2021 Scholars

Isabelle Aubrun is a 2021 Law and Public Scholar and a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow. She serves as the Co-President of Temple’s chapter of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and on the Outlaw Executive Board. Isabelle graduated from Brown University magna cum laude in 2016, where she studied environmental and social public policy. Prior to attending law school, Isabelle supervised New York City high schoolers in the Summer Youth Employment Program registering Latino voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election. She then worked for three years as a multilingual legal services case manager at Philadelphia VIP, where she helped close the vast civil justice gap by ensuring low-income Philadelphians in crisis were represented by pro bono counsel in the areas of housing, family, and income stabilization. There, she also conducted in-court intake and facilitated legal representation for borrowers in Philadelphia’s Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program and coordinated VIP’s Language Access Program. Most recently, Isabelle worked as an English Language Assistant for the academic school year at a middle school in the north of France. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Isabelle is working as a legal intern with the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice in the Federal Coordination and Compliance Section. She is committed to creating systems-level change by ensuring dignity and access for those too often denied it, with a current focus on LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive justice.

Adam Burtt LAW ‘22 is a 2021 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Adam graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 with a B.A. in Political Science with minors in Legal Studies and Spanish. Adam is involved in the Temple Law School Sports and Entertainment Law Society, as well as the Temple Law Democrats.

Prior to law school, Adam worked as an intern and volunteer coordinator for the senatorial campaign of Admiral Joe Sestak and as a legal assistant providing support to military veterans for Social Security and Disability claims. Since beginning law school, Adam has had the opportunity to work as a judicial intern for Judge Zachary Shaffer and provide research assistance to Professor Marc Edelman of Baruch College regarding the NCAA and antitrust topics.

This summer, Adam is working for the General Counsel of 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 and cloud services. Adam’s policy interests include election law, voting rights, and antitrust issues.

Emily Davis LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar and Weisman Family Fellow. She graduated magna cum laude from the George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and a concentration in Global Public Health. While at GW, Emily spent a semester studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, where she conducted independent research on conceptualizations of the future for Syrian refugees. In 2016, Emily was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship through the U.S. State Department to study Arabic language in Oman.

Before law school, Emily was a litigation paralegal in the Washington, D.C. offices of Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP. She helped represent clients in major antitrust class actions and intellectual property disputes. Emily also participated in several pro bono projects, including conducting research on solitary confinement practices around the world and volunteering with the National Election Protection Hotline.

At Temple, Emily has been involved with the Student Public Interest Network and participated in the National Lawyers’ Guild Expungement Clinic and Pardons Clinic.

For summer 2021, Emily is interning at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the General Counsel, Legislation and Regulations Division. Her policy interests include civil and political rights, the intersection of immigration and climate change, and gender equity.

AJ Dillione LAW ’23 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law where he serves as Treasurer of the American Constitution Society.

Before law school, AJ served as Advisor to Attorney General Kathleen Jennings. AJ’s role at the Delaware Department of Justice (DDOJ) included serving as the primary political, policy, and public affairs advisor to the AG. As a member of the DDOJ policy team, he helped craft legislation to further the AG’s agenda and worked with members of the Delaware General Assembly to help pass eleven pieces of legislation that originated from with the DDOJ. He served as the AG’s designee on the Delaware Overdose Fatality Review Commission, which was charged with sending policy recommendations to the General Assembly to combat the opioid epidemic. AJ worked with state agencies and Delaware’s federal delegation to identify state-specific harms for inclusion in multistate litigation. AJ also prepared a joint grant application to secure funding to create a housing assistance program for individuals exiting the criminal justice system.

Prior to working for the DDOJ, AJ worked as the Campaign Manager for Kathleen Jennings 2018 campaign for Attorney General. This successful campaign received 61.3% of the vote in the general election, which was the second largest margin of victory or any non-incumbent Attorney General during the 2018 election cycle. Before managing the campaign, he worked for over two years in the Delaware General Assembly. AJ graduated from Dartmouth College in June 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology.

