05.12.20 — Kristen Bor-Zale '19, Sarah Nawab ’20, MacKensie Speer '20 and Alexandra Warren ’20 have been awarded Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellowships, one of the most prestigious and competitive post-graduate legal fellowships in the country. Bor-Zale, Nawab and Warren are among only 78 fellows selected from over 432 applicants for the 2020 program, which pairs aspiring public interest lawyers with legal services organizations so that they can work on a two-year project of their own design. 

Kristen Bor-Zale will serve her fellowship at Greater Boston Legal Services promoting economic justice for survivors of domestic violence and other vulnerable populations through direct representation and community trainings on debt collection. During her fellowship, Bor-Zale will represent consumers in small claims court and develop a coerced debt defense. She will train volunteer attorneys and domestic violence advocates to help victims identify and address financial abuse. Through representation in debt collection proceedings, challenges to credit reporting issues, and community programming, this project will ensure that victims are not unjustly separated from the economic resources necessary to secure their independence. “I am honored to join the work of GBLS in helping survivors of domestic violence regain financial stability,” said Kristen, whose fellowship is sponsored by Fidelity Investments and Mintz.
>> Read more about Kristen Bor-Zale project 

Sarah Nawab will spend her fellowship working for Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts, where she will provide direct, trauma-informed legal services and rights education to incarcerated women in order to ensure that necessary medical treatment is provided and that women are protected from predatory assaults. She will also connect legal services providers with community organizations to foster a stronger reentry network for women and will increase the public’s awareness of the unique challenges incarcerated women face through legislative advocacy and a media campaign. “My life experiences taught me the value of empathy, and it is empathy that is at the heart of trauma-informed representation,” said Nawab, whose fellowship is sponsored by Choate, Hall & Stewart and General Electric Company.
>> Read more about Sarah Nawab's project

Alexandra Warren's fellowship will be hosted by Health Law Advocates in Boston. During her fellowship, Alexandra will provide direct legal representation to assist clients as they navigate the complicated MassHealth administrative process, appeal denials of coverage and ensure they are enrolled in the program with the highest level of coverage for which they are eligible. She will advocate for state policies that preserve and expand immigrant healthcare access, and through community outreach, she will build partnerships with hospitals and community health centers to establish “on-site” office hours. “As the daughter of an immigrant who received support from initiatives similar to this project, I feel compelled to continue to address the barriers to healthcare that low-income immigrants face,” said Alexandra, whose fellowship is sponsored by Baker McKenzie, Merck & Co. 
>> Read more about Alexandra Warren's project

MacKensie Speer '20 will spend her fellowship at Chicago Legal Aid, where she will launch a new project focused on housing issues. 

“We are thrilled that Equal Justice Works and the fellowship sponsors have made critical investments in our students' important advocacy work,” said Director for Public Interest Renay Frankel ’06. “It is more important than ever that we fight for social justice during these challenging times, and Northeastern Law continues to be a leader in training and supporting public interest lawyers.”

About Equal Justice Works
Equal Justice Works is the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law and brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, legal services organizations and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. Following their fellowships, more than 85% of EJW Fellows remain in public service positions, continuing to pursue equal justice for underserved communities across the country.