Ramon Suarez is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he is a 1L Secretary of the Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA), Temple Law Chapter. Ramon graduated with honors from The College of New Jersey in 2002, where he studied History and received his Masters of Philosophy from New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a Warren Dean Fellow in the History Department. 

Prior to attending law school, Ramon worked as an adjunct college professor at Rutgers University while conducting research on his doctoral dissertation examining the sociopolitical role of the U.S. military in twentieth century Puerto Rico. He later worked as a legal assistant in his hometown of Perth Amboy, NJ at a family and real estate law firm. Once Covid-19 afflicted his township Ramon initiated a social experiment in grassroots community legal work as a volunteer library paralegal in Perth Amboy Public Library, helping essential workers fill out online pro se forms at a time when New Jersey Legal Services offices were still closed to the public. 

As a Temple Law student, Ramon is pursuing a career in employment and labor advocacy. He will be interning this summer at Wawa Headquarters’ Employment and Litigation office. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, his current focus is on politically and legally empowering minority working-class communities, identifying the disparate policy impacts that lack of guaranteed federal paid family and medical leave protections in the United States have upon working-class women of color. 

Lara Ormiston, LAW ’24, is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, Lara serves as the Vice President of the Health Law Society and the Co-Fundraising Chair for the Student Public Interest Network. Lara is also working as a legal research assistant for Temple’s College of Public Health. Her work is focused on augmenting a nationwide emergency law inventory.  

Lara graduated summa cum laude from Moravian College in 2021 with a B.S. in Biology. At Moravian, Lara was a member of the Beta Beta Beta National Biologic Honor Society and the Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Honor Society. Throughout college, Lara volunteered at St. Luke’s Hospital where she saw firsthand the serious disparities different groups of people faced in accessing healthcare. This volunteer experience sparked her interest in wanting to go to law school and wanting to work directly with clients to help dispel health inequity. 

This summer, Lara will be working at the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free legal services to individuals living with HIV. Her policy interests include healthcare reform and reproductive justice.  

Joshua DuBois LAW ’25 is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Joshua graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2017 with a B.S. in Marine and Environmental Science. He also earned a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Policy from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Currently, Joshua is a 1L Representative for the Family Law Society and is involved in VetLaw and the Christian Law Society.  

 Prior to law school, Joshua served as an active-duty officer in the United States Coast Guard. He was first assigned to the Cutter SENECA out of Boston, working as a ship driver, flight deck officer, and public affairs officer. Joshua was then assigned as the Chief of Domestic Inspections in Boston, responsible for the certification of approximately 350 vessels. He is now assigned as a reserve officer in New York City. 

 This summer, Joshua is working for the Department of Justice’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Office. His main policy interests are maritime law, immigration law, and military justice. 

Indira Rahman (they/them) LAW ’25 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. They graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 2018 with a B.A. in Astrophysics and Government. 

Prior to law school, Indira was the full-time lead researcher and senior project manager at the Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers, the world’s first centralized quantitative index on LGBTQ+ human rights in 204 countries and regions. The $1.5 million federal project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and global partners such as the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Indira had the privilege of recruiting and engaging with more than 50 LGBTQ+ peer review experts—including grassroots activists, scholars, and policy professionals—from over 40 countries. They are also a co-contributor to the LGBTQI Human Rights Report Card for 110 countries, which were featured in the 2021 White House Summit for Democracy. Indira’s work on the first global landscape study on transgender rights was published in the Journal of Human Rights. 

A nonbinary queer asylum-seeker from Bangladesh, Indira came to law school to end the criminalization of LGBTQ+ people worldwide. At Temple Law, they are involved in various student leadership positions as the incoming President of OUTLaw and the Vice President of American Constitution Society and International Law Society. 

As a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Indira will be interning at the World Bank this summer in Washington, DC on a short-term appointment. They will be working in the Middle East and North Africa Practice Group (LEGAM) under the Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency. Additionally, they will be writing a policy paper featuring South Asian LGBTQ+ asylum seekers on the link between project funding, legal access, and inclusion. Indira’s policy interests include global migration, LGBTQ+ human rights, and inclusive international development. 

Drew Perkoski LAW ‘25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. 