During the summer of 2021, AJ is serving with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section. His main policy interest is criminal justice reform, specifically sentencing guidelines, qualified immunity, and recidivism.

Emily Doñe is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and evening student at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Emily is a 5th year high school educator, who spends her days empowering students of Philadelphia, as she works to dismantle educational inequity at the forefront of her classroom. She earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University.

In the summer of 2016, as part of the Penn State Social Justice Fellowship Program, Emily partnered with Georgetown Law to teach high school students – in the District of Colombia – about their rights. This program evoked a newfound passion for educational advocacy, specifically as it pertains to our country’s underserved communities. Emily then went on to teach, while simultaneously receiving her Masters of Arts in Teaching, with a focus in English, from Relay Graduate School of Education.

At Temple, Emily serves as a representative of the School Discipline Advocacy Service. She is also a member the National LGBT Bar Association, as well as the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia. Last summer, she interned at Ballard Spahr, LLP within the Emerging Growth and Venture Capital Group. Prior to law school, Emily interned at the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.

Emily is currently interning with the DC United States Attorney’s Office in the Major Crimes Division, where she is looking forward to expanding her knowledge base. Her policy interests include intellectual property, data privacy, and human rights.

Austin Duebel LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Austin graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (International Relations) and History.

After graduation, Austin moved to Los Angeles, CA and worked for two years as a business immigration paralegal at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen, & Loewy, LLP. At Fragomen, Austin assisted over one thousand foreign nationals in initiating and maintaining their stay and work eligibility in the United States, serving a client with the largest immigration program in the country. Soon after joining Fragomen, Austin was moved to the intake section of his team where he coordinated strategy with the supervising attorneys, foreign national, and employer before assigning the case to a caseworker for preparation and filing. Austin’s drive for productivity and efficiency saw his role expand to include many additional responsibilities to the point where he was responsible for processing almost all Non-Immigrant Visa cases for California.

This summer, Austin is interning at the D.C. US Attorney’s Office with the General Crimes division in order to explore his interest in Government representation in legal matters.

Conor Foley LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Conor graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor of Arts in Government. As an undergraduate student, Conor studied comparative governmental systems with an interest in Russian politics and the former Soviet states. He was also a dedicated member of the Georgetown Club Water Polo team.

During college, Conor worked for both Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey and Pennsylvania Congressman Conor Lamb as a legislative intern. After graduation, he was a Consultant in the Public Affairs and Government Affairs segment at FTI Consulting in Washington, D.C. where he worked on accounts for various international clients. Conor’s interest in international affairs and politics drew him to the Temple International Law Society, and he was selected to be a 1L Section Representative and to lead a panel discussion on international cybersecurity in conjunction with the International Law and Public Policy team.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Conor is working for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division in the Aviation, Space, and Admiralty Section. His policy interests encompass climate change and international law, specifically the means by which the international legal order can find solutions to the pressing climate issues of our time.

Simi Grewal LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at the Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, she is the Vice-President of the South Asian Law Student Association and helped organize a panel about the farmers’ protests in India. Simi graduated from the University of Rochester in 2017 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Gender Studies.

Prior to law school, Simi spent three years at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, and Garrison. She was a paralegal in the patent litigation department for two years, and she worked in the business development department for one year.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Simi is a Summer Law Clerk at Schwartz & Ballen. Her policy interest is exploring the nexus between data privacy, gender, and the law.

Mary Beth Griffin LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, she has developed practical lawyering skills through participating in expungement clinics with the National Lawyers Guild and a criminal record clearing clinic with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity. She also volunteered with Al Otro Lado and Mariposa Legal to assist with immigration research and database-building. Next year, Ms. Griffin will serve as the Intake Chair for the School Discipline Advocacy Service, a student-run organization that represents Philadelphia students undergoing disciplinary proceedings to ensure that their rights and interests are respected.

