Rutgers Law Graduates Earn Prestigious Fellowships

For Immediate Release

CAMDEN --  Four recent and new graduates at the Rutgers School of Law—Camden have secured highly competitive fellowships, which will begin this fall:

Maria Hernandez ’07, who is clerking for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Angelo DiCamillo ’75 (law division, family court, in Camden County), has been awarded a public interest fellowship from Equal Justice Works, and will work at South Jersey Legal Services in Camden to help children with disabilities gain access to education.  Her fellowship is sponsored by ALM through Equal Justice Works.

Marissa Band ’08, who is clerking for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Becker (criminal division in Gloucester County), received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship to work at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., in Wilmington, DE.  She will focus on providing legal services to patients at a low-income health clinic.  Her fellowship is sponsored by the Greenberg Taurig law firm.  Assistant Dean Eve Biskind Klothen assisted Band and Hernandez throughout their application process.

Rebecca (Becca) Mainor ‘08 has been chosen for an Independence Foundation Public Interest Fellowship and will work at the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia.  Her fellowship project focuses on LBGT youth.  Prof. Meredith Schalick ‘99, who herself received an Independence Public Interest Fellowship upon her graduation from law school, assisted Mainor in developing her project. 

Meanwhile, Zorayda Moreira-Smith ‘08 is about to learn the inner workings of the United States government as the only graduating law school student in the nation to receive a highly prestigious Congressional Hispanic Caucus fellowship. She is one of only 20 students nationwide to be accepted into the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Graduate and Young Professional Fellowship Program based on their leadership potential and superior academic and communications skills. The fellowship places students in a legislative subcommittee office, federal agency, national non-profit advocacy organization or corporate office. As the only law fellow selected for the 2008-09 term, the Rutgers—Camden graduate will develop and execute a policy roundtable to promote public policy issues to Latinos and a publication about a public policy issue.

“Twice before, we have had two students receive public interest fellowships in the same year, but never has Rutgers—Camden boasted three in the same year,” says Klothen. “We are very proud of Maria, Marissa, Becca, and Zorayda, and extend our congratulations to them.  They bring great honor to the law school community.”

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