2026 Scholars

Liz Alexander, LAW ’28, is a 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Conwell Scholar, and Weisman Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Liz graduated from Centre College with a B.A. in International Studies and minors in French and Studio Art in 2014. Before law school, she worked for several years as an outdoor guide in the National Parks system, owned and operated a food truck, and managed a guesthouse, all in remote rural towns whose economies centered around outdoor tourism. This exposure to financially and socially precarious seasonal economies motivated her to pursue an education that would allow her to advocate for low-income communities that rely on temporary immigration programs. This summer, Liz will work as a Law Clerk for the Democratic Staff of the House of Representatives’ Veterans Affairs Committee. Her policy interests include labor and employment, housing, and immigration.

Mike Dewar, LAW ’27, is a Beasley Scholar and 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in History. Prior to coming to Temple Law, he worked in political campaigns. This summer, he will serve as a Peggy Browning Fellow with Communications Workers of America, where he will assist the legal department of the International on internal grievance appeals and new organizing projects. His primary interests are the law of work, international law, and the intersection of the two.

Tyla Evans, LAW ’28, is a 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Weisman Fellow, and Conwell Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Originally from Maryland, Ms. Evans graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Prior to law school, Tyla worked in DC as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. During her time working in politics, she developed a keen interest in diplomacy and international law, which inspired her to pursue a career in public interest law.
Since entering law school, Tyla has been involved with the International Law Society, Law Dems, the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN). She will be a member of the Law Dems executive board during the 2026-2027 school year. Tyla is also an active member of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and served as a 1L representative during the 2025-2026 school year.
This summer, as a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Tyla will work at the U.S. Senate as a Law Clerk for Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA). Her policy interests include national security, international law, and international human rights.

Andrew “Fern” Fernicola, LAW ‘28, is a 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar. Before law school, Fern worked directly with marginalized populations, as an ESL teacher, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, and finally as a case manager. Through these direct service experiences, Fern saw firsthand how policy decisions in Washington, D.C. had adverse effects on already vulnerable communities. This summer, Fern will intern with the Center for Study of Responsive Law. Fern hopes to work in immigration, education, civil rights, or human rights, empowering communities with limited agency.

Maeve King, LAW ’28, is a 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Beasley Scholar, and Weisman Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Before law school, she worked at non-profit organizations in Montgomery County, PA and Washington, DC, primarily focusing on ending homelessness, preventing evictions, and helping families obtain access to safe, stable housing. She also served as an English Teaching Assistant in Uruguay through the Fulbright Program.

This summer, Maeve will work at Volunteer Legal Advocates, supporting their immigration and domestic violence practices. Her policy interests include housing, immigration, and the intersection of immigration and labor/employment.

Kate Lord, LAW ’28, is a Beasley Scholar, Weisman Fellow, and 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Science in Music Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology. Prior to law school, she worked as a barista and was a founding member of Local 80 (Workers United). As a rank-and-file union member, Kate led negotiations for her workplace before being elected as a shop steward and the first Parliamentarian for Local 80. Kate also served as a member-organizer for Workers United, supporting organizing and negotiations efforts for multiple other workplaces. She is passionate about worker-led organizing and building broader collective power through workplace solidarity.

Her policy interests include all things labor and employment. She is particularly interested in policy that impacts tipped and gig-economy workers.

This summer, Kate will work as a Summer Law Clerk for the New York State United Teachers.

 

Benjamin Oh, LAW ‘28, is a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Conwell Scholar, and Weisman Fellow at Temple University Beasley School of Law. This past year, he served as the 1L Representative for the Asian and Pacific American Law Student Association. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2024 with a degree in Environmental Science. There, he studied Alternative Batteries with the goal of enabling renewable energy on the grid and contributing to cleaner and more equitable supply chains.

This summer he will work with the Government Accountability Project as an Environment, Energy and Climate Change intern, helping protect whistleblowers and support accountability in environmental matters. Through his legal career, he hopes to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts while also supporting communities affected by environmental risks.

Natalie Reese, LAW ’28, is a Conwell Scholar and 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Natalie’s public policy interests include gun violence prevention, prison reform, and immigration. Before law school, she worked as a bilingual paralegal specializing in asylum claims at an immigration law firm and a researcher for organizations dedicated to criminal justice and police reform. She is also the co-founder and head organizer of March For Our Lives Utah, where she spent years working to decrease gun violence in her community.

In law school, she has volunteered with UCLA’s Miscarriage of Justice Operations, where she reviewed trial transcripts and evidence to identify potential claims of wrongful conviction. Natalie is also a member of the executive board for the Beasley School of Law’s Women in Law Caucus. This summer, Natalie will intern at the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

Cameron Scott, LAW ’28, is a rising 2L at Temple University Beasley School of Law and a 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar. After graduating from Villanova University in 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminology, Cameron joined Teach For America in Baltimore. He worked as a 7th and 8th Grade math teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools and as a Cross Country and Track coach. While working, he earned a Masters in Secondary Education at Johns Hopkins University.

This summer, Cameron will intern as a Legislative Intern for the Alliance for American Leadership. He will help conduct research to prepare for congressional meetings and advocate for policy considerations related to U.S. foreign affairs. His policy interests include immigration policy, criminal and death penalty reform, and promoting racial and ethnic equity.

Ángel Ortiz-Siberón, LAW ’28, is a rising 2L at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he is also a Rubin Presser Social Justice Fellow, Law & Public Policy Scholar, and Weisman Fellow. In the summer of 2026, Ángel will serve as a Law Clerk with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s legal team. Ángel’s policy interests include housing, wealth-building, workers’ rights, and access to justice.

Prior to law school, Ángel served as Vice President of Research & Strategic Initiatives at Esperanza, one of the largest Latine-led nonprofits in the country. At Esperanza, he led policy advocacy efforts and oversaw Impacto Media, the organization’s bilingual newspaper. Ángel previously served as the first Health Policy Research Fellow at the Weitzman Institute, where he helped establish its Washington, D.C.–based policy division. His research on homelessness, minority homeownership, and prisoner reentry has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national academic conferences. Ángel proudly served on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Transition Committee, the Harvard Medical School Primary Care Review Editorial Board, and the Women Against Abuse Workforce Advisory Council.

Ángel is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was named a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and a Truman Scholar, the nation’s premier award for undergraduates pursuing careers in public service. In his free time, Ángel plays Latin percussion with Philadelphia-based Puerto Rican music groups and teaches youth about Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Kiah Walsh, LAW ’28, is a rising third-year evening division student at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she is a 2026 Law & Public Policy Scholar and Weisman Fellow. Kiah graduated from Drexel University in 2023 with a B.S. in Criminology and Justice Studies and minors in Sociology and Psychology.

Before law school, Kiah worked as a research assistant for The Scandinavian Prison Project, an international research project focused on prison reform. The project is led by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections with collaboration from the correctional services in Sweden and Norway. Kiah assisted the research team with surveying the men housed at the State Correctional Institution-Chester on its prison climate.
Kiah began the evening division while working full-time as a legal assistant at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. She worked in the Civil Litigation Section on civil rights cases involving the representation of the Attorney General, the Governor, and Commonwealth agencies. Kiah currently works as a legal assistant at Clark Hill PLC on a wide variety of litigation cases.

Kiah will be a 2026 Knauer Fellow whose research will focus on the most commonly committed juvenile offenses in Philadelphia and the role of K-12 public schools and community-based services in reducing juvenile system contact. Kiah’s policy interests include criminal justice, juvenile justice, civil rights, prison reform, and public health initiatives.