Vakil Named First Roux Institute Legal Fellow

11.17.21 — The Roux Institute at Northeastern University has named Rohan Vakil ’21 as the first Roux Institute Legal Fellow. The fellowship is a collaboration between Northeastern University School of Law and the Roux Institute to support start-ups and entrepreneurs affiliated with the Roux Institute by providing guidance on a variety of business formation and related matters. Founded in 2020, the Portland-based Roux Institute is designed to spur innovation, build talent and drive economic growth in Portland, the state of Maine and northern New England. Bernstein Shur, one of Maine’s top law firms, will partner with the Roux Institute to provide supervision and mentorship to the fellow.

“I am eager to join the Roux Institute and bring my passion to support the start-up community in Portland. I am thrilled to serve as a resource for resident entrepreneurs and emerging companies,” said Vakil, who served as senior editor of the Northeastern University Law Review and brings his prior business experience and his interest in business and commercial law to the fellowship. Prior to law school, he was a senior business analyst for Wayfair. He earned his BS from Bryant University in management, entrepreneurship and economics.

“Growing and sustaining an entrepreneurial ecosystem takes more than just entrepreneurs. We are thrilled by the launch of our Legal Fellow program with Northeastern Law,” said Chris Wolfel, the Roux Institute’s director of entrepreneurship. “By collaborating with Bernstein Shur, we are able to provide a unique opportunity to Rohan as he joins the Roux Institute’s efforts to accelerate Portland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Mike Pollastri, senior vice provost of the Roux Institute.

The Roux Institute Legal Fellowship is open to recent Northeastern Law graduates committed to using their JD in an innovative, entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary environment. It is a one-year position with the opportunity to extend to a second-year term either at the Roux Institute or with one of the Institute’s strategic partners.

As part of the fellowship program, Vakil will collaborate with and receive mentorship from the directors of the law school’s IP CO-LAB (an intellectual property clinic) and Community Business Clinic. Rhonda Rittenberg, director of the law school’s Office of New Markets, will serve as a resource and liaison to the Greater Portland legal community that works in and supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“We are committed to bringing dynamic legal talent to the Roux Institute to support the efforts of the Institute in creating an innovation hub in the Greater Portland area, and are very proud of Rohan, who will bring his pragmatic business acumen, legal training and entrepreneurial spirit to complement the other community resources offered at the Roux Institute,” said James Hackney, dean of Northeastern Law.

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.