2020 Scholars

Suzanne Bernstein

Suzanne Bernstein

Internet2

Suzy Bernstein LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at the Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, she is active in the Student Public Interest Network on their community service committee. She graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Science, Technology and Society.

Prior to law school, Suzy spent two years as a paralegal at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. She worked in a generalized bureau with eight Assistant District Attorneys of varying levels of seniority.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Suzy is working as a legal intern at Internet2, a nonprofit internet and telecommunications consortium that provides member research or educational institutions with the nation’s largest and fastest high-speed fiber optic network. Her policy interests include digital governance, general data protection and the intersection between technology and criminal law.

Lily Bernadel

Lily Bernadel

School Justice Project

Lily Bernadel LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar and Conwell Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to law school, Ms. Bernadel earned a Master’s Degree in Social work and worked as an Intensive Family Preservation (IFP) Clinician with Family Centers in Stamford, Connecticut. As the IFP clinician, Ms. Bernadel provided home-based care management to families involved with the Department of Children and Families to reduce the risk of further abuse and neglect of children at imminent risk of out of home placement.

While in graduate school, Ms. Bernadel developed an interest in racial disparities, particularly the factors that perpetuate the racial gap and the lasting impact this gap has on communities. She saw the impact firsthand as an intern at a residential re-entry program for women in Irvington, New. Since entering law school, Ms. Bernadel has been an active member of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG). She was involved with a workshop training sponsored by the NLG and the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project (YRSP) to help people re-enter the work force.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Ms. Bernadel is working at the School Justice Project. Her policy interests include racial disparities within the juvenile justice system and the role of mental health & trauma as it relates to recidivism.

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy Brown

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Torts Branch, Admiralty, Space, and Aviation

Jeremy Brown LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Jeremy graduated from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor in 2017 with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. While at the University of Michigan Jeremy spent 8 months working at the White House under the Obama administration in the Office of Presidential Personnel. After graduation, Jeremy spent two years working at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Washington, D.C. At Morgan Lewis Jeremy worked with large and small non-profit clients to file for and maintain their tax exemption both at the federal and state level. He also worked with these non-profit clients on various corporate governance matters as well as mergers and acquisitions between non-profit entities.

While in Washington, Jeremy will be working with the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Torts Branch, Aviation, Space & Admiralty Section.

Emily Erwin

Emily Erwin

District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’s Office

Emily Erwin ’22 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Beasley Scholar, and Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Emily graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. As an undergraduate student, she studied social movements in East Asia at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. As a student athlete, she competed in the Big Ten conference, and advocated for policy changes in Rutgers’ athletics department.

After graduating, Emily interned in a criminal defense law office where she observed deficiencies in the state criminal justice system. Wanting to serve the public, Emily began working as a records clerk in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. There she fostered her interests in criminal justice and civil service, but realized she wanted to advocate for the public. At Temple she has volunteered for the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project’s Reentry Workshop and will be participating in the Access to Justice Clinic in the Fall 2020.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Emily is working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Her policy interests include ghost gun regulation and inhibiting violent extremism during and after Covid-19.

Alexander Fried

Alexander Fried

Microsoft, Office of Government Affairs

Alex Fried LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. In January of 2019, Alex graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs with a B.A. in International Affairs and Economics one semester early. He has worked in congress, on campaigns, with trade associations, and with corporate government affairs offices. Additionally, Alex has been awarded 2nd place in the European Union’s Schuman Challenge, a national competition hosted by the EU to identify possible areas of concern and methods on how to collaborate. Alex currently serves as President of Temple’s International Law Society, which works to enrich Temple Law on international legal issues.

While in Washington, D.C., Alex will be working with Microsoft.

Zachary Friedman

Zachary Friedman

Sandy Hook Promise

Zachary Friedman LAW ’22 is a 2020 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Mr. Friedman graduated from Rutgers University in 2018 with a B.A. in Film Studies. Throughout his undergraduate education, Mr. Friedman wrote, directed, and produced numerous films ranging from short firm scripted films to long form documentaries.

Mr. Friedman has worked for numerous media outlets throughout his undergraduate career. He served as a Production Assistant for ESPN and assisted in covering both The Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles in 2015 as well as the Invictus Games in Florida in 2016. Mr. Friedman worked as an Editorial Intern at Men’s Journal Magazine in 2016, assisting the publication in feature research, writing, and editing. He also spent the final semester of his senior year as a Programming Intern at Channel 6 Action News in Philadelphia assisting the news, community outreach, and entertainment departments.

