committed to public interest law -- and the remarkable leadership and members of BPILP, 20 projects in total will receive funding this summer! In addition, to date we have been notified of 3 terrific students who were awarded national fellowships.

Please join us in congratulating this year's Summer Public Interest Fellows:

Dean's Buffalo Public Interest Law Program Fellows
Linda Benedict ’09 - Gulfcoast Legal Service - St. Petersburg, FL
Joshua Pennel ’10 - US Attorney's Office, Western District of NY - Buffalo, NY
Claire Sellers ’10 - Volunteer Lawyers Project - Buffalo, NY
Heather Strachan ’10 - Volunteer Lawyers Project - Buffalo, NY

UB Law Alumni Association's Buffalo Public Interest Law Program Fellows
Demian Fernandez ’10 - Human Rights Department, Central University of Santiago Law School -Santiago, Chile
Gurjot Kaur ’10 - Lawyers for Human Rights - Johannesburg, South Africa

Buffalo Public Interest Law Program Fellows
Joshua Agins ’10 – Rochester Legal Aid Society, Law Students in Action Project – Rochester, NY
Gregory Colavecchi ’10 – Monroe County Legal Assistance Center, Law Students in Action Project – Rochester, NY
Jesslyn Holbrook ’10 - US Attorney's Office, Western District of NY - Buffalo, NY
Scott Iseman ’10 - US Attorney's Office, Northern District of NY - Albany, NY
Kathleen Moriarty ’10 - Buffalo ReUse - Buffalo, NY
Neil Pawlowski ’10 - US Attorney's Office, Northern District of NY - Syracuse, NY
Kristen Schaub ’10 - NYS Division of Human Rights - Buffalo, NY
Ashley Westbrook ’10 – Farmworkers Legal Services, Law Students in Action Project – Rochester, NY
Jawziya Zaman ’10 - Legal Resource Center - Cape Town, South Africa

Buffalo Public Interest Law Program / Student Bar Association Fellow
Andrew Stimson ’10 - Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo - Buffalo, NY

Buffalo Public Interest Law Program / Student Bar Association Grant Recipient
Geoffrey Hale ’09 – Empire Justice Center, Law Students in Action Project – Rochester, NY

Buffalo Public Interest Law Program / Domestic Violence Task Force Grant Recipient
Nola Cornett ’10 – Volunteer Lawyers Project, Haven House Domestic Violence Legal Clinic – Buffalo, NY

Kaplan & Reynolds Fellows
Rachel Marrero ’10 - Neighborhood Legal Services, Family Law Unit, Grandparent Advocacy Project - Buffalo, NY
Stefanie Svoren ’09 - Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Domestic Security Section –Washington DC

Charles H. Revson Law Student Public Interest (LSPIN) Fellowship Grant Recipients
Jeffrey Colt ’10 – Sanctuary for Families, Bronx Division – Bronx, NY
Elena Steigman ’10 – Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. – New York, NY

Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program Member
Ashley Westbrook ’10 – Farmworkers Legal Services, Law Students in Action Project –Rochester, NY