Access to The Champion archive is one of many exclusive member benefits. It’s normally restricted to just NACDL members. However, this content, and others like it, is available to everyone in order to educate the public on why criminal justice reform is a necessity.

There is no greater honor for an organization than to know that future leaders want to devote their summer learning about the mission of that organization and helping it realize its aspirations. This summer, NACDL is fortunate to have a cadre of some of the most talented undergraduates and law school students working to advance NACDL’s exciting programs and policies. Under the leadership of NACDL’s Resource Counsel, Vanessa Antoun, and White Collar Crime Counsel, Tiffany Joslyn, NACDL recruited seven brilliant students, all of whom have chosen to gain invaluable experience interning with the Association’s incomparable professional staff.

It is fitting and proper to introduce these rising stars to NACDL’s membership. Their interest in the Association’s work on behalf of the criminal defense bar and the principles of liberty we support is a source of enormous pride. Based on their backgrounds and stated interests, there is a great likelihood many of them will eventually pursue careers in criminal justice. It is gratifying that all of them have chosen the nation’s criminal defense bar as a place to gain insight and experience to advance their goals.

Robert Brookman is a rising third-year student at George Washington University Law School. Robert majored in Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received numerous other honors. While an undergraduate, he interned with Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick and Sen. Christopher Dodd. Robert is working for NACDL’s Resource Counsel, Vanessa Antoun. Thus far, he has assisted in the drafting of a memo regarding pharmacological intoxication and intent defenses. Robert aspires to a career in criminal justice with hopes of becoming a trial lawyer.

David Feldman is a rising third-year student at Georgetown University Law Center. He received his bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. While serving as a Public Defender Intern at the Office of the Public Defender in Alexandria, Va., he worked on issues related to the collateral consequences of misdemeanor convictions, including the practice of banning misdemeanants from Housing Authority residences. He worked directly with an attorney devoted to the concept of holistic lawyering. From that experience, he has developed a deep concern about overemphasis on prosecution and criminalization of minor offenses, especially offenses related to substance abuse. David is working for Shana Regon and Tiffany Joslyn in NACDL’s White Collar Crime Policy Department, where he is supporting NACDL’s efforts to limit overcriminalization.

Monica Kelly, a junior at the University of Northern Iowa, is majoring in Corporate Communications and pursuing a minor in Graphic Arts. Monica previously obtained an Associate of Arts degree in Business Marketing. She has spent the past year working at a Midwestern IT firm as the Director of Marketing Development, creating graphics, coordinating marketing campaigns and assisting with Public Relations. After the completion of her bachelor’s degree, Monica plans to attain her MBA from the University of Arizona. Monica works under the supervision of Art Director Cathy Zlomek, where she is using her graphic arts skills to assist in designing the 2011 NACDL Criminal Justice Calendar, creating collateral materials for the Annual Meeting, and preparing a special insert for the white collar crime issue of The Champion.

Avni Mehta is a rising senior in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she is studying International Politics with a concentration in Security Studies and Asian Studies. She was attracted to NACDL when, by chance, she noticed a posting for the intern position. Intrigued by NACDL’s statement of principles, she read NACDL’s amicus brief in the Padilla case and decided to apply. Avni is working with Jack King and Ivan Dominguez in NACDL’s Public Affairs and Communications Department, assisting in drafting press statements and compiling information for the Association’s annual Criminal Justice Calendar. She hopes to work on humanitarian issues in South Asia and plans to attend law school.

Caitlin Parry is a rising third-year student at Stetson University College of Law. Last summer she worked at a private criminal defense firm writing motions, appellate briefs, and assisting with trial preparation. She works for the Stetson Chapter of the Florida Innocence Project to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. Prior to law school, Caitlin earned her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in Criminology and English from the University of Florida at Gainesville. Caitlin has already had the opportunity to attend a congressional hearing on the collateral consequences of conviction and described the event as “an incredible learning experience.” After she earns her law degree, she hopes to work in the criminal justice system in Washington, D.C., with the hope of eventually practicing international criminal law. Caitlin is spending the summer working for Quintin Chatman, Editor of The Champion, editing, researching, and writing articles for the magazine. 

Sofia Rahman is a rising second-year student at New York University Law School. Prior to law school, Sofia worked at Human Rights First on issues related to the detention and treatment of Guantánamo detainees and the prosecution of terrorism cases. Sofia earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with honors, from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where she grew up. After graduating from Michigan, Sofia spent one year in an AmeriCorps program working with Yemeni school children. She has a keen interest in core principles of justice and social justice in the Middle East. Appropriately, she is working for Michael Price, NACDL’s National Security Coordinator, and Kyle O’Dowd, Associate Executive Director for Policy, concentrating on issues related to national security. A current project involves research on the question of whether involuntarily obtained statements can ever be admitted at trial against an accused. 

Audrey Stano is a rising junior at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. An honors student concentrating in Government, Audrey serves as a Resident Advisor, where she fulfills the role of peer advisor and programmer in an effort to maintain a positive living environment for residents. Audrey’s father, from whom she learned about the internship, is an attorney, and Audrey aspires to pursue a career in law too. She is working as an NACDL intern for Maureen Dimino, Indigent Defense Counsel, and Angelyn Frazer, State Legislative Director. NACDL members who happen to be in Washington, D.C., this summer are encouraged to stop by the office and meet the 2010 interns.

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