Outside of his professional experience Mr. Friedman has volunteered over the years as a baseball coach at his high school alma matter and has worked as a summer camp counselor for children with disabilities since his sophomore year of high school.

This summer Mr. Friedman will be working at Sandy Hook Promise helping them in their mission to bring an end to gun violence in schools and protect our nation’s youth. His policy interests consist of accessibility of education, gun control issues, and international law.

Giuseppe Galantuomo

Giuseppe Galantuomo

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation

Giuseppe Galantuomo LAW ’21 is a 2020 Law & Public Policy Scholar, and Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Giuseppe graduated summa cum laude from Chestnut Hill College where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

After graduating college, Giuseppe worked for a year as a paralegal at Haggerty, Goldberg, Schleifer, & Kupersmith, P.C. where he aided clients with their social security disability applications and appeals. During this time, Giuseppe was also elected by his local borough to serve on its Zoning Hearing Board.

At Temple Law, he served as the Vice President of OUTLaw (LGBT+ student organization). Giuseppe is also a member of Temple Law’s Student Public Interest Network where he acted as its 2019-2020 Dean’s Cup Coordinator. He also volunteers for Temple Law’s Transgender Name Change Clinic. Giuseppe is also an active member of Temple Law’s Student Board of Governors, where he currently acts as Parliamentarian and head of its Constitutional Committee. In addition, Giuseppe is a staff writer for the Temple Law Political & Civil Rights Society.

Giuseppe realized his passion for anti-discrimination law while interning at the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. His specialized interest in employment law was further informed by his internship at the Philadelphia Law Department’s Labor & Employment Unit. This summer, Giuseppe is working as a legal intern at the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice.

Kat Killian

Kat Killian

U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of General Counsel

Kathleen M. Killian LAW ’21 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar, a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow, and an Institute for International Law & Public Policy Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She is also a Research Editor for the Temple Journal of International & Comparative Law. Kathleen graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida and a M.S in Mental Health Counseling from Suffolk University in Boston.

Upon graduation, Kathleen worked as a methadone clinician for two and a half years in Boston, where she provided counseling to opioid-addicted patients. Prior to law school, she served in Ghana as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Health sector from 2016-2018.

This summer, Kathleen is interning at the United States Agency for International Aid.

Paul Loriston

Paul Loriston

Sandy Hook Promise

Paul Loriston LAW ’22 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar, a Beasley Scholar, and a Weisman Fellow at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. He graduated from New College of Florida in 2018, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and conducted research examining racial enrollment disparities at his alma mater. As an undergraduate he served as student body president, founder and president of the Black Student Union, and was a part of the Black History Month planning committee leadership team. Aside from his on-campus activities, Mr. Loriston mentored at-risk minority children and volunteered his time mentoring incoming black undergraduates.

This summer Mr. Loriston is working as an intern for Sandy Hook Promise, an above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions to gun control reform. He is passionate about civil rights, equal opportunity, and equal justice.

Brian Maguire

Brian Maguire

Councilmember Derek S. Green

Brian Maguire LAW ’21 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar and member of the Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program at Temple University Beasley School of Law. A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Brian graduated cum laude from the University of Scranton in 2018, earning a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a focus on public administration. While at the University of Scranton, Brian spent four semesters interning for a United States Senator and served as a Student-fellow on Secretary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign. Following undergraduate graduation, Brian enrolled in the part-time evening division program of Widener University Law School and began working full time as a campaign finance staffer on a congressional campaign in the Philadelphia suburbs during the 2018 mid-term election cycle. After completing his first year of law school at Widener, Brian transferred to Temple University Beasley School of Law in the fall of 2019. He is now a full-time student at Temple and continues to advise political campaigns in Delaware County. Through the Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors program, Brian plans to spend the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters working for a United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Brian is working at Philadelphia City Hall in the office of Councilman Derek Green. Brian’s policy interests include equal access to voting rights and the municipal, state, and federal government responses to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Christian Matozzo

Christian Matozzo

Professor Mark Rahdert, Temple Law School

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

Taylor Maurer

AEquitas

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

Reena Naik

U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review

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

Madeline Padner

Young Center for Immigrant Children

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

Daniela Rakhlina-Powsner

Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)

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

Lorenzo Riboni

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Torts Branch, Admiralty, Space, and Aviation

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-Mahmood Seraj

Sultan-Mahmood Seraj

Federal Communications Commission, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau

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

Elya Taichman

District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney’s Office

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 Truett

Reid Truett

District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney’s Office

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.