Hi all,
We’re not sure where to begin. We would be remiss not to acknowledge the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two months after the passing of Rep. John Lewis, and, most recently, the lack of charges brought forth in the Breonna Taylor case. It’s become increasingly difficult not to measure pandemic time in terms of the losses we’ve suffered and moments of unrest that we’ve either experienced or witnessed.
Despite starting on such a somber note, we’d like to use this particular newsletter issue to celebrate our 2019-2020 cohort for successfully completing their summer clinic placements and for settling back into law school life. We’re eager to share what they’ve been up to, even as we reflect on the heavy toll this year has taken on us and what is undoubtedly yet to come in the remaining months of 2020.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in. We’re thrilled to share that our
five fellows had great summer clinic experiences, some which were nothing short of transformative. But don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what some of them had to say about their summer clinic experiences:
“
I'm really glad we got to participate in the program despite everything going on in the world...I haven't been in a lot of spaces in law school where there are people who were there because they're motivated by a particular issue or cause. I really liked being among a group of people who are really passionate about learning about the First Amendment, about First Amendment law.” - Sara Beladi, 3L - University of San Francisco, Summer Clinic Placement: University of California, Irvine’s Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic/Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic.
“
I definitely know more about the First Amendment than when I started.... It was a combination of everything that happened this summer, ...you guys did a good job at creating a supportive space for us and creating those opportunities where it's people of color or opportunities where we are exclusively talking about how people of color interact in these spaces.” - Stacey Menjivar, 2L - Harvard Law School, Summer Clinic Placement: Yale Law School’s Media, Freedom, and Information Access Clinic.
We’re also not resting on our laurels! At the end of September, we engaged in a career conversation with our fellows. Hosted by current Manager at Metro Housing Boston and former Assistant Dean for Public Service at Harvard Law School, Alexa Shabacoff, we talked about navigating the public interest job market, networking, and applying for fellowships. More career programming is definitely in the works.
Additionally, our fellows will continue to be involved in all things IfRFA! Specifically, the fellows will have a hand in planning future events and will serve as mentors to the new cohort. Speaking of which, mark your calendars! The 2020-2021 IfRFA application will go live on Wednesday, December 2nd! To learn more, please visit our website
here.
Take care - the IfRFA team.
P.S. Kendra here:
It’s hard to believe that just a year ago, this program was a proposal and a GANTT chart. I’d like to personally thank the IfRFA team — the incredible Jasjot and Sybil, 2019-2020 cohort, advisory board members, and seminar facilitators for all their support in making our first year a success! Your excellent contributions, hard work, unique insights, and unwavering perseverance as we continue to navigate working remotely in the midst of a global pandemic are unparalleled. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And I’ll let Rep. John Lewis close us out. Rest in power to those we’ve lost.
You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates.