The Scholars

2017 Scholars

Emily A. Welch

Emily A. Welch

Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of Legal Access Programs
Emily A. Welch ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law.  Ms. Welch earned Bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Communication as well as a Master’s in Public Administration at Villanova University.  During her time at Villanova, Emily held various immigration-related internships, including presenting in Spanish at the Mexican Consulate regarding taxpayer rights and responsibilities as well as providing legal interpreter services.  At Temple, Emily co-leads the Mindfulness in Law Society. In Washington, Ms. Welch is working in the Office of Legal Access Programs in the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.  There, she is supporting programs that work with immigration courts throughout the country to increase representation and information dissemination in order to ensure a just and efficient process.  Emily is passionate about international human rights and public access to legal resources.
Brian W. Thomas

Brian W. Thomas

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Trading and Markets

Brian W. Thomas ’18 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. He works at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Trading and Markets as a Student Honors Program intern. A native of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Brian earned his B.S. from Boston College, where he majored in both marketing and English. Prior to law school, Brian spent four years in Investor Services at Brown Brothers Harriman. He worked last summer as a legal intern in Deutsche Bank’s legal department. As an assistant to Professor Jonathan Lipson, Brian researched non-plan settlements in chapter 11 bankruptcy. Brian plans to spend this summer exploring his interest in securities market regulation.

Steven A. Johnston

Steven A. Johnston

National LGBTQ Task Force

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Steven A. Johnston graduated from La Salle University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and American History and with a minor in Leadership and Global Understanding. As a Temple Law and Public Policy Scholar, Steven is interning with the National LGBTQ Task Force as a Holley Law Fellow. Steven also competes as a member of the Moot Court team and clerked in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last summer. In addition to his school work, Steven coaches a high school mock trial team in Philadelphia and has founded an advocacy organization for Philadelphia bisexuals. Steven’s policy interests include HIV and AIDS public funding for research and public health as well as utilizing the private sector to secure LGBTQ employment protections.

Alison N. Smeallie

Alison N. Smeallie

AEquitas

Alison N. Smeallie is a 2017 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. Alison graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in History and minors in Legal Studies and Political Science. Alison was a student at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen during the Fall of 2015 where she studied Justice and Human Rights with a focus in International Law.

While a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Alison is working as a legal intern for AEquitas, a non-profit that serves as a prosecutor’s resource on sexual violence and violence against women. Her policy interests are centered around the intersection between criminal justice reform and juvenile justice.

At Temple Law, Alison is a recipient of the Law Faculty Scholarship as well as a Student Public Interest Network grant. Alison serves as an oralist and brief writer for the International Criminal Court Moot Court Team, the treasurer of the International Law Society, a staff editor for the Political and Civil Rights Society, and the chair of the student week against mass incarceration for the National Lawyers Guild.

Devon Roberson

Devon Roberson

Schwartz & Ballen LLP

Devon Roberson ‘19 grew up in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, and is an avid Blues and Cardinals fan. He attended college at the University of Missouri—St. Louis, where he studied public policy and administration with an emphasis in healthcare policy. He also conducted independent research on the role of courts in innovating and diffusing public policy. At Temple, he served as a 1L Senator to the Student Bar Association. Next year, he will serve as the American Bar Association Student Representative on SBA’s Board of Governors as well as serving as Vice President of the Temple Environmental Law Society.

This summer, he is working at Schwartz & Ballen LLP, a boutique financial services firm. His policy interests include financial regulation and environmental policy.

Noelia Rivera-Calderón

Noelia Rivera-Calderón

National Juvenile Defender Center

Noelia Rivera-Calderón ’19 is a Beasley Scholar, Diaz Scholar, and 2017 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Ms. Rivera-Calderón earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education at Boston University, where she became interested in the intersection of education and children’s autonomy. After graduating, Ms. Rivera-Calderón worked for several years as a middle school teacher, where she saw the effects of law and policy in the lives of her students and became interested in advocating for children on a larger scale. At Temple, she is the 2017-2018 Program Director of the School Discipline Advocacy Service (SDAS), an organization through which law students act as advocates for Philadelphia K-12 students in school disciplinary proceedings. Outside of Temple, she continues to coach debate at the school where she used to teach. In Washington, D.C., Ms. Rivera-Calderón is a Law Clerk at the National Juvenile Defender Center. After graduating law school, she hopes to build a career advocating for children in law and policy.

