Class of 2020/21

Pretty Martinez ‘20 has a B.A. in Philosophy from Cornell University. After completing her degree, she lived in Brooklyn, New York for four years before starting at Temple Law. Pretty worked as a case manager at a transitional housing shelter in Brooklyn, serving primarily monolingual Spanish-speaking survivors of domestic violence, as well as their families. After serving as a case manager, she worked as a paralegal and BIA-Accredited Representative with an immigration law project at the intersection of gender-based and/or sexual violence and immigration law. She worked with survivors to seek out possible immigration relief preparing U visa petitions, VAWA self-petitions, DACA applications, asylum applications, and more. Pretty decided to attend law school to become a better advocate for immigrants’ rights by developing a deeper understanding of immigration law and the intersection with criminal law. As the first in her family to graduate from high school, college, and pursue a higher degree, Pretty is passionate about equal opportunity, especially for immigrant and/or minority communities. This year, she serves as a 1L representative for the Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Immigration and Human Rights Committee, and volunteers at NLG Expungement clinics.

Chanelle Jones ‘20 is originally from Elkton, MD. She graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she majored in Political Science and Sociology and minored in Africana Studies. During her undergraduate years, Chanelle was a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, which allowed her to volunteer with the Choice Program in Baltimore, MD. In this program, she worked with youth referred by the Department of Juvenile and Social Services to encourage them to consider their post-high school plans. Chanelle’s interest in juvenile defense developed from getting to know the youth and their experiences with the juvenile justice system. This interest led her to intern with Judge Silkworth at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Maryland, where she also worked with the truancy court program. Chanelle also has interests in education policy and banning-the-box initiatives. At Temple Law, she is a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow, a Conwell Law Scholar, and she currently holds a position as a 1L Representative to the Black Law Students Association.

Amy Chin-Arroyo ‘20 received her B.A. from Williams College, where she majored in English and Spanish. Before attending Temple, Amy worked as a case manager with mothers on public assistance, a legal assistant and paralegal (workers’ compensation, personal injury, social security, and immigration), and a Spanish interpreter and translator. Amy is a 1L Representative for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) at Temple Law and the Temple Law Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. She is both a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow and a Beasley Scholar.

Lex Hermann ‘20 graduated from Haverford College in 2009 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Education Studies. She then went on to the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she earned a M.S.ed in Elementary Education. Upon graduation, she taught third grade for two years at a Philadelphia charter school, and preschool for five years at a suburban private school. She was inspired to come to Temple Law after seeing the hardships faced by students with special needs. Her students in both the urban and suburban school settings had difficulty getting the services and accommodations they were entitled to under the law. She hopes to use her law degree to advocate for the rights of individuals who are disabled, particularly in the context of education and employment. She is a 1L representative for the Student Discipline School Discipline Advocacy Service (SDAS), and involved with the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN) and the Expungement Project. She is also a student member of the Faculty Public Interest Committee. She is both a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow and a Beasley Scholar.

Brittany Clarke ‘21 is an evening student at Temple Law and is originally from the Philadelphia area. She attended the University of Maryland, College Park where she received her BA in Criminology/Criminal Justice and Women’s Studies. She was a College Park Scholar and received a citation in Public Leadership. After college, Brittany joined the Teach for America-Greater Philly corps and began teaching secondary mathematics at Pan American Academy Charter School, a title I school in North Philadelphia. She is still actively teaching and was recently named Pan American Academy’s 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year. Brittany attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. There she received her Masters in Urban Education as well as teaching certifications in secondary mathematics and special education. Brittany decided to attend law school in order to work towards combatting the systemic injustices that prevent too many students from receiving a rigorous education. Brittany is a Rubin-Presser Fellow, Beasley Merit Scholar, 1LE senator for the SBA, and 1L Representative for the Student Public Interest Network.