 Prior to law school, Drew graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with an A.B. in Global Studies, concentrating in development, and a minor in Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies. In 2020, Drew was the deputy policy director for Alan Khazei, coordinating a comprehensive platform on over 400 national, state, and municipal issues. For two years Drew served as student director of Maimonides Moot Court for the Hadar Institute, planning and organizing international events addressing a range of policy topics through the lens of Jewish law. Drew was also a legal assistant at Pinder Plotkin, a Baltimore-based personal injury firm. 

 This summer, Drew will be working at the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project, focused on housing law and economic justice. Drew’s policy interests include transformative justice and universal access to basic needs. 

Dillon Collins, LAW ‘25, is a 2023 Law & Public Policy and Conwell Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Dillon graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Marlboro College in 2015 and a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2020.  

Prior to law school, Dillon worked at a crisis-stabilization hospital for adolescents, helped a middle school transition to an inclusion model of Special Education, and served as a corps member of Teach For America. As a member of TFA, Dillon taught high school social studies in Kealakekua, Hawaii.  

This summer, Dillon is working for the Philadelphia School District with a focus on civil rights. In the fall, Dillon will intern with the Education Law Center in Philadelphia. His policy interests are educational equity and the intersection of behavioral health and discipline in education.  

Cristina de Arana is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar. She serves as the Co-President of the Criminal Justice committee for Temple’s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. Cristina graduated from the University of Delaware in 2017, where she earned her B.A. in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies.  

Prior to attending law school, Cristina interned for the Delaware Juvenile Civil Citation Program, an alternative-to-arrest program serving youth in the State of Delaware. After her time at the Juvenile Civil Citation Program, Cristina worked as an investigative intern at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. There, she collaborated with community members to collect mitigation materials, utilized her bilingual language skills to consult with clients and translate police footage, among other investigative techniques. Interning at the Public Defender Services was a formative experience which encouraged her to pursue other social justice organizations, namely abolitionist organizations. Thereafter, Cristina served as the first undergraduate intern at the Abolitionist Law Center in Philadelphia, where she conducted research on solitary confinement practices in the United States and presented these findings at a state-wide bill convening in support of HB-497/SB-832.  

Most recently, Cristina worked as a legal intern for the American Civil Liberties Union – New Jersey affiliate. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Cristina is interning for the Nationalities Service Center’s  Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project. Her policy interests include criminal procedure, immigration law, international human rights, and social justice lawyering.  

Emma Weise LAW ’24 is a Law Faculty Scholar and a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, she is an active member of the Student Public Interest Committee and the Temple Family Law Society. Emma graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in American Studies.  

Prior to law school, Emma had a wide range of experiences including work as a committee page for the Minnesota House of Representatives, running an arts and crafts bar, and excavations as part of an international team in Vix, France. Her eclectic background exposed her to people from all walks of life and guided her to make the decision to go to law school. 

 As a proud member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, Emma is interested in policy issues surrounding tribal sovereignty. As the granddaughter of a survivor of Native American child removal, Emma is also interested in policy issues surrounding child welfare. 

 During the summer of 2023 Emma will be interning with the Child Advocacy Unit of the Philadelphia Defender’s Association, which provides representation for children in dependency cases.   

Haley Platt LAW ’25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, Haley has been involved in several student organizations including Women’s Law Caucus, Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and serving as Outreach Chair for the Tax and Bankruptcy Law Society. 

Originally from Virginia, Haley graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science, Russian, and French. She also earned a certificate in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies. While at Pitt, Haley studied abroad at both Université de Nantes in France and Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia. Upon graduation, Haley worked as Special Assistant to the Mayor in the Pittsburgh Mayor’s Office. She also worked at the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce as the Government Affairs Coordinator.  

This summer, Haley will be interning at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. Her policy interests include diverse and inclusive economic development, transitioning to clean energy, and gun reform. 

Jennifer Ding is a second-year law student at Temple University where she is a Beasley Scholar and a Law & Public Policy Scholar. Jennifer serves as the Executive Editor for Volume 38 of the Temple International & Comparative Law Journal. Jennifer has a B.S. in Business and Management and a M.S. in Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Prior to law school, Jennifer worked in a variety of roles in small technology companies. This summer, Jennifer will be interning as a Summer Associate in the Employee Relations group at Comcast.  

Josephine Messina (she/her/hers) LAW ’24 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to law school, she graduated from the James Madison University Honors College in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics. Her undergraduate thesis, “Regulating the Right to Bear Arms: A Statistical Analysis of Gun Control Policies and Gun Violence in the United States,” won the JMU 2021 Mathematics & Statistics Undergraduate Research Award.  

Since beginning law school, Josephine had the opportunity to work as a legal intern for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Division. Most recently, Josephine worked as a legal intern at the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia, where she assisted low-income transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming clients in filing to change their legal names. Next year, Josephine will serve as the Executive Articles Editor for the Temple International & Comparative Law Journal Volume 38. 

As a L&PP Scholar, Josephine will work as a legal intern with the HIV, STI, and Harm Reduction Policy Team at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), a nonprofit organization in Washington D.C. dedicated to improving the health of communities by strengthening and advocating for local health departments. Her policy interests include criminal justice reform and public health law, with a specific focus on LGBTQIA+ rights, harm reduction, and reproductive justice. 

Michael Matthews LAW ‘25 is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Michael graduated with Honors from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2015 with a B.S. in Law and Legal Studies. While at West Point, Michael penned and defended his thesis concerning viable options for the prosecution of transnational terrorists in a world without military commissions. Michael is involved in Temple Law’s Veterans Law,  International Law, and Tax and Bankruptcy societies. 

 Prior to law school, Michael served in the Active Duty Army for over six years. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, Michael ultimately achieved the rank of Captain. The majority of his military career was spent serving in the 101st Airborne Division with whom he deployed to Afghanistan in 2016-17 in support of the NATO mission- Inherent Resolve. His service also saw time spent leading soldiers in South Korea and across the nation in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Washington State. 

 This summer, Michael is working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His policy interests include national security, veterans’ services, and international law. 

Shaw Coneybeare, LAW ’24, is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law where he serves as 2L Class President.  

Shaw was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, before moving to California in 2010. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, majoring in Canadian legal studies. Before coming to Temple Law, Shaw worked on the 2019 Canadian Federal Election and during the COVID-19 Pandemic he volunteered as a social media manager to help network survivors of the pandemic and spread awareness of “long-haul” COVID.   

At Temple, Shaw has served in externships for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, he will be serving over the summer as a 2L certified intern at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office to gain advocacy experience and work with prosecutors who are ensuring justice is done while keeping the people of the city safe.  Shaw’s policy interests include international economic relations, criminal justice, space law, and national security.  

Joshua Friedman is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. They serve as the Co-President for Temple’s Housing Justice Initiative. Joshua graduated from Indiana University in 2015 with a B.A. in Jewish Studies and Political Science. Prior to attending law school, Joshua worked for four years as a case manager assisting low-income communities with housing stabilization services. During that time, they also volunteered with Philly Thrive, an organization committed to combating environmental racism and the harmful impacts of the former-PES refinery.  

This summer, Joshua will be working as a Legal Intern at the Office of Criminal Justice and Public Safety with the City of Philadelphia. They are committed to prioritizing community engagement and supporting families most impacted by the criminal justice system. 

Julia Rankin LAW ’25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Julia graduated from George Mason University in 2018 with a B.A. in Forensic Psychology and a minor in Criminology.  

After college, Julia worked a variety of jobs before transitioning into the legal field. She was then employed at Simeone & Miller, LLP, a personal injury firm in Washington, D.C., as a Litigation Paralegal. During this time, Julia also volunteered with the National Center for Victims of Crime’s hotline.  

Julia’s policy interests include mental health reform, juvenile justice, criminal defense, decarceration, and criminal justice reform (with particular focus on issues surrounding the death penalty). This summer, Julia will be working at the Temple Legal Aid Office with Professor Katz in the family law litigation clinic.  

 Thomas McGann LAW ‘25 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Thomas graduated cum laude from Drexel University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences in 2016. He then served with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps before graduating from the University of Leeds with a M.S. in International Health in 2018. Thomas worked with an international NGO providing rebuild services after natural disasters, becoming Program Director in 2020 to close out the relief commitment made to the Texas Coastal Bend area. 

 This summer, Thomas is interning with the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, the nation’s only independent public-interest law firm dedicated to AIDS and HIV. His policy interests include equitable emergency relief and LGBTQ+ rights. 

Malgorzata Witalis LAW ’25 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar. She graduated from the University of Warsaw in 2022 and majored in Italian Studies.  