Cameron Redfern

Cameron Redfern

Human Rights Campaign

Cameron Redfern ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Originally from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Cameron earned their B.S. in Sociology, with minors in Gender Studies and Leadership, Ethics, and Organizational Sustainability at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. Throughout their time at Saint Joseph’s, Cameron completed a thesis entitled “Creating Safe Spaces: LGBTQ Inclusion on College Campuses,” in which they conducted both qualitative and quantitative analysis of LGBTQ student access in higher education.

Prior to law school, Cameron was an Associate with Iannucci Consulting, a diversity and inclusion consulting company. While there, Cameron aided in the development of the company’s first Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming training curriculum. In addition to curriculum creation, Cameron presented throughout the United States and Europe on LGBTQ inclusion in University and work environments.

Cameron is spending their summer in Washington D.C. as a McCleary Law Fellow with the Human Rights Campaign where they are furthering their interest in LGBTQ Rights, Education Reform and Criminal Justice.

Benjamin Quintana

Benjamin Quintana

Internet2

Benjamin Quintana ’18 is a Beasley Scholar and Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Mr. Quintana graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in History and Political Science and a minor in Economics. Mr. Quintana interned for the Honorable Emil Giordano during the summer of 2016. At Temple Law, he was a Staff Editor on the Temple Law Review during the ’16-’17 school year and was recently accepted into Temple’s Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Mr. Quintana is interning with Internet2, a nonprofit computer networking consortium that operates the nation’s largest and fastest research and education network. His policy interests include telecommunications regulations, internet privacy, education reform, and international trade law. More specifically, Mr. Quintana hopes to research the intersection between public education and access to a free and fair internet.

Shannon A. McGuire

Shannon A. McGuire

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

Shannon A. McGuire ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she is on the board of the Latin American Law Student Association and chair of the Immigration and Human Rights Committee of the National Lawyers Guild. Shannon graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Applied Economics and minor in Spanish. Having grown up in Pensacola, Florida, Shannon brings a unique perspective from small-town “Red America” to big-city “Blue America” where she is determined to reconcile the divide on policy issues that should be non-partisan.

Before law school, Shannon spent several years teaching English to middle school and high school students in Peru and Spain. In addition to expanding her worldview, these experiences gave her the opportunity to travel and volunteer in many countries. Her time volunteering during the refugee crisis in Lesvos, Greece, strengthened Shannon’s commitment to protect the most vulnerable through legal policy. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Shannon works as an asylum and refugee legal intern with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Her policy interests involve economic development and migration issues, specifically poverty reduction in developing economies and children’s rights.

Brandon Maitlen

Brandon Maitlen

United States Navy JAG Corps

Brandon Maitlen ’18 will be interning with the United States Navy JAG Corps this summer. He has also accepted a professional recommendation to join the Navy JAG Corps upon the completion of his studies.

Mr. Maitlen is from Fairbanks, Alaska, where he completed his undergraduate education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Before beginning law school, Mr. Maitlen worked for the State of Alaska in a variety of roles, including assistant legislative director and boards and commissions assistant in the Office of the Governor, and most recently handled special projects for the Department of Administration. Early in his career, he worked on the personal staff of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.

Christopher Lin

Christopher Lin

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management

Christopher Lin ’19 is a student at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he is a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow, Weisman Fellow, 2017 Law and Public Policy Scholar, and Beasley Scholar. He is also the President of the Temple Law Democrats and Vice-President of the American Constitution Society for the 2017-2018 school year. After graduating summa cum laude with departmental honors in political science from the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Lin obtained a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown. After working for the federal government in D.C., he then worked in local government for the city of Pittsburgh. While there, Mr. Lin was a board member of the Young Democrats of Allegheny County and the Greenfield Community Association, and a fellow with the New Leaders Council and the Mayor’s Civic Leadership Academy. Mr. Lin is currently a law clerk with the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management. Mr. Lin’s research is focused on the intersection of civil liberties, technology, and homeland security.