Prior to law school, Ms. Griffin earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with a specialization in Rhetorical Studies at Villanova University. After graduation, she became an AmeriCorps Fellow and spent a year teaching math at a middle school in Newark, New Jersey. As an educator, she developed skills in community outreach, data analysis, as well as adolescent development and communication. This experienced solidified her desire to continue to work in the public interest field.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Ms. Griffin is working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. Her policy interests include juvenile justice, education and immigration reform.

Eleanor Holzman LAW ‘23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Beasley Scholar and Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Prior to law school, Eleanor graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. During her undergraduate studies, Eleanor worked at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Equity Inclusion where she researched the effectiveness of LGBTQ training requirements and drafted standards of practice for engaging with transgender youth. As a founding member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi, she organized events related to the intersections of gender, feminism, and Jewish identity.

This summer, Eleanor is interning at SAGE (Advocacy & Services for LGBT Elders) with the Director of Advocacy. While there, Eleanor will draft model legislation to help advocates from across the country implement laws that promote the rights and dignity of LGBT older adults in long-term care facilities. Her policy interests include protecting the civil rights of marginalized communities and criminal justice reform.

Steven Jessen-Howard LAW ‘23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Steven graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2018 with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Sociology and Public Service. At Notre Dame, he worked with the Northern Indiana Restorative Justice & Reentry Clinic and Every Child Matters. He also received the Hesburgh Program’s Leadership and Public Service Award.
After graduating, Steven was an early childhood policy research assistant with the Center for American Progress. At Temple Law, he will serve as the president of Temple Law Democrats and the head of community service for the Student Public Interest Network during the 2021-22 school year.

This summer, Steven is interning with the National Association of Counsel for Children. His policy interests include child care access, the child welfare system, and ending poverty.

John Larkins LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law where he serves as Co-President of the Health Law Society. John graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Human Science. While at Georgetown he volunteered with the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, canvassed for Clean Water Action NJ, and worked at the Lombardi Cancer Center performing research on nanomedical therapeutics. After graduating, John became a member of the Health Corps Team at the Washington AIDS Partnership, an AmeriCorps program. Through the program he became the Social Media Outreach and PrEP School Coordinator for the Community Health Department at Whitman-Walker Health, where he developed an interest in health policy and LGBTQ+ rights.

In Washington, John is an intern with the HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Policy Team 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. His policy interests include public health, specifically sexual health policy and global health, LGBTQ+ rights, and drug policy reform.

Thomas M. Locher LAW ’23 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to law school, Mr. Locher earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics, with a concentration in Macroeconomics, Money & Banking and a minor in Business from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to law school, he worked as a staffer on Capitol Hill and as a financial analyst administering corporate actions for institutional banking clients at SEI Investments. Mr. Locher is an active member of student organizations at Temple, serving as the Vice President of the International Law Society and as a representative for the Tax & Bankruptcy Society.

As a Law & Public Scholar, Mr. Locher is a Policy Intern with the Tax Foundation’s Center for Global Tax Policy, focusing on cross-border tax issues such as base erosion & profit shifting, a global minimum tax, and cross-border digital taxes.

Abygaelle Loubeau LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law and Public Policy Scholar and a Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Abygaelle graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida, majoring in Political Science and Psychology. At the University of South Florida, Abygaelle was a member of Phi Beta Kapa, a member of the University of South Florida Honors College, and a Global Citizen Awardee. She was also the fundraising chair of the University of South Florida Model United Nations organization and a peer leader for the Global Citizen Project.

This summer, Abygaelle is interning at the Nationalities Service Center’s Anti- Human Trafficking Team, which provides survivors of human trafficking support and legal services. Abygaelle’s policy interests are environmental degradation and human rights.

Harsha Mikkilineni Law ‘22 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She has held executive board positions in the South Asian Law Students Association and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society.

As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Harsha is interning at the EEOC Office of Federal Operations which focuses on employment discrimination cases regarding federal sector employees. Harsha has an interest in employment law and will focus her policy paper on women of color in the workforce impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harsha received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019. While at Pitt, she worked at the Center for Urban Education research center.