At Temple, Malgorzata has been involved in several student organizations including If/When/How (Reproductive Justice initiative) and the Name Change Project where she helps underrepresented clients work through the paperwork necessary to complete an identity-affirming name change. 

Prior to law school, Malgorzata worked in a boutique law firm in Warsaw. She conducted research on Fathers’ Rights in Light of Rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and represented the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Undergraduate Law Journal at the Intercollegiate Undergraduate Law Review Conference where she presented her work on fathers’ rights. She is also a firm believer in making knowledge more accessible: she engaged in translations for the Polish-Italian magazine that allowed Italians living in Poland to feel like a part of the community. Malgorzata is also a social media creator and promotes reading, connecting book lovers across generations.  

As a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Malgorzata is interning with the Councilman Isaiah Thomas this summer. Her policy interests include the intersection of  socially conscious city planning, gender, new technology, and fair tax policy.  

Sabrina Konczyk LAW ’23 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Sabrina graduated from Lehigh University in 2021 with a B.A. in Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology. During undergrad, Sabrina worked with the Black Student Union to create Lehigh Students for BLM, a university-specific Instagram page dedicated to advancing racial equality on campus. At Temple, Sabrina is co-president of Temple’s National Lawyers Guild Chapter, and has worked as a research assistant for Professor Duncan Hollis and Professor Evelyn Rangel-Medina. 

This summer, Sabrina is interning at the office of Philadelphia Councilmember Isaiah Thomas. Her policy interests include human rights, prison abolition, racial equality, and indigenous rights.  

Katie Woodbury LAW ‘25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. 

Katie graduated from Harvard University in 2014 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Government. After college, she worked for former Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s gubernatorial campaign and then in the Office of the Governor following his election. She also worked for the Policy Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources (DCNR), engaging with a wide variety of issues such as strategic conservation planning, climate change mitigation, watershed protection, and sustainable agriculture. Most recently, Katie worked in Nashville at The Land Trust for Tennessee as a Conservation Project Manager, helping private landowners conserve their properties across Tennessee. Her experiences in the Governor’s Office, DCNR, and The Land Trust sparked Katie’s interest in making a career shift to law. 

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Katie is a summer law clerk for the Natural Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Her policy interests include land use, natural resource management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.  

Pai Liu LAW ‘25 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Pai received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Prior to law school, Pai worked in utilities regulation in Texas where she worked on legislative matters and rulemakings.  

 As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Pai is interning at the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts which provides free legal aid to underserved artists and arts organizations in the Philadelphia region. Pai has an interest in economic justice and the arts. 

Olivia Spergel LAW ’25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law and is a Jewish Graduate Student Initiative Fellow. 

Olivia graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Sociology of Health. As an undergraduate student, Olivia conducted research in organic chemistry, involving synthesizing molecules of potential biological interest. She also acted as a peer mentor, assisting honors college and first-generation college students interested in science to navigate college. 

Before law school, Olivia spent several years working as a pharmacy operations manager and pharmacy technician at a retail pharmacy. There, she aided in the effort to fight COVID-19, by organizing and assisting mobile vaccination clinics in nursing homes, and by administering COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations and tests. She also managed day-to-day operations of a retail pharmacy including hiring, training, and mentoring other pharmacy technicians. 

At Temple Law, Olivia has been involved in the International Law Society, Health Law Society, and Jewish Law Student Association and participated in the Name Change Project, assisting clients to fill out the paperwork necessary to legally complete an identity-affirming name change. 

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Olivia is working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in DC this summer. Her policy interests include affordable and accessible healthcare, specifically the regulation of mechanisms currently incorporated in the healthcare system, that promote the increase in prices of prescription drugs, medical services, and insurance premiums. 

Maya Patel LAW ’24 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar and Conwell Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law.  

Originally from New Jersey, Maya became a licensed Emergency Medical Technician during high school. She later got her vehicle extrication training, volunteered on the ambulance through the COVID-19 pandemic and maintains her licensure. 

Maya graduated cum laude from Rutgers University New Brunswick in 2021 with a B.A. in Philosophy and minors in Cognitive Science and Spanish, winning the Douglas W.J. Norton Alumnae Prize in Philosophy. Maya facilitated alternative break trips learning about systemic relationships among social justice issues such as hunger, homelessness, privilege, and power in our nation’s capital, stigmas around HIV/AIDs, and addiction recovery amongst veterans. Maya worked as a 9-1-1 dispatcher throughout her undergraduate studies, communicating live with emergency services. She also spent a semester clerking for a solo attorney’s boutique law firm. 