Hope Kildea

Hope Kildea

Center for Health and Gender Equity

Hope Kildea ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Originally from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, Ms. Kildea graduated from Dickinson College with degrees in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. While at Dickinson, she completed an honors thesis on human trafficking and sexual exploitation law in Pennsylvania. Through her research, she interviewed various policy advocates and state senators on the future of anti-trafficking law, considered the theoretical bases that shape Pennsylvania policy, and compared the strengths and shortcomings of Pennsylvania’s anti-trafficking laws with those of alternative policy approaches. Throughout her undergraduate and legal studies, Ms. Kildea has been an active volunteer with Women Organized Against Rape as a hotline counselor. As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Ms. Kildea is a legal fellow at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE). Her policy interests include sexual and reproductive health and rights, including issues of gender-based violence.

Jasper Katz

Jasper Katz

Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Department

Jasper Katz ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University, Beasley School of Law. They graduated from Bard College with a degree in political studies, where they completed a thesis examining the early gay rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. During their time at Bard, Jasper created and co-led “Gender 101” trainings for Bard’s student-run crisis hotline, the student staff members of Residential Life, and Bard’s student services staff, including the Dean of Students Office, Safety and Security, and the Athletics Department. Jasper also worked as a Field Organizer on the Mainers United for Marriage campaign in 2012, and served as a Victory Congressional Intern in the summer of 2015 for Senator Tammy Baldwin. While in Washington, Jasper is interning at Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Department as an AmeriCorps JD Member. At Temple, Jasper is co-president of the National Lawyers Guild and president of OutLaw, and they are excited to pursue their interest in policies affecting transgender people.

Jared Fink

Jared Fink

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Office of Legislation and Regulation

Jared Fink ’19 is a Weisman Fellow, Beasley Scholar, and Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Mr. Fink chose to pursue legal education to develop policies that ensure low-income individuals fair access to economic growth. During his time in Washington, Mr. Fink is working at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Office of Legislation and Regulation. In that capacity, his research concerns the right to counsel in eviction proceedings and the consummate economic benefit enjoyed by governments assigning that right. While saving cities money, ensuring stable and affordable housing fosters improved access to education, employment opportunities, and well-being.

Mr. Fink is a 2012 graduate of the College of Wooster, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Tau, the National Philosophy Honor Society, and where he earned departmental honors in Philosophy for his senior Independent Study research. That research centered on competing conceptions of personal authenticity and resulted in a 96-page thesis, oral defense. At Temple Law, Jared Fink serves as a member of the Student Public Interest Network, the School Discipline Advocacy Service, and as treasurer for the Temple National Lawyers Guild. Beginning in Fall 2017, Mr. Fink will participate in the Temple Legal Aid Office, Community Lawyering Clinic, where he will advocate on behalf of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations.

Peter P. Elliot

Peter P. Elliot

United States Congress, Committee on House Administration

Peter P. Elliot ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. While in Washington, Mr. Elliot spent his summer working in Congress in the Committee on House Administration under Ranking Member Bob Brady. Prior to coming to Temple, Mr. Elliot worked as a Legislative Assistant in Philadelphia’s City Council. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and with a minor in Cinema Studies.

It was an interest in Politics and Public Policy that brought Mr. Elliot to law school. His policy interests include access to affordable and workforce housing as well as criminal justice reform. As a law student, Mr. Elliot participates in the Expungement Project to help people clear their criminal records of non-convictions and other irrelevant information that can limit or block access to employment, housing, and financial services. Mr. Elliot became fluent in French after he spent some years in the Paris public school system and studied at an international school upon his return to the United States. Additionally, his personal interests include biking, skiing, and cooking.

