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Fellowship Program

The PHRGE Fellowship Program and PHRGE Scholar Award

  • Since 2007, PHRGE has offered financial support to outstanding JD and LLM students to help defray the cost of unpaid human rights co-ops. PHRGE has provided support for over 200 human rights co-ops!
  • From 2007 until 2022, this support took the form of PHRGE Fellowships. In the spring of 2022, PHRGE began using the term PHRGE Scholar Awards to comply with legal restrictions on the use of the term “fellowship.”
  • Together, PHRGE Fellows and PHRGE Scholars form a community of Northeastern law students and alumni with a shared interest in human rights.
  • PHRGE Scholars currently receive a minimum of $3500 in financial support. In cases in which both the student and the co-op employer are able and willing to participate in the federal work-study program, the amount of support may be significantly higher.

Applying for a PHRGE Scholar Award 

The Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy’s fellowships prepare students to integrate a human rights framework into every kind of career. Read more in Northeastern Law magazine!

Spring 2025 Scholars
Emily Mensing ’25
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
New York, NY and Washington, DC (Remote)
Emily will support the ACLU’s Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, which advances human rights by combatting the criminalization of abortion care in states where it is banned or severely restricted.
Erin Shaughnessy Smith ’25
Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)
(Boston, Massachusetts)
Erin will work in the Immigration Unit, where she will aid immigrants fleeing human rights abuses by assisting with applications for humanitarian relief such as asylum and supporting advocacy efforts.

Past Scholars

  • Fall 2024 Scholars
    Kaitlyn Dehais ’26
    Committee for Public Counsel Services: Special Projects Unit
    (Boston, Massachusetts)Kaitlyn will assist with impact litigation that protects and promotes the human rights, and the state and federal constitutional rights, of individuals convicted of crimes in Massachusetts
    Hannah McCormick ’26
    Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, Greater Boston Legal Services
    (Boston, Massachusetts)Hannah will assist with the preparation of individual asylum cases and support efforts to develop human rights strategies for addressing the systemic needs of immigrants and refugees

  • Summer 2024 Scholars
    Camillah Agak LLM ’24
    Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy, Northeastern University School of Law
    (Boston, Massachusetts)
    Camillah will support a nationwide coalition of advocates and academics devoted to promoting human rights in the United States, engage in project-based initiatives and assist with strategic advocacy before UN mechanisms.
    Elena Kuran ’25
    Amsterdam Law Hub (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
    Combining design methodologies with legal thinking, Elena will work at the intersections of education, research and society to help craft tools and interventions to increase access to justice.
    Alison Ricci ’25
    Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (Hartford, Connecticut)
    Alison will help decrease illegal housing and employment discrimination in Connecticut by investigating and litigating violations of human rights laws and preparing amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the Commission.

  • Spring 2024 Scholars
    Amanda Flores ’24
    Cebu for Human Rights (Cebu City, Philippines)
    Through legal research and legislative advocacy, Amanda will assist lawyers and other activists in upholding the human rights of vulnerable community members in her hometown of Cebu, Philippines.
    Michelle Fong ’24
    UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (New York, NY)
    In her work reviewing counter-terrorism practices, identifying vulnerabilities, and proposing policy recommendations, Michelle will promote human dignity by balancing global security and human rights.

  • Fall 2023 Scholars
    Julia Canney ’25
    The Lawyering Project (New York – Remote)
    Julia will help eliminate unconstitutional barriers to reproductive health service and promote equitable access to health care by supporting traditional impact litigation and movement lawyering.
    Alina Carrillo ’25
    Corporate Accountability Lab (Chicago, Illinois)
    Alina will advance human rights and promote corporate accountability within the global supply chain through research and advocacy on issues such as workers’ rights in the sugarcane industry.

  • Summer 2023 Scholars
    Noelle Gulick ’24
    An International Human Rights Organization
    Noelle will defend and expand the right to asylum by supporting asylum seekers, completing intakes, and assisting with international human rights strategic litigation.
    Orna Madigan ’25
    EdLaw Project: Youth Advocacy Foundation and the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS)
    (Boston, Massachusetts)
    Orna will promote equal access to education and the dismantling of the school-to-prison pipeline by assisting with the direct representation of high-risk youth and policy reform advocacy.

  • Spring 2023 Scholars
    Princess Diaz-Bîrca ’23
    Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights
    (New Orleans, Louisiana)
    Princess will contribute to dismantling the current iteration of the juvenile criminal system by advocating for a child-centered approach in criminal procedures and collaborating with public defenders to keep youth out of prison
    Emma Nyabisi Onsongo LLM ’23
    Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
    (Boston, Massachusetts)
    Emma will promote human rights by assisting the Family Law and Domestic Violence department with legal research, legal reports, administrative advocacy, legislative drafting and advocacy and litigation.
    Isabella Ulm ’24
    National Immigrant Justice Center
    (Washington, DC, and Chicago, Illinois)
    Isabella will work with NIJC’s Litigation and Policy teams to protect the rights of immigrants, expose systemic abuse in the immigration detention and enforcement system, and demand accountability when agencies violate human rights.