While at Temple, Maya participated in the Integrated Trial Advocacy Program, the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, a compliance practicum with the Temple University Health System’s Legal Department, and a practicum with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Law Division. She is actively involved in leadership with both the Women’s Law Caucus and the South Asian Law Students Association. 

Last summer Maya clerked for a worker’s compensation firm and this summer she will be a Certified Legal Intern at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Trial Division.  

Jeremy B. Goodman LAW ‘25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Jeremy graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Masters of Public Policy. Jeremy is involved with the Temple Law Health Law Society and Temple Law Jewish Law Students Association.  

During his time as an undergraduate Jeremy managed and consulted for numerous political campaigns ranging from General Assembly in New Jersey, City Council in Philadelphia, and Congressional across Pennsylvania. Jeremy also worked for Cooper University Hospital as a Healthcare Policy Research intern. There Jeremy researched numerous healthcare plans around the globe and prepared briefs for members of the Executive Team in the Health Care System. The areas of work covered from Medicare-for-All costs to COVID-19 response planning.  

This summer, Jeremy is interning at the Center for Public Health Law Research in order to explore his interest in the intersection of Healthcare and Law. 

Bailey Hutchins LAW ’25 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Conwell Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. During her 1L year, Bailey won the Kohn Prize for her ability to negotiate a mock business contract in Temple’s Introduction to Transactions Skills program.  

Bailey graduated magna cum laude from Skidmore College, where she studied social work and was a captain of the Women’s Volleyball team. After college, Bailey worked as a Trial Preparation Assistant for three years at the New York County District Attorney’s Office. In the Special Victims Division, Bailey worked in the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Units providing both investigative and administrative support to assigned senior attorneys.  

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Bailey is working in the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Bailey’s policy interests include criminal justice, education, and child welfare. 

Christine Jay LAW ‘25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar and Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, Christine is involved with the Tax and Bankruptcy Law Society (TBKLS) and will serve as a Student Attorney in Temple’s Community Lawyering Clinic.  

Christine is a graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory where she studied Vocal Performance, Baroque Flute, and Comparative Literature. She also holds a master’s degree from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in Historical Singing. Before enrolling at Temple, Christine taught English as a Second Language and Citizenship classes as an AmeriCorps member. Educating on Zoom during the pandemic, Christine learned how to simplify advanced concepts, include humor in her teaching, and effectively advocate for her students.  

Christine has the privilege of interning at the Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office this summer. She looks forward to exploring her policy interests in bankruptcy and employment discrimination. 

Jessica Novey LAW ’25 is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Beasley Scholar, and Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Jessica serves as 2023-2024 President of the Jewish Law Student Association and is actively involved the Business Law Society, the Tax and Bankruptcy Law Society, and the Women’s Law Caucus. Jessica spends her free time knitting and Co-Founded the Fabric Arts Club at Temple (FACT). Jessica graduated from Tulane University in 2019 with a B.A. in Political Economy and Minors in Arabic Language Studies and Religious Studies, where she was a founding member of Women in Pre-Law at Tulane. In 2019, Jessica spent her summer as a Mandel-Palagye Middle East Peace Scholar at the Truman Institute of Peace Studies at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Jessica completed independent research on the development and potential impact of bilingual education in after-school community centers. 

Prior to law school, Jessica worked as a paralegal at a New Orleans Law Firm. Jessica interviewed clients, managed all service outsourcing, collaborated with the firm’s business partnerships, and drafted a wide variety of civil filings, including Successions, Guardianships and Trusts. Following her time in New Orleans, Jessica joined JM Search’s legal executive recruiting team. As the first full-time Market Analyst for the legal team, Jessica identified candidates for active searches, analyzed candidate data, and interviewed candidate references to publish candidate reports. Jessica also collaborated with other practice groups to formulate a business development schedule, including a legal practice marketing flyer and mid-year review. 

As a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Jessica is working at Lincoln Financial Group as a part of the 2023 Intern Development Program. In partnership with Temple Law’s Center for Compliance and Ethics, Jessica is a 2023 Corporate Compliance Fellow. Her policy interests include financial regulation, corporate compliance, and tax policy. 