Faith Deredge

Faith Deredge

AEquitas

Faith Deredge ‘19 is a 2017 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University, Beasley School of Law. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Criminal Justice & Criminology and Sociology. She is a member of Phi Alpha Delta, Pre Law Fraternity and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. During her time at the University of Maryland, she interned at the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, where she analyzed and interpreted sentencing data in the state of Maryland to understand how sentencing practices disproportionately impacted minorities. She also interned with the Center for American Progress’s LGBT division, where she assisted with the research and drafting of the Center’s Comprehensive LGBT Non-Discrimination Protections Bill. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Ms. Deredge interned for the States Attorney for Montgomery County, serving as a mentor in their truancy prevention program. These experiences influenced her decision to attend law school, where her policy interests include criminal justice reform, civil rights, and LGBTQ rights.

As a Law & Public Policy scholar, Ms. Deredge is working for AEquitas, the prosecutors’ resource on violence against women, whose mission is to improve the quality of justice in sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and human trafficking cases. At Temple Law, Ms. Deredge is the Vice President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and volunteers with the NLG expungement clinic.

Carla Cortavarría

Carla Cortavarría

International Association of Women Judges

Carla Cortavarría ’19 is a student at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she is a Conwell Scholar. Ms. Cortavarria graduated cum laude from American University with a B.A. in International Studies with a focus on international development and a minor in French.

She is interested in international law, particularly in human rights, with a focus on Latin America, as well as immigration and refugee law. As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Ms. Cortavarria is interning at the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), a non-profit membership organization that strives to advance human rights in various parts of the world through its members. She is currently helping with their Dominican Republic and Haiti programs focusing on gender-based violence, human trafficking, and judicial corruption.

While in law school, Ms. Cortavarria has been active as a 1L Representative for both the International Law Society and Latin American Law Student Association. This upcoming school year, she will be holding leadership positions for both organizations. Her goal after graduation is to work in public interest, specifically focusing on social justice issues within Latin America and those affecting the Latino communities in the United States. Ms. Cortavarria is originally from Lima, Peru, but grew up in the DC Metro Area. She speaks fluent Spanish, advanced-level French, and some Portuguese.

Lisa Burns

Lisa Burns

National Immigration Forum

Lisa Burns ’18 is a Beasley Scholar and a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Ms. Burns earned a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with a concentration in global health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In college, Ms. Burns also studied Spanish and Arabic languages, and she completed a semester abroad in Amman, Jordan. While at Temple, Ms. Burns has served as Co-President of If/When/How: Temple Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, Co-Chair of Solicitations for the Student Public Interest Network, and co-founded the political committee in Temple’s OUTLaw chapter. Ms. Burns is also a member of the Moot Court Team. This summer, Ms. Burns is working as a Policy and Advocacy Intern with the National Immigration Forum. Ms. Burns’s policy interests include immigration reform, workers’ rights, and criminal justice reform.

Francis Bovio

Francis Bovio

Department of Justice, Civil Division, Aviation and Admiralty Section

Francis Bovio ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he is pursuing a J.D. Mr. Bovio graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude, and a minor in Business Studies. He concentrated his senior thesis on the United States’ compliance and non-compliance with international environmental law, and domestic efforts to ratify environmental treaties. A lifelong Philadelphia resident, he developed an interest in public service at a young age, most notably volunteering as a youth soccer coach in his community, and in his position as a U.S. Soccer Referee. While in Washington, he will be serving as a legal intern for the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Aviation and Admiralty Section. Stemming from his history of interest in government and politics, Francis’ policy interests include the limits of federal power, immigration enforcement, and domestic environmental policy.

Lee Begelman

Lee Begelman

Department of Justice, Appellate Section of the Office of Immigration Litigation

Lee Begelman ’19 is a Beasley Scholar and a 2017 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University School of Law. After graduating from Wake Forest University with a degree in History, Lee returned home to the Philadelphia area for a year of AmeriCorps service. As the Community Partnerships Coordinator for a South Philadelphia elementary school, Lee was responsible for the school’s selection as one of the city’s first Community Schools. Working closely with students, parents, and teachers in an under-resourced neighborhood reinforced Lee’s desire for a career in public service. His policy interests accordingly include access to quality education and inclusive, sustainable urban development.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Lee is spending his summer as a Law Clerk at the Department of Justice, in the Appellate Section of the Office of Immigration Litigation.