Category: 2017

Christopher Lin ’19 is a student at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he is a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow, Weisman Fellow, 2017 Law and Public Policy Scholar, and Beasley Scholar. He is also the President of the Temple Law Democrats and Vice-President of the American Constitution Society for the 2017-2018 school year. After graduating summa cum laude with departmental honors in political science from the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Lin obtained a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown. After working for the federal government in D.C., he then worked in local government for the city of Pittsburgh. While there, Mr. Lin was a board member of the Young Democrats of Allegheny County and the Greenfield Community Association, and a fellow with the New Leaders Council and the Mayor’s Civic Leadership Academy. Mr. Lin is currently a law clerk with the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management. Mr. Lin’s research is focused on the intersection of civil liberties, technology, and homeland security.

Hope Kildea ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Originally from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, Ms. Kildea graduated from Dickinson College with degrees in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. While at Dickinson, she completed an honors thesis on human trafficking and sexual exploitation law in Pennsylvania. Through her research, she interviewed various policy advocates and state senators on the future of anti-trafficking law, considered the theoretical bases that shape Pennsylvania policy, and compared the strengths and shortcomings of Pennsylvania’s anti-trafficking laws with those of alternative policy approaches. Throughout her undergraduate and legal studies, Ms. Kildea has been an active volunteer with Women Organized Against Rape as a hotline counselor. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Ms. Kildea is a legal fellow at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE). Her policy interests include sexual and reproductive health and rights, including issues of gender-based violence.

Jasper Katz ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University, Beasley School of Law. They graduated from Bard College with a degree in political studies, where they completed a thesis examining the early gay rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. During their time at Bard, Jasper created and co-led “Gender 101” trainings for Bard’s student-run crisis hotline, the student staff members of Residential Life, and Bard’s student services staff, including the Dean of Students Office, Safety and Security, and the Athletics Department. Jasper also worked as a Field Organizer on the Mainers United for Marriage campaign in 2012, and served as a Victory Congressional Intern in the summer of 2015 for Senator Tammy Baldwin. While in Washington, Jasper is interning at Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Department as an AmeriCorps JD Member. At Temple, Jasper is co-president of the National Lawyers Guild and president of OutLaw, and they are excited to pursue their interest in policies affecting transgender people.

Jared Fink ’19 is a Weisman Fellow, Beasley Scholar, and Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Mr. Fink chose to pursue legal education to develop policies that ensure low-income individuals fair access to economic growth. During his time in Washington, Mr. Fink is working at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Office of Legislation and Regulation. In that capacity, his research concerns the right to counsel in eviction proceedings and the consummate economic benefit enjoyed by governments assigning that right. While saving cities money, ensuring stable and affordable housing fosters improved access to education, employment opportunities, and well-being.

Mr. Fink is a 2012 graduate of the College of Wooster, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Tau, the National Philosophy Honor Society, and where he earned departmental honors in Philosophy for his senior Independent Study research. That research centered on competing conceptions of personal authenticity and resulted in a 96-page thesis, oral defense. At Temple Law, Jared Fink serves as a member of the Student Public Interest Network, the School Discipline Advocacy Service, and as treasurer for the Temple National Lawyers Guild. Beginning in Fall 2017, Mr. Fink will participate in the Temple Legal Aid Office, Community Lawyering Clinic, where he will advocate on behalf of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations.

Peter P. Elliot ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. While in Washington, Mr. Elliot spent his summer working in Congress in the Committee on House Administration under Ranking Member Bob Brady. Prior to coming to Temple, Mr. Elliot worked as a Legislative Assistant in Philadelphia’s City Council. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and with a minor in Cinema Studies.

It was an interest in Politics and Public Policy that brought Mr. Elliot to law school. His policy interests include access to affordable and workforce housing as well as criminal justice reform. As a law student, Mr. Elliot participates in the Expungement Project to help people clear their criminal records of non-convictions and other irrelevant information that can limit or block access to employment, housing, and financial services. Mr. Elliot became fluent in French after he spent some years in the Paris public school system and studied at an international school upon his return to the United States. Additionally, his personal interests include biking, skiing, and cooking.