Lillie Julius is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar. She graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Binghamton University with a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Law and a minor in Judaic Studies. In 2019, she was awarded the Benjamin and Ann Schecter Scholarship in Judaic studies, for her achievements in the department. Before attending Binghamton, Lillie spent a year studying abroad in Israel, where she volunteered at non-profit organizations, such as Save a Child’s Heart.  

Before law school, Lillie was an intern in Guttenberg Town Hall where she assisted the town attorney with municipal court matters, including filing cases and setting court dates. Lillie also acted as secretary to the Director of Public Safety and Town Administrator where she was responsible for various administrative tasks. Additionally, Lillie interned with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, in 2019, assisting the Special Victim’s Unit with administrative organization through clerical work. She was responsible for familiarizing county officers with case studies, witness interviews, and victim’s families.  

At Temple, Lillie has been involved with the Student Public Interest Network and Jewish Law Student Network. She has gained pardons and expungement experience working with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity. Lillie was an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the  Summer of 2022.  

For Summer of 2023, Lillie is interning at the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office. Her policy interests include civil and political rights, the intersection of gender equity and disability rights, and combatting antisemitism.    

Michaela Kollin, LAW ‘24 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with a B.S. in Film and Television. She completed her M.A. in Media Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.  

Michaela currently serves as co-captain of th 2024 Jessup Team and as the Social and Community Chair of the Student Public Interest Network. She will also serve as the incoming volunteer coordinator for the Name Change Project.  

This summer, Michaela will be working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Her policy interests include immigration, securities regulation, prosecution of fraud and antitrust violations.  

Suzane Nazir, LAW ’25, is a 2023 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She serves as 1L Representative of the Intellectual Property Law Society and Co-Founder/Vice-president of the Muslim Law Students Association. Suzane graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Public Health and coursework in Cellular and Molecular Biology. While at USF, she represented the College of Public Health for two terms as its Senator. She undertook various policy projects, including a resolution to Florida Congress to mandate Aetrial External Defibrillators in public spaces to reduce preventable deaths from cardiac arrests and a proposal with campus administration for an on-campus ambulance to treat and transport injured students to local hospitals free of charge. She also served as her Student Government’s Senate President and Ethics Chair.  

Suzane was recognized by the U.S. Office of The Surgeon General in 2018, receiving the Public Health Leadership Scholar award, where she was one of ten selected to intern with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and their various agencies. Suzane also served as State Vice President for Florida HOSA- FHP Inc., an organization aimed at molding health professionals and organizing and leading conferences with over 14,000 members in attendance.  

In Washington D.C., Suzane will intern at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of communities by strengthening and advocating for local health departments, where she will identify legal barriers to harm reduction policies and programs. Her policy interests include public health, health law, intellectual property, and the nexus between health and technology law. 

Valerie Wilson LAW ’25 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she also serves as a 1L representative of the American Constitution Society. Valerie graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 2018 with an A.B. in History and a certificate in Medieval Studies. She wrote her senior thesis on religious administrative responses to the Black Death. She then received an M.A. in 2019 from Columbia University in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, where she wrote her thesis on intertextualism in a manuscript of a 14th century English poem. 

Prior to law school, Valerie worked as an assistant media buyer and senior media coordinator at a media sales agency in New York. Valerie’s experience in the advertising industry, as well as living through a pandemic after studying the historical effects of another, sparked her interests in intellectual property law and its intersections with First Amendment issues. 

This summer, Valerie is interning at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valerie’s policy interests include digital media misinformation, First Amendment policy, and Section 230 issues. 

Abena Ampofo ’25 is a 2023 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, Abena has served as a 1L Representative for the Black Law Students Association and is a member of the Tax and Bankruptcy Law Society and Sports and Entertainment Law Society.  

Before attending Temple Law, Abena was an Operations Area Manager at Amazon, overseeing delivery operations and implementing lean processes. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020 with a B.S. in Psychology and Africana Studies and minors in Sociology and Swahili.  

This summer, Abena will intern at the United States District Court in New Jersey as a Federal Magistrate Fellow, seeing firsthand how courts influence public policy. Her policy interests include tax, bankruptcy, patent law, data privacy and sustainability.