Since 2017, the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights has awarded summer fellowships to a select group of Notre Dame law students who will spend the summer working at organizations and government agencies that promote civil or human rights.
Fellows receive funding to assist with travel and living expenses, and upon their return to campus, share their experiences with the Notre Dame community.
This year, the Klau Institute chose six law students who have channeled their life experiences and challenges into a commitment to use their legal education for the public good. The fellows will work to address legal issues related to disability rights, education, and mass incarceration across the United States.
Elisa Monteiro, a first-year law student, will serve as a law clerk in the Special Education Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Her work will include vindicating students’ rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, defending them against criminal charges, and coordinating with families, schools and the legal system to advocate for their rights and accommodations.
Monteiro was a special education teacher in New York City before entering law school. “Instructing students with special needs opened my eyes to how their civil rights are often overlooked, fueling my passion for advocating for these students in my legal career,” she said.
Peris Munene, a second-year law student, will be a summer intern with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Atlanta.
The organization, which was founded by Thurgood Marshall in 1940, has a mission to fight for racial justice by using law, narrative and research to defend and advance the full dignity of Black people in America.
“I’m honored to contribute to Thurgood Marshall’s powerful legacy and to help carry forward the ongoing fight for racial justice,” Munene said. “I’m especially excited to learn from and work alongside a team dedicated to defending the hard-won civil rights progress of the past 75 years.”
Brigid O’Brien, a first-year law student, will be a legal intern this summer for Disability Rights New York. She has been involved with disability advocacy from a very young age, and those experiences inspired her to pursue a legal career in disability rights.
At Disability Rights New York, she will help people living with disabilities gain access to necessary accommodations in school, at work and at home. “I will be fully immersed in the advocacy process, from conducting initial policy research to monitoring effective policy implementation,” she said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to enhance the voices of the disabled community, and further the fight for a more inclusive future for all marginalized groups.”
Haley Palumbo, a first-year law student, will work this summer at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, an organization dedicated to promoting justice and equity for marginalized communities in Chicago. Her responsibilities will include direct client advocacy, legal research, and contributing to policy initiatives aimed at dismantling systemic barriers faced by formerly incarcerated individuals.
“This summer, I’m excited to help rewrite people’s stories through expungement work at Cabrini Green Legal Aid,” Palumbo said. “Clearing a record is more than a legal act, but a chance to restore dignity, unlock opportunity and affirm that no one should be forever defined by their past.”
Sam Spain, a second-year law student, will work for the ACLU of Illinois this summer. The duties of ACLU interns include conducting legal and policy research for current and potential cases as well as non-litigation advocacy projects, interviewing potential clients and class members, investigating the facts of specific cases, and drafting memoranda, affidavits and briefs.
Spain, who was previously an officer in the Navy, said, “I chose to attend law school because I want to become an advocate with the knowledge, dedication and authority to represent individuals with an imperative need for legal aid and ensure the laws protect everyone equally. This summer, I am honored to pursue this goal by working for the ACLU of Illinois.”
Tyson Weeks, a second-year law student, is receiving a Klau Institute Summer Law Fellowship for the second straight year. Last summer he worked at the Fairfax County Public Defender Office in northern Virginia. This summer, he will work at the ACLU of DC.
Weeks said his experience last summer confirmed that public interest law is the right path for his career.
“Working at the ACLU of DC is a dream come true of mine and will allow me to advocate for civil liberties at a time when they are most at risk,” he said. “I can’t wait to learn from some of the most talented and dedicated individuals in the country while working to make a difference in DC.”
The Klau Institute established its Summer Law Fellowship Program in 2017. See a list of previous fellows.