Northeastern Law's Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration Names Kathleen Rubenstein as Inaugural Visiting Fellow
09.04.25 — Northeastern University School of Law's Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration (CPIAC) is proud to announce the launch of its new Visiting Fellowship Program and the appointment of Kathleen Rubenstein as its inaugural visiting fellow.
Rubenstein brings exceptional credentials and leadership experience to this role. As the former executive director of the Skadden Foundation from 2018-2025, she led an organization that has granted over 1,000 fellowships since 1988, launching attorneys into impactful public interest careers. Under her leadership, the foundation provided innovative support to its entire community of fellows, the vast majority of whom have devoted their entire careers to public interest law.
A distinguished public interest lawyer, Rubenstein graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where she received the Edwin F. Mandel Award for exceptional contributions to the school's clinics. She began her career as a Skadden Fellow at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law before serving as a federal judicial law clerk in the Northern District of Illinois. Her commitment to public service continued through various leadership roles in New York City government, including deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Appointments and deputy chief of staff and senior counsel for government policy for the New York City Law Department.
Rubenstein continues her commitment to professional development and social justice through her current participation as a 2025-26 participant in the Haywood Burns Institute's James Bell Racial Justice and Structural Well-Being Certificate Training Series. She is a 2021 graduate of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice's Core Program, where she received a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership, and serves as secretary of the board of directors of the Advocacy Institute, which supports social justice organizations in building advocacy skills to shape government policy in New York.
The new CPIAC Visiting Fellowship Program is a non-funded, non-resident fellowship designed to bring accomplished advocates to the Northeastern community for a semester or academic year. Fellows will meaningfully contribute to academic life by sharing their expertise and insights across the law school and university through meetings with students, faculty and staff, and participation in events, classes and meetings. The program offers flexible engagement tailored to each fellow's expertise and interests, with primarily virtual participation and select in-person opportunities.
"This fellowship celebrates and recognizes dedicated advocates who have made significant contributions to public interest law," said Renay Frankel, managing director of the Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration. "We are honored to have Kathleen Rubenstein launch this important program, bringing her wealth of experience and commitment to social justice to our community."
The CPIAC Visiting Fellowship Program represents Northeastern Law's continued commitment to advancing public interest advocacy and connecting students with leaders who are making meaningful change in communities across the country.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
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