04.15.20 —  The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School has named three Northeastern Law students among its 2020 Fellows: Chris McDonough ’21, Jaime Watson ’21 and Rachael Wyant ’22. Rappaport Fellows are provided the opportunity to explore and expand on their diverse interests in public policy by working with top policymakers throughout the summer. Each Fellow also receives extraordinary mentorship from Rappaport Center Advisory Board members, prior Rappaport Fellows and notable civic leaders in the public sector. Fellows further gain experiential learning by exploring the intersection of law and public policy through conversations with high level government officials, including members from the executive, judiciary and/or legislative branches. In light of COVID-19, the center will continue to work closely with its partners in state and local government to ensure the success of this summer’s Fellowship Program. 

The fellowship program is a key component of The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College. The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School galvanizes the region’s policy makers and thought leaders to engage in dynamic discussions on critical public policy issues through the Rappaport Distinguished Public Policy Series. The discussions include forums, conferences and symposia to address societal issues with leaders from government, business, academia and the nonprofit world.

“Each year, I’m amazed at the caliber of students who apply to be Rappaport Fellows and marvel at their exuberance for working in the public sector,” remarked Elisabeth Medvedow ’85, Executive Director, Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy. “Our incoming 2020 Rappaport Fellows are no exception; they are a cohort of 12 incredible law students who will contribute their talents and passion to state and local government offices this summer.”

Chris McDonough ’21 graduated in 2011 from Hampshire College where he studied comparative literature. Prior to law school, he held many positions in technology, including as a project and product manager on software development teams. He has completed internships in the office of State Senator Jamie Eldridge and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. A lifelong Massachusetts resident, McDonough is proud to have been selected as a Rappaport Fellow and looks forward to his internship at the City of Boston Law Department this summer.  

Jaime Watson ’21 is a 2012 graduate of Arizona State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degrees in political science and women and gender studies. A recipients of the law school’s coveted Public Interest Law Scholarship, Watson's studies and work have focused on achieving gender equity. She worked extensively in providing direct support to survivors of sexual and domestic violence as a legal advocate with Sojourner Center, a domestic violence shelter in Phoenix and as a teaching assistant with the Legal Assistance to Victims Project at the School of Law's Domestic Violence Institute. Watson led statewide advocacy efforts and drafted successful legislative initiatives as the public information officer/legislative liaison at the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission and the Public Policy Advocate at the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. She looks forward to bringing her passion for advocacy to the office of former Rappaport Fellow and Northeastern Law grad, State Representative Natalie Higgins ’14.

Rachael Wyant ’22 is a Public Interest Law Scholar at Northeastern University School of Law. She graduated from Boston University with a BA in political science and later received an MA in international development from The New School, where she studied international human rights law and labor protections for undocumented migrant workers. Prior to law school, Wyant spent time in New York City working in policy advocacy at the UN with a focus on gender equity and economic development. Most recently, she worked at a social justice nonprofit supporting city and state agencies that integrate racial equity into legislation and institutional change processes. Wyant is interested in furthering community leadership and engagement in local government and looks forward to continuing her policy advocacy work from a legal perspective through the Rappaport Fellows Program. Wyant will be spending her Rappaport Fellowship summer in the Office of State Senator Joan Lovely.