Faith Deredge ‘19 is a 2017 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University, Beasley School of Law. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Criminal Justice & Criminology and Sociology. She is a member of Phi Alpha Delta, Pre Law Fraternity and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. During her time at the University of Maryland, she interned at the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, where she analyzed and interpreted sentencing data in the state of Maryland to understand how sentencing practices disproportionately impacted minorities. She also interned with the Center for American Progress’s LGBT division, where she assisted with the research and drafting of the Center’s Comprehensive LGBT Non-Discrimination Protections Bill. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Ms. Deredge interned for the States Attorney for Montgomery County, serving as a mentor in their truancy prevention program. These experiences influenced her decision to attend law school, where her policy interests include criminal justice reform, civil rights, and LGBTQ rights.

As a Law & Public Policy scholar, Ms. Deredge is working for AEquitas, the prosecutors’ resource on violence against women, whose mission is to improve the quality of justice in sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and human trafficking cases. At Temple Law, Ms. Deredge is the Vice President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and volunteers with the NLG expungement clinic.

Carla Cortavarría ’19 is a student at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she is a Conwell Scholar. Ms. Cortavarria graduated cum laude from American University with a B.A. in International Studies with a focus on international development and a minor in French.

She is interested in international law, particularly in human rights, with a focus on Latin America, as well as immigration and refugee law. As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Ms. Cortavarria is interning at the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), a non-profit membership organization that strives to advance human rights in various parts of the world through its members. She is currently helping with their Dominican Republic and Haiti programs focusing on gender-based violence, human trafficking, and judicial corruption.

While in law school, Ms. Cortavarria has been active as a 1L Representative for both the International Law Society and Latin American Law Student Association. This upcoming school year, she will be holding leadership positions for both organizations. Her goal after graduation is to work in public interest, specifically focusing on social justice issues within Latin America and those affecting the Latino communities in the United States. Ms. Cortavarria is originally from Lima, Peru, but grew up in the DC Metro Area. She speaks fluent Spanish, advanced-level French, and some Portuguese.

Lisa Burns ’18 is a Beasley Scholar and a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Ms. Burns earned a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with a concentration in global health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In college, Ms. Burns also studied Spanish and Arabic languages, and she completed a semester abroad in Amman, Jordan. While at Temple, Ms. Burns has served as Co-President of If/When/How: Temple Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, Co-Chair of Solicitations for the Student Public Interest Network, and co-founded the political committee in Temple’s OUTLaw chapter. Ms. Burns is also a member of the Moot Court Team. This summer, Ms. Burns is working as a Policy and Advocacy Intern with the National Immigration Forum. Ms. Burns’s policy interests include immigration reform, workers’ rights, and criminal justice reform.

Francis Bovio ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he is pursuing a J.D. Mr. Bovio graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude, and a minor in Business Studies. He concentrated his senior thesis on the United States’ compliance and non-compliance with international environmental law, and domestic efforts to ratify environmental treaties. A lifelong Philadelphia resident, he developed an interest in public service at a young age, most notably volunteering as a youth soccer coach in his community, and in his position as a U.S. Soccer Referee. While in Washington, he will be serving as a legal intern for the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Aviation and Admiralty Section. Stemming from his history of interest in government and politics, Francis’ policy interests include the limits of federal power, immigration enforcement, and domestic environmental policy.

Lee Begelman ’19 is a Beasley Scholar and a 2017 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University School of Law. After graduating from Wake Forest University with a degree in History, Lee returned home to the Philadelphia area for a year of AmeriCorps service. As the Community Partnerships Coordinator for a South Philadelphia elementary school, Lee was responsible for the school’s selection as one of the city’s first Community Schools. Working closely with students, parents, and teachers in an under-resourced neighborhood reinforced Lee’s desire for a career in public service. His policy interests accordingly include access to quality education and inclusive, sustainable urban development.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Lee is spending his summer as a Law Clerk at the Department of Justice, in the Appellate Section of the Office of Immigration Litigation.