Voices from the Field
2022 Student Summer Intern Blogs
Portia Chen
American Chemistry Council
Portia Chen [1L] will be working with the global team of the American Chemistry Council. ACC is a trade association representing the interest interests of American chemical companies at home and abroad. She will assist teams in a variety of practice areas including international trade, supply chain strategies and environmental issues.
Tatyana Cobbin
Legal Resources Centre
Tatyana Cobbin [1L] will intern with the Legal Resources Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. LRC offers free legal assistance to indigent persons, focusing especially on those in need of protection of their socio-economic rights under South African Constitution.
Andrew Coccoli
Open Development Cambodia
Andrew Coccoli [2L] will intern with Open Development Cambodia in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. ODC is an organization that aggregates data and publishes research on the environment, economy, and government of Cambodia for the public interest. This summer Open Development Cambodia will host the Cambodia ICT Camp 2022, a series of immersive workshops focusing on the open data movement, data protection and digital rights, strengthening freedom of expression, and cyber norms in the ASEAN region.
Leanna Gibson
Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network
Leanna Gibson [1L] will intern with the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network, a non-profit organization aiding survivors of persecution who seek refuge in the United States. GAIN represents people seeking asylum and provides them opportunities to become productive members of their communities.
Abi Grand
International Bridges to Justice
Abi Grand [1L] will spend the summer with International Bridges to Justice's global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland working to protect basic legal rights of individuals in developing countries. Working with a large network of local and international lawyers, IBJ works to promote the right to competent legal representation, the right to a fair trial and protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
Alexa Grunow
American Bar Association, Rule of Law Initiative
Alexa Grunow [1L] will work with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative’s Eastern Europe/Central Asia bureau. She will conduct research and present findings on current events, trends, and technical thematic areas of concern and will help coordinate project activities in Central Asia.
Nicholas Gucciardo
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
Nicholas Gucciardo [1L] will work with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems Center for Anti-Corruption and Democratic Trust, which helps countries around the world counter threats that corruption poses to democracy.
Kyle Hyde
International Bridges to Justice
Kyle Hyde [1L] will work with International Bridges to Justice in Geneva, Switzerland. IBJ’s mission is to protect human rights in countries where state sanctioned torture is used and legal representation is not easily attainable.
Katie Kitchen
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Katie Kitchen [1L] will intern with the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa, an organization that engages in a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to understanding the impact of violence on communities and how to build sustainable peace in South Africa and beyond. She will contribute to a project focusing on conflict-based sexual violence, truth commissions and transitional justice.
Julianne Kouba
National Center for State Courts, International Programs Division
Julianne Kouba [1L] will be working with the National Center for State Courts International Programs Division assisting in implementing Rule of Law projects and modernizing court operations in post-conflict and developing countries.
Frederick La Violette
Central and Eastern European Law Institute
Frederick La Violette [1L] will be working with the Central and Eastern European Law Institute in Prague, the Czech Republic. The Institute works with judges and lawyers to build effective legal systems with just processes and foster anti-corruption efforts. Fred will help facilitate programs to educate judiciaries and assist CEELI's anti-corruption mission through research, communications and programming.
Will McCabe
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Constitution Building Processes Programme
Will McCabe [1L] will intern with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance’s Constitution Building Processes Programme at The Hague. He will research issues relating to constitutional processes and help prepare in-country assistance activities for nations undergoing constitutional change.
Caitlin Parets
Center for Legal Aid and Regional Development
Caitlin Parets [1L] will be working with the Center for Legal Aid and Regional Development in Pristina, Kosovo. CLARD provides free legal assistance to marginalized and vulnerable populations to foster social and economic inclusion, spread awareness and facilitate better access to justice.
Kendall Pietrzak
American Bar Association, Rule of Law Initiative
Kendall Pietrzak [1L] will work with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, helping to promote global justice, economic opportunity, and human rights through the Rule of Law.
Allison Ripple
DT Global
Allison Ripple [1L] will work with DT Global, an international development organization that strives to improve economic growth, the environment, infrastructure, governance, human development, and stabilization, using technical expertise, global networks, and data-driven analysis to deliver sustainable solutions.
Nancy Rosen
Executive Office for Immigration Review at the Richmond Immigration Adjudication Center
Nancy Rosen [2L] will work with the Executive Office of Immigration Review at the Richmond Immigration Adjudication Center, researching and drafting memoranda and decisions on motions and applications for relief from removal, including claims for asylum and protection under the UN Convention Against Torture.
Gray Whitsett
Constitutional Court of Indonesia, Indonesian Human Rights Commission, Electoral Commission, Election Supervisory Committee, and Center for Constitutional Studies (PUSaKO)
Gray Whitsett [1L] will work with Andalas University Faculty of Law's Center for Constitutional Studies in Padang, Indonesia, researching how the relationship between the Indonesian Constitution and Presidency impacts the national Electoral Commission. During the second half of the summer, he will work in the Chambers of a justice on the Indonesian Constitutional Court in Jakarta, assisting with judicial oversight and review of the Indonesian executive branch.