Category: 2020

Christian Matozzo LAW ’22 is a Conwell Law Scholar, and Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Christian’s policy interests lie in internet and technology regulations, including television and video content delivery and software licensing. Christian’s other interests include religious freedom, gambling regulations, and zoning. Christian is a South Philadelphia native and lifelong city resident.

Before attending the Beasley School of Law, Christian attained a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Temple University. As an undergraduate, Christian served as a Philadelphia City Council Policy Fellow, and worked on the Ori Feibush for City Council campaign. Upon graduation, Christian served in the Office of Philadelphia City Council 8th District Councilwoman Cindy Bass, serving in multiple positions, culminating in the role of Legislative Director, before leaving to focus on law school full-time.
Christian is active in his community, and currently serves as Democratic committeeman for the 39th Ward, 42nd division, as Executive Board Member of the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, and as Pennsylvania State Chapter Coordinator for Democrats for Life of America. This summer Christian will be serving as Research Assistant to Prof. Mark C. Rahdert.

Taylor Maurer LAW ’22 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Taylor is a graduate of the University of Delaware Honors Program, where she studied Criminal Justice and Psychology, with minors in Legal Studies and Domestic Violence Prevention & Services. After college, Taylor worked as a legal assistant for two years at a small private firm in Blue Bell, PA, where she handled correspondence and simple pleadings for family law matters and coordinated office projects to improve case management and client services.  During her two years in Blue Bell, Taylor also founded a free volleyball clinic for middle school girls and volunteered as a youth group leader at her church.

During her 1L year, Taylor won the Kohn Prize for her ability to negotiate a mock business contract in Temple’s Introduction to Transactions Skills program. She routinely volunteers at the Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia as a notary public and paralegal to help low income citizens with Trusts and Estates matters. She also helped to pioneer a career workshop for the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project by researching affordable job certifications for returning citizens, in an effort to combat recidivism and inequality in the workforce.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Taylor is working at AEquitas, where she will be researching victim-centered approaches to prosecuting gender-based violence and human trafficking cases. Taylor’s policy interests include immigration, human rights, and child welfare, specifically as they relate to exploitation and human trafficking.

Reena Naik LAW ’21 is a Conwell Scholar, Rubin-Presser Fellow, and Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She is also the recipient of the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C.’s 2020 Public Interest Fellowship. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Reena graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Global Studies.

Prior to law school, Reena interned for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy’s Office. She then served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs at the Coro Center for Civic Leadership in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a Coro Fellow, she worked for the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation as the manager of the Youth Partnership, a collaborative of 20+ organizations committed to the wellbeing of children and families in the Sto-Rox community.

This summer, Reena is interning at the Executive Office for Immigration Review in the Office of the General Counsel. She is interested in immigration law and policy, increasing access to legal representation in immigration court, and U.S. visa policy.

Madeline Padner LAW ‘22 is a 2020 Law and Public Policy Scholar and Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Madeline graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University, majoring in English Literature and minoring in Spanish Language and Women and Gender Studies. At Rutgers, she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Douglass Residential College. She also served as a Peer Instructor through the First-Year Interest Group Seminar (FIGS) program, developing and teaching a 10-week curriculum for first-year students.

This summer, Madeline is interning at The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, an organization that advocates and provides representation for unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States. Her policy interests include child welfare and disparities in education.

Daniela Rakhlina-Powsner LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law and Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Russian literature and Culture and a certificate in Culture, Health, and Science.

Prior to law school Ms. Rakhlina-Powsner interned for the Jerusalem Institute of Justice in Israel in the International Law and Diplomacy Department, where she assisted in research regarding Israeli foreign affairs as well as editing of communications to the ICC regarding War Crimes committed against Palestinian citizens. She also volunteered at events for Holocaust survivors. Prior to that she volunteered for the CARE center, a school for pregnant teens and young mothers in Holyoke, MA as a math and science tutor. At Temple she serves as Vice President of the Health Law Society and Secretary for the American Constitution Society.

This summer she is working as a legal fellow at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), a nonprofit organization that advocates for international sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as doing research for Temple Professor Duncan Hollis regarding international law norms surrounding cybercrimes particularly pertaining to attacks against the healthcare sector. Her primary policy interests are environmental preservation, healthcare accessibility and equality, and voting rights.

Lorenzo Riboni LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar, a Weisman Fellow, and a Conwell Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he serves as the President of the Federalist Society. He is a native of San Diego, California and completed his bachelor’s degree in the administration of justice with Magna Cum Laude honors at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Riboni is a Non-commissioned Officer in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps where he serves in a reserve status. Prior to law school, he served in the Military Police Corps. In 2014, he deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the Rule of Law Development Team’s personal security, assisting in their mission of handing over operational and administrative control of the Parwan Detention Facility and Justice Center to the Afghan Government. In 2016, he served at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay where he was a detention specialist in the Behavioral Health Unit ensuring the safe, humane, legal, and transparent care, custody, and control of detainees.

Mr. Riboni’s policy interests include immigration, the preservation of the right for individual citizens to bear arms, and policing in the United States. During the summer of 2020, Mr. Riboni is working at the Department of Justice in the Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section in addition to writing a policy proposal advocating for the targeted consolidation of small and under-performing police departments throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Sultan Seraj LAW ’21 is a Conwell Scholar, Weisman Family Fellow, and 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law.  Prior to law school, he obtained a B.A. in Philosophy from George Mason University and worked as a Speech & Debate Instructor for Fairfax County Public Schools.  After finishing his first year of law school, Sultan worked as an intern at the ABA Standing Committee on Law & National Security, where he examined ways foreign nations are structuring their private sectors as it relates to cyber security. He is also a member of Temple’s nationally ranked Space Law Moot Court team.

During the Spring 2020 semester, Sultan started interning with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau to learn more about how the Commission protects critical communications infrastructure systems to achieve homeland security and public safety objectives. He is excited to continue working at the Commission this summer and hopes to start his career in the telecommunications and national security field.

Elya Taichman ’22 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law where he serves as a co-Vice President of the American Constitution Society.

Before law school, Elya served as the Legislative Director for Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is now the governor of New Mexico. Elya’s role included managing the Congresswoman’s legislative agenda in addition to advising her on appropriations, financial services, foreign affairs, health care, tax, and trade policy. He was the Congresswoman’s lead staffer for her work on the House Agriculture Committee, where she was the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee for Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research. As such, Elya oversaw the Congresswoman’s work on the 2019 Farm Bill, which included a bill he drafted to create a new $550 million rural broadband grant program. Elya also staffed the Congresswoman in her work on the Budget and Oversight and Government Reform Committees.

Prior to his work in Congress, Elya worked on the legal and compliance team of the Blackstone Group in New York City. Elya graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in December 2013 with a B.A. in Diplomatic History.

While in Washington, Elya is serving at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His main policy interests include foreign affairs, national security, and cybersecurity.

Reid M. Truett ’21 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar, a Beasley Scholar, and Weisman Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Reid graduated magna cum laude from Stockton University, where he studied Political Science and Economics. At Temple, Reid serves as a Lead Advocate in the School Discipline Advocacy Service, President Emeritus of the Federalist Society, and is an Admissions Ambassador. Previously, he served as Vice President of VetLaw.

During his 1L summer, Reid interned with the U.S. Navy JAG Corps at the United States Naval Academy, where he split his time between the Staff Judge Advocate’s Office and the Office of the Legal Advisor to the Commandant of Midshipmen. While at Temple, Reid has also worked with the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law Clinic at the Mazzoni Center.

In Washington, Reid is working at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His policy interests include sexual assault in the military, qualified immunity, and civil asset forfeiture.