  • Fall 2022 Scholars
    Tiffany Wang ’24
    Greater Boston Legal Services: Asian Outreach Unit
    (Boston, MA)
    Tiffany will work with low-income Asian individuals and advocacy organizations to protect the human rights of Asian residents in Boston in the areas of housing, immigration, employment, and domestic violence.
    Lauren Yamaguch ’24
    Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
    (Honolulu, HI)
    Lauren will work to perpetuate the culture and traditions of the Indigenous people of Hawaiʻi by advocating for Native Hawaiian land and water rights, burial protection, and government accountability.

  • Rowan Laidlaw ’23
    Lakota People’s Law Project
    (Bismarck, ND) (Remote)
    Rowan will advocate for Indigenous sovereignty and the preservation of cultural rights by working on an amicus brief supporting the constitutionality of tribal kinship placements in the child welfare system.

    Edward Rickford ’24
    Environment America
    (Boston, MA)
    Edward will promote the right to water by working on issues, such as lead abatement and PFAS exposure, that will help ensure access to safe drinking water for all communities.

  • Sophia Bertling ’23
    Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office
    (Charlotte, NC)
    Sophia will work with public defenders to promote racial justice and fight against mass incarceration by providing high-quality representation to indigent adults who are facing misdemeanor and felony charges.

    Phil Hamilton ’22
    ACLU-MA Legal Department
    (Boston, MA)
    Phil will support the ACLU’s efforts to advance civil rights, immigrants’ rights, racial justice, economic justice, and freedom of speech by drafting legal memoranda and assisting with legislative and advocacy efforts.

  • Mackenzie Darling ’22
    Women’s Law Project: Western Pennsylvania
    (Pittsburgh, PA) (Remote)
    Mackenzie will assist in protecting the human rights of women and girls by defending access to reproductive healthcare, combatting sex and gender discrimination, and advocating for workplace equity.

    Bavani Sridhar ’22
    Eviction Defense Network
    (Los Angeles, CA)
    Bavani will work with housing advocates to combat homelessness, unfair evictions, and gentrification through direct legal services and legislative initiatives designed to protect low-income tenants in the Los Angeles area.

     

  • Meg Foster ’22
    Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), Roxbury, MA
    Meg will work at the Innocence Program, where she will assist with litigating wrongful convictions, researching racial-disparity issues, and advocating for policy reforms.

    Rob Mogollon ’23
    Federal Public Defenders, Chicago, IL
    Rob will work with federal public defenders to protect the constitutional and human rights of indigent clients charged with a wide variety of criminal offenses.

  • Catalina Carbonell ’21
    Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Washington, DC (Remote)
    Catalina will work in the “Follow-up of Recommendations Section” where she will research human rights violations for the Commission’s Annual Report and assist with monitoring compliance with the Commission’s recommendations.

    Huda Khwaja ’21
    The Advocates for Human Rights Minneapolis, MN (Remote)
    Huda will promote human rights in Minnesota and in the United States through client representation and policy reform in the areas of immigrant justice, racial justice and human trafficking.

    A. Tope Tokan-Lawal LLM ’21
    Center for Law and EducationBoston, MA (Remote)
    Tope will support the Center’s goals of promoting policy changes aimed at educational equity and advocating for the rights of all students, particularly those with a low income, to quality education.

  • Zoe Bowman ’21
    Centro de los Derechos del Migrante (Mexico City, Mexico)
    Zoe will work with migrant workers facing discrimination, abuse, and unfair labor practices in the United States, and help enforce their human rights through a blend of community education, direct services, and litigation in Mexico.
    Danae Rosario ’22
    Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office (Los Angeles, CA)
    Danae will assist public defenders in protecting the constitutional and human rights of indigent clients by advocating for undocumented immigrants and juveniles who come into contact with the criminal justice system.

  • Alexandra August ’22
    Louisiana Capital Assistance Center (New Orleans, LA – Remote)
    Alexandra will assist indigent clients charged with capital offenses through client-centered representation and support litigation related to systemic racism and other injustices in the criminal justice system.
    Annery Miranda ’22
    Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) (Boston, Massachusetts)
    Annery will work to decrease the barriers homeless families experience in accessing stable housing by supporting the policy and impact-litigation work of MLRI’s Housing and Language Access units.

  • Cecilia MacArthur ’22
    Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (Portland, Maine)
    Cecilia will work with low-income immigrants in Maine, conducting intake interviews, preparing asylum cases, and assisting in advocacy and outreach effort
    Andrea Satchwell ’21
    Family Law Project (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
    Andrea will assist marginalized survivors of domestic violence with protective orders, custody, and divorce proceedings.

