Annie Clarke ’25
Annie Clarke ’25
JD Student
Hometown
Deer Park, New York
Undergraduate Institution
SUNY Geneseo
Undergraduate Major(s)
Sociology
Year of Undergraduate Graduation
2014
Area(s) of Legal Interest
I'm interested in representing injured parties in employment law and civil rights cases.
What kind of support and resources do you find most helpful for prospective students considering Northeastern Law?
Connect with as many law students as possible, especially from NUSL and other law schools. Northeastern Law is unique in many ways—it offers abundant resources to students interested in public interest law, a collaborative atmosphere, and a renowned co-op program that sets you apart in the job market. By gathering insights from a variety of schools, you'll gain a clearer understanding of your priorities and ensure that the school you choose is the right fit for you.
What extracurricular activities have you been involved with at Northeastern Law?
Northeastern University Law Review (NULR); Robert F. Wagner Labor and Employment Moot Court; Plaintiffs' Law Association (NUSL PLA); Northeastern Employment and Labor Law Association (NELLA); Research Assistant for Professor Lucy Williams; Lawyering Fellow for Legal Skills in Social Context (LSSC)
What has been your favorite part about doing co-op while at NUSL? Can you describe the experience?
My favorite part of the co-op program has been the opportunity to gain hands-on experience that has helped shape my career path. I came to law school focused on public interest work, and while my dedication to that mission has deepened, my co-ops have played a key role in helping me discover exactly how I want to pursue it. During my first co-op at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, I received invaluable training in research and writing from the clerks and judges, which inspired me to pursue a federal clerkship following graduation. My following co-op with a plaintiff-side law firm in Boston not only fueled my passion for civil rights and employment law but also gave me insight into the type of work environment I would like to work in.
Annie's Journal
During my time at Northeastern University School of Law, I’ve had the privilege of participating in the Legal Skills in Social Context (LSSC) program for two years — first as a 1L and later as a Lawyering Fellow supporting 1Ls completing their social justice project. The LSSC program pairs teams of 12-15 students with real clients and partner organizations, offering 1Ls the opportunity to gain practical experience, develop expertise in a specific area of law, and begin using their skills to serve the public early in their legal careers.
Below is a list of current LSSC projects:
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (Family Law) — To improve the outcomes for self-represented litigants in Massachusetts Probate and Family courts, students will investigate and attempt to replicate their experience through attending court and drafting and filing court documents, and devise recommendations for policymakers.
Justice4Housing (Housing Law) — To empower formerly incarcerated individuals who are being discriminated against in obtaining housing, students will expand a network training program designed to teach them how to advocate for themselves and dismantle discriminatory housing policies.
Massachusetts CASA Association (Foster Care Law) — On behalf of youth who are transitioning out of foster care in Massachusetts, students will create advocacy materials to bring greater attention to the needs of these children and their families and to advocate for more protective legislation.
Families for Justice as Healing (Criminal Law) — Students will engage in legal research, policy and legislative research, social sciences research, and field work (including client and family interviews), and will draft clemency petitions.
S.T.E.P. Nation — Community Advocacy Movement (Criminal Law) — Focusing on issues involving jury selection and nullification, students will create community education and advocacy materials, including KYR guides, to assist families and community members advocating for loved ones facing incarceration or are currently incarcerated.
Reproductive Equity Now (Reproductive Rights) — In two related projects, students will research the current reproductive rights landscape for incarcerated individuals in New England and create materials to inform the public and stakeholders about the barriers they face in protecting their rights to abortion and contraception.
New England Innocence Project (Wrongful Conviction) — Students will assist NEIP in developing a comprehensive study of the post-conviction litigation history in each of the known exoneration cases in Massachusetts. In a related project, students will conduct an expanded review of a wrongful conviction case for an individual currently incarcerated in Massachusetts.
Louis D. Brown Peace Institute (Victims’ Rights) — On behalf of families and individuals who have lost loved ones through homicide, students will research police departments’ policies, training and approach to solving unsolved criminal investigations, and provide recommendations for improving them.
Maine Equal Justice/Peer Workforce Navigator Project (Workers’ Rights/Immigration) — In two related projects, students will create self-advocacy guides for immigrant workers and communities in Maine who are navigating the intersection of employment, labor and immigration law, focusing on work authorization and unemployment insurance.
Massachusetts Association Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL) (Consumer Law) — Students will research the current state of predatory mortgage lending practices in various jurisdictions across the country to assist MAAPL in continuing its efforts of combatting foreclosures resulting from predatory mortgage lending practices in Massachusetts.
Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts — Immigration Unit (Immigration Law) — On behalf of undocumented immigrants who have been victims of crime, students will create a pro se manual explaining the complicated process of obtaining U visas and providing model documents.
Grassroots Law and Organizing for Workers (Workers’ Rights) — On behalf of low-wage temporary workers, students will research existing legislation and policy proposals that purport to protect these individuals and create a model staffing agency policy to ensure full employment rights.
National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (NCCRC) (Right to Counsel) — Students will conduct a 50-state survey of an individual’s right to counsel in probation and parole revocation matters related to the nonpayment of post-carceral fines and fees, and create related materials for the NCCRC’s website.
Campaign for Southern Equality (LGBTQ+ Rights) — To further protections for individuals seeking gender-affirming medical care, students will research current laws surrounding such care and create a website providing an overview of shield laws in the United States that are intended to protect individuals who provide or seek gender-affirming medical care.