Gain practical leadership skills, experience, and professional development as a member of the Karen Hastie Williams Leadership Fellowship!
Established in 2020, the D.C. Bar Law Student Community’s Leadership Fellowship was renamed in 2021 in honor of groundbreaking attorney Karen Hastie Williams who served as the first African American law clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court and first female and African American partner at Crowell & Moring. As a trailblazer and leader, the Fellowship hopes to continue the late Hastie William’s legacy of excellence by providing quality leadership development opportunities for a diverse cohort of law students.
Selected Fellows receive leadership skills training specifically tailored for future lawyers and the opportunity to put those skills into practice by working one-on-one with current leaders of the legal profession. Fellows will receive free membership into their selected Community and join the host steering committees in their spring semester.
Requirements:
Fellows will complete a leadership orientation session followed by a six-month long (January- June) fellowship on a D.C. Bar Communities committee.
Students who participate in the fellowship must:
- Actively engage on the committee by attending monthly meetings either in person or via teleconference;
- Complete a Fellows project throughout the course of the Spring semester - can be to help plan a content program through the Communities or their respective law schools, assist with writing initiatives like newsletters, conduct preliminary program topic research, etc. Project must be approved by host committee and Communities staff;
- Write a brief reflection piece about what they learned through the experience related to leadership as a lawyer. Fellows will receive a certificate of completion and acknowledgement on this webpage.
Eligibility:
- The Leadership Fellowship is open to full or part time J.D. students enrolled in any law school across the country. Preference may be given to students located in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, depending on committee needs.
- 2L, 3L, and 4L students will be given preference but 1Ls may apply and may be considered.
- Fellows must be a member of the Law Student Community to participate. To learn more and join, click here.
Selection:
Participating Community steering committee leaders and D.C. Bar Communities staff will review applications and select participants. Successful applicants will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to accept their spot in the Fellowship. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified via email as well.
How to Apply:
Applications for the 2024-25 cohort have now closed. Applications for the 2025-26 cohort will open in Fall 2025. Email [email protected] with any questions.
2023-2024 Fellows
- Jasmine Marchbanks-Owens, 3L, Howard, Communities Committee
- Kiera Yu, 1L, GW, Communities Committee
- Roza Kessaci, 4L, GW, Corporation, Finance and Securities Law
- Kali Fields, 2L, CUA, District of Columbia Affairs
- Kimberly Wood, 3L, Georgetown, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
- Nastassia Janvier, 2L, Howard, Estates, Trusts and Probate Law
- DaJonna Richardson, 3L, University of Colorado, International Law
- Andrew Sperry, 1L, GW, International Law
- Michelle Corinaldi, 3L, GW, Intellectual Property Law
- Alexandria Richards, 3L, Drexel University, Labor and Employment Law
- Rory Wheeler, 2L, Michigan State, Law Practice Management
- Spencer Jones, 1L, Howard, Law Practice Management
- TraVonne Walker, 1L, Howard, Real Estate, Housing and Land Use
- Ryan Lam, 3L, GW, Taxation
2022-2023 Fellows
- Tynekia Garrett, 2L, CUA, Communities Committee
- La'Kendra Deitche, 2L, Indiana University, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
- Noina Matta, 1L, GW, Intellectual Property Law
- Andrew Nettels , 1L, GW, International Law
- Favour Okhuevbie, 2L, Howard, International Law
- Erica Stephens, 2L, UDC, Labor and Employment Law
- Niranjan Seshadri, 2L, Georgetown, Law Practice Management
- Beth Brodsky, 4L, UDC, Taxation
2021-2022 Fellows
- Tarus Tolbert, 2L, Southern Law Center, Communities Committee
- Jagriti Khurana, 2L, GW, Corporation Finance and Securities Law
- Samuel Song, 3L, GW, Corporation Finance and Securities Law
- Kim Hayes, 1L, UDC, Environment Energy and Natural Resources
- Delaney Dunn, 2L, GW, Intellectual Property
- Rani Allan, 3L, GW, International Law
- Sydney Taylor, 1L, Southern Law Center, International Law
- Olive Lee, 2L, GW, Labor and Employment Law
- Krysten Thomas, 4L, Georgetown, Law Practice Management
- Jawad Alweleidat, 3L, Southern Law Center, Taxation
2020-2021 Fellows
- Rolland Giberson, 2L, Georgetown, Communities Committee
- Kayla Strauss, 3L, Howard, Communities Committee
- Stephanie Arthur, 3L, UDC, Communities Committee
- Alix Philogene, 3L, Catholic, Arts Entertainment, Media and Sports Law
- Gabriella Joseph, 2L, GW, Corporation Finance and Securities Law
- Angelyna Selden, 2L, Howard, Corporation Finance and Securities Law
- Avion Shoetan, 2L, UDC, Environment Energy and Natural Resources
- Francesca Bryce, 2L, UDC, Government Contracts
- Michee Jacobs, 1L, Howard, Intellectual Property
- L.J. Chavis, 2L, Southern Law Center, Intellectual Property
- LaTonya Sims, 3L, Howard, Intellectual Property
- Sedinam Anyidoho, 2L, Howard, International Law
- Feven Yohannes, 1L, Howard, International Law
- Bridget Warlea, 1L, Howard, Labor and Employment Law
- Zaphyr Brooks, 1L, American, Law Practice Management
- Makala McNeil, 2L, Howard, Real Estate Housing and Land Use
- Laura Singer, 3L, Georgetown, Real Estate Housing and Land Use
- Andrea de la Torre, 2L, UDC, Taxation
2019-2020 Fellows
- Jamal Bailey, 1L, UDC, Communities Committee
- Efosa Edogun, 1L, Howard, Corporation Finance and Securities Law
- Nina Egbuta, 2L, UDC, Arts Entertainment Media and Sports Law
- Shahzaib Jiwani, 2L, UDC, Communities Committee
- Scott Lee, 3L, Georgetown, Taxation
- Jamal Magee, 2L, GW, Government Contracts
- Funmi Manning, 3L, GW, Labor and Employment Law
- Anne Martin, 1L, GW, Family Law
- Mary Morall, 2L, UDC, Law Practice Management
- Malcolm Morse, 2L, Georgetown, Law Practice Management
- Joshua Seiler, 2L, GW, Administrative Law and Agency Practice
- Caroline Sessions, 3L, GW, Public Interest and Courts
- David Templeton, 2L, GW, Communities Committee
- Emma Timan, 2L, GW, International Law
- Sydney West, 3L, GW, Corporation Finance and Securities Law
- Ashley Woods, 3L, GW, International Law
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