  • Jeanette Kernizan Adelson ’21
    National Center for Law and Economic Justice (New York, NY)
    Jeanette will support ongoing impact litigation and policy analysis, advocate for economic justice, and support grassroots organizing.
    Colleen Maney ’20
    Alaska Public Defender Agency (Anchorage, AK)
    Colleen will assist indigent clients charged with crimes in Alaska by helping to provide each individual with an aggressive defense strategy rooted in human dignity.
    Eric Quetglas-Larrauri LLM ’20
    Office of the MA Attorney General (Boston, MA)
    Eric will work in the Civil Rights Division where he will review and evaluate complaints alleging discrimination and civil rights violations.

  • Kaila Clark ’20
    US Attorney’s Office, Civil Rights Unit  (Boston, Mass.)
    Kaila will assist the Civil Rights Unit’s enforcement of federal civil and human rights laws, and conduct trainings for advocates, state and local agencies, law enforcement and community members in Massachusetts.
    Emma Halas-O’Connor ’20
    Maine Equal Justice (Augusta, Maine)
    Emma will help asylum seekers and other newly-arrived immigrants in Maine obtain affordable housing and other necessities, through individual representation and policy work.

  • Catalina Carbonell ’21
    Inter-American Court of Human Rights (San José, Costa Rica)
    Catalina will conduct research on international human rights issues, develop judicial arguments for specific cases, draft legal reports, and assist with logistical issues during public hearings
    Kristen Tully ’20
    Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) (Boston, MA)
    Kristen will promote immigrants’ rights by assisting with administrative advocacy, community organizing, impact litigation and legislative advocacy.

  • Catherine Houser ’20
    Alaska Institute for Justice (Anchorage, AK)
    Catherine will work with AIJ’s Immigration Justice Project to help survivors of domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking apply for asylum.
    Tania Murillo ’20
    Center for Constitutional Rights (New York, NY)
    Tania will assist with CCR’s efforts to protect human rights and promote social justice through partnering with communities on litigation and advocacy.
    Khalafalla Osman ’21
    Council on American-Islamic Relations (Tampa, FL)
    Khalafalla will help with CAIR-Florida’s efforts to hold law enforcement agents accountable for violations of the civil and human rights of individuals in marginalized groups.
    Nick Sabin ’20
    United States Agency for International Development (Washington, DC)
    Nick will work in the USAID Office of the General Counsel on legal matters related to administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.

  • Kristine Chacko ’20
    New York City Commission on Human Rights (NY, NY)
    Kristine will assist NYCCHR in its investigation and prosecution of violations of NYC Human Rights Law, and focus on claims relating to police discrimination and bias-based profiling.
    Janae Choquette ’19
    Make the Road (Queens and Long Island, NY)
    Janae will join lawyers and organizers in the Trans Immigrant Rights Project and Raid Response Team to provide legal services and support for grassroots campaigns.
    Jessica Faunce ’20
    Office of the Defender General (Montpelier, VT)
    Jessica will work with the Prisoners’ Rights Office team to monitor conditions in Vermont prisons and assist clients with appellate and parole-board issues.
    Rebecca Singleton ’20
    UN Women, Philippines Office (Manila, Philippines)
    Rebecca will work with the UN Women’s Governance, Peace and Security team in the Philippines, focusing on preventing violent extremism and improving women’s access to justice.

  • Meskerem Demese LLM ’19
    The Due Diligence Project (Newton, MA)
    Meskerem will contribute to the International Human Rights Initiative by researching ways to use the due diligence framework to hold states accountable for eliminating violence against women
    Mariane Tokarski Pereira Lousa ’19
    Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights (Boston, MA)
    Mariane will research strategic policy and develop advocacy tools for promoting the human rights of Roma individuals. She will focus on Brazil as a case study.
    Hakeem Muhammad ’20
    Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts (Boston, MA)
    Hakeem will protect the human rights of prison inmates by assisting with civil litigation on behalf of clients who have experienced staff assaults, the improper use of solitary confinement, and other human rights abuses
    Kathleen Thaete ’19
    Homeless Action Center (Oakland, CA)
    Kathleen will serve the homeless population of Alameda County by helping HAC clients obtain sustainable incomes and health insurance through benefits advocacy.
    Emma Winkler ’19
    South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (Harlingen, TX)
    Emma will assist detained adults seeking asylum and other forms of removal relief, and will provide direct representation at bond hearings and in immigration court.

  • Lili Giacoma ’19
    Brooklyn Defender Services (Brooklyn, NY)
    Lili will work on the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project where she will assist detained noncitizens by providing legal research and representation during bond and immigration hearings.
    Stefanie Gonzales ’19
    Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (Seattle, WA)
    Stefanie will work in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Unit, helping immigrant survivors of domestic violence and other violent crimes obtain U Visas, T Visas and VAWA-based status.
    Thera McAvoy ’20
    Peter Cicchino Youth Project (New York, NY)
    Thera will provide legal services to homeless young people, particularly those facing additional oppression due to their race, mental health, sexual orientation, gender or involvement in criminalized economies.
    Marecca Vertin ’19
    Community Activism Law Alliance (CALA) (Chicago, IL)
    Marecca will support CALA and its partner organizations by providing direct legal representation for clients in neighborhood legal clinics, and research and other assistance to activists and organizers.