Brandon Miller LAW ’23 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Rubin Presser Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Brandon’s policy interests are in juvenile justice reform, direct juvenile legal advocacy, education reform, racial equity, and civil rights more generally. Born in Washington DC and raised in rural West Tennessee, Brandon has been a resident of Philadelphia for over 15 years and considers it home.

Before attending the Beasley School of Law, Brandon graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in English and African-American Studies. Upon graduation he relocated to Philadelphia where he has taught English and math to high school students in the School District of Philadelphia ever since. His pursuit of a JD has come out of his experiences with students in the classroom and seeing first-hand the effects of policy and law on youth – including family court issues, social service policies, and interactions with the juvenile criminal court system. In the time since beginning his teaching career, he also completed a MS in Secondary Education and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, both from the University of Pennsylvania.

While a student at Temple, Brandon has served as president of the National Lawyers Guild, the symposium chair for the School Discipline Advocacy Service, a representative for the Black Law Students Association, and a member of the Dean’s Racial Justice Working Group.

This summer Brandon will be working with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Edmund Nyarko LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law and Public Policy Scholar and Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, he is active in the Student Public Interest Network and the National Lawyers Guild. Edmund is also the Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. He graduated from Xavier University in 2017 with a B.S. in Biology.

Before law school, Edmund spent two years as a research assistant at the University of Chicago, where he worked on projects focused on health inequities among racial and socioeconomic population groups in Chicago. Prior to that, he was a summer teaching fellow at Breakthrough Cincinnati, a nonprofit education program.

As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Edmund is working for the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He has an interest in civil rights litigation.

Kyra Sampson LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Policy Scholar and a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Kyra graduated from Columbia University in 2017, where she received her B.A. in Political Science and Hispanic Studies with a Specialization in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

After graduating from Columbia, Kyra taught 3rd and 4th Grade as a Lead Teacher at Success Academy Charter School in New York City for two years, where her focus was ensuring that Black and Brown students received equitable treatment and academic attention while in the classroom. Following her time at Success Academy, Kyra joined the Immigrant Services Department at The Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement (Riis) in Long Island City, NY. At Riis, Kyra was responsible for conducting more 30+ multi-lingual Know Your (Immigration) Rights programs across the borough of Queens over the course of a 10-month period. Furthermore, Kyra was also the program assistant for the organization’s inaugural Citizenship program.

This summer, Kyra will be interning for HIAS. Her policy interests include U.S. immigration, as well as racial inequalities and inequities in modern day Latin America.

Amanda Wagner LAW ‘23 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Amanda graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from SUNY Geneseo in 2016 with a B.A. in International Relations and minors in Biology and Environmental Studies. Electing to focus specifically on issues affecting the developing world, Amanda spent a summer in Ecuador working with a professor at a local university to develop a program aimed at evaluating the current and anticipated impacts of climate change in the region.

Prior to law school, Amanda spent several years working as a policy analyst for the New York State Assembly. Working primarily for the Committee on Codes, she researched, analyzed, and drafted legislation related to criminal justice reform, due process requirements, and penalty structures, with special focus on gun violence, immigration reform, domestic violence, marijuana decriminalization and record expungement, and crime victims’ services.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Amanda is working at Microsoft’s U.S. Government Affairs Office. Her policy interests include criminal justice reform, immigration, and technology policy.

Aileen Wang LAW ’22 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Ms. Wang graduated with distinction from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019 with a B.A. in Legal Studies. At Temple. Ms. Wang served as Vice President Emeritus of the Federalist Society.

Prior to law school, Ms. Wang worked for the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales under the Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom, where she helped draft policies regarding youth offenders. Ms. Wang created programs to help youth offenders complete their court sentences, developed programs to prevent youth offenders from re-offending, and assisted youth offenders and their families during court proceedings.

As a Law & Public Scholar, Ms. Wang is working at First Focus on Children, a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. Her policy interests include child welfare and international human rights.

Carrie Weaver LAW ‘23 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Carrie graduated cum laude from Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts ‘20 with a B.A. in Psychology and Criminal Justice with distinction. There, she was also a member of the University Honors Program and spent the summer of 2019 interning with Philadelphia’s Support Center for Child Advocates. During her first year at Temple Law, Carrie worked with The American Constitution Society, The School Discipline Advocacy Service, and The Student Public Interest Network.

This summer, Carrie is interning with Child Justice, a non-profit organization that primarily represents the non-abusive parent of an abused child. Her policy interests lie within the intersection of psychology, child welfare, and education policy.

Hui Kwon Yang LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar and an evening division student at Temple University Beasley School of Law. At Temple, he is an active member of the Asian-Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), serving as Co-President. Hui Kwon has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University, with a concentration in Electric Energy Systems.

By day, Hui Kwon continues to work full-time as an electrical engineer for Atlantic City Electric, an Exelon Company. He performs circuit analyses to ensure the successful integration of photovoltaics, battery energy storage, electric vehicle charging stations, and other emergent technologies. He also plans and proposes infrastructure projects needed to ensure the continued delivery of safe, reliable, and cost-effective electricity for his service territory.

Outside of his profession as an electrical engineer, Hui Kwon has spent several years abroad, teaching English as a second language and leading high school students to Mae Sot in Thailand, as well as refugee camps along the Thailand – Burma (Myanmar) border to interview the Karen people, who became stateless after fleeing Burmese government persecution.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Hui Kwon is working as a legal intern at the Nationalities Service Center (NSC), Philadelphia’s leading immigrant and refugee service organization, helping to provide legal services as part of the Anti-Human Trafficking initiative.

Hui Kwon’s policy interests also include patent law and federal and state regulation of energy storage technologies He plans to explore the role they both play in the successful adoption of renewable energy systems.

Patrick Zancolli LAW ’23 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and Weisman Family Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law where he serves on the executive board of the American Constitution Society and Student Discipline Advocacy Service. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with a B.A. in Political Science.

Prior to law school, Patrick served as a Teach for America (TFA) corps member in Washington, D.C. He taught 5th grade English/Language Arts at a public charter school in Southeast Washington to multiple sections of students daily. In his second year in the classroom, he became the 5th grade lead teacher, which required liaising between school administration and grade-level staff to steer the 5th grade team toward achieving school-wide goals. During this time, Patrick also volunteered with TFA partner organizations, Leadership for Educational Equity and D.C. Educational Coalition for Change, to advocate for student needs beyond the school-based setting.

As a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Patrick is interning at the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. His policy interests include education (K-12 and postsecondary), tax, and health law.

Crystal Zook LAW ’23 is a 2021 Law & Public Policy Scholar and Weisman Fellow. Originally from Lancaster PA, Crystal is a 2010 graduate from Goshen College with a Bachelor’s in History and Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies.

At Temple, Crystal has been involved in several student organizations including the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN), Health Law Society, American Constitution Society, National Lawyer’s Guild, and the Women’s Law Caucus. This upcoming year, she will be serving as the SPIN forum co-chair.

Prior to attending Temple Law, Crystal worked at the Coatesville Youth Initiative in Coatesville, PA. She has also worked in Lancaster, PA at both the Spanish American Civic Association and Church World Service. Additionally, Crystal served with Mennonite Central Committee in Laos for three years and in Guatemala for one and a half years. Crystal’s background includes work in the areas of conflict transformation, refugee resettlement, gender equity, political advocacy, HIV prevention, Medical Case Management, and youth substance prevention. Crystal’s policy interests currently lie at the intersection of immigration, health and gender policy and issues

During the Law and Public Policy Summer Program, she will be exploring how U.S. laws and policies affect international migration and universal representation for detained immigrants in Pennsylvania. This summer, Crystal is interning at the Nationalities Service Center in Philadelphia, under the Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project, which provides universal representation to detained immigrants.