NCYL’s Fall Law Clerks and Interns. (clockwise from right) Angela Carter, K.C. Meckfessel, Anna Krieger, Monique Roberts, Mieko Griffin

Angela Carter is a fourth-year undergraduate at UC Berkeley.  She is studying political science and legal studies, and is planning to apply to law school in 2010.  She currently works at UCB College of Environmental Design, helping the Assistant Dean for Administration coordinate spending and faculty recruitment.  Angela also volunteers as an instructor with the People's Test Preparation Service, teaching a free SAT class to low-income high school students. Additionally, she teaches reading and writing at Franklin Head Start in Oakland with Jumpstart Corps.  During a year abroad at the University of Bristol in England, Angela interned with the Conservative Party and worked in a 5th-grade classroom at Bristol’s Glenfrome Primary School, helping ease the transition of immigrant children into the UK school system.  At NCYL, Angela is working with attorney Zahra Hayat to ensure that foster children receive necessary mental health care.

Mieko Griffin received her BA from California State University, East Bay in 2008, where she majored in anthropology and minored in political science. Before beginning her internship at NCYL, Mieko volunteered in a bilingual Spanish classroom at Blacow Elementary School in Fremont, CA during the 2008-09 school year, and interned in the resource center at Tenderloin Health, a nonprofit dedicated to serving those with and at greatest risk of acquiring AIDS. Mieko currently works in cultural resource management throughout the East Bay and plans to apply to law school in 2010. She is working with Deputy Director Patrick Gardner on improving children’s access to mental health care.

Anna Krieger is a 2009 graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law. She is working at NCYL through a Bridge Fellowship sponsored by Berkeley Law. At NCYL, Anna is working on Clark K. v. Willden, a lawsuit intended to reform the child welfare system in Las Vegas, NV.  Anna clerked at NCYL while in law school, working on both Clark K. and Dalton Dyer v. CIF, a case which secured fair and equal treatment of foster youth who play high school sports. During law school, Anna also clerked at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, East Bay Community Law Center, and San Francisco Human Rights Commission in the LGBT & HIV Division. Prior to law school, she served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate and was an Emerson National Hunger Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center. Anna received her undergraduate degree from Haverford College. She thinks everyone should run out and read Exiles, her dad Elliot Krieger’s first novel!

K.C. Meckfessel is in her second year at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She is a member of the University of San Francisco Law Review, President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Case Counsel for USF’s Moot Court Program, coaching and supervising first-year students in the oral advocacy program. K.C. earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Miami University, Ohio. Before law school, K.C. was an assistant wilderness therapy guide at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy,  where she led group sessions on societal pressures affecting youth, realities of addiction, and barriers to self-empowerment.  K.C. clerked for Bruce Wagman, Chief Outside Litigation Counsel for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, researching animal welfare and anti-cruelty legislation, and international animal protection laws. Following her first year at USF Law School, K.C. interned at the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel (MOCPCC) in Jackson, MS through USF’s Keta Taylor Colby Death Penalty Project. At MOCPCC, she researched criminal case law, met with clients on death row, and developed mitigation evidence. She is working with Deputy Director Patrick Gardner on NCYL's Mental Health Court Initiative and conducting legal research in support of litigation to improve access to mental health services in California and Washington state. 

Monique Roberts is a second-year at Golden Gate University School of Law, where she participates in the Honors Lawyering Program.  She is a Public Interest Scholar at the law school and acts as the Director of Fundraising of the ACLU Dignity in Schools chapter.   Before law school, Monique worked at Time & Space Limited (TSL) in Hudson, NY, where she was the Co-Director of Youth Projects, designing programs to promote self-expression, entrepreneurial skills, and youth empowerment.  While at TSL, Monique also acted as an advocate for many of her students, eventually inspiring her to pursue a law degree. Monique earned her BA in Political Studies at Bard College, where, she says, she “had the opportunity to learn from extraordinary progressive thinkers and participate in student activism.”  She studied abroad at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary and spent a summer at the University of Cape Town in the International Human Right’s Exchange Program.  While in Cape Town, Monique taught at Ons Pleks, a home for female street children.  Throughout her college career, Monique volunteered weekly at the Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck, NY, where she loved playing chess and soccer, and mentoring children at the home. Monique was born and raised in Albany, New York and, believe it or not, she misses the winter!  At NCYL, Monique is working with attorneys Leecia Welch and Jesse Hahnel on child welfare reform and foster youth education issues.

NCYL’s Summer Law Clerks and Interns (left to right) Maria Segarra, Laurie M. Furstenfeld, Franchesca Gonzalez, Davida Silverman, Charles Taylor, Jessica Breslin, Thomas Carroll, and Megan Rok.

Jessica Breslin has completed her second year at Georgetown University Law Center.  She is a section editor for the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law and is active with the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.  Jessica earned her undergraduate degree from the Silver School of Social Work at NYU, double majoring in politics.  Last summer, she worked at First Star, a child advocacy organization in Washington, DC, where she researched and helped draft a report on a child’s right to counsel.  Prior to law school, Jessica worked in counseling services at the Domestic Violence Bureau of the District Attorney’s office in Kings County, NY, providing individual counseling and group therapy session for victims of domestic violence.  At NCYL, Jessica is working with Senior Attorney Rebecca Gudeman on mental health, domestic violence, and foster care issues.  This includes researching and analyzing local court rules and orders regarding health assessments, information sharing, and administration of psychotropic medication.  Jessica also works with Staff Attorney Bryn Martyna, conducting legal research supporting NCYL’s Clark K .v. Willden litigation to reform the Las Vegas child welfare system.  In her free time, Jessica enjoys playing football and making “gourmet” meals, such as Easy Mac and “cereal a la milk.”

Thomas Carroll is an undergraduate Communications Intern.  He is working with Communications Director Tracy Schroth on the implementation of California’s 2008 child fatality disclosure law, SB 39, which NCYL co-sponsored.  He also contributes to Youth Law News.  Thomas is a senior at Haverford College, majoring in classical literature and minoring in Physics (quantum mechanics).  He studies and reads both Latin and Ancient Greek, in addition to speaking Spanish and Italian.  Thomas has previously interned at 88.9 WDNA, a public radio station in his native Miami, and at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, researching endangered native plant populations.  He writes for The Bi-College News, the student newspaper at Haverford College, and is president of the school’s Origami Club.  Upon graduation, Thomas hopes to pursue a career combining journalism and social justice.

Laurie M. Furstenfeld is a student at UC Davis School of Law, where she has completed her first year.  Prior to law school, Laurie worked as a school social worker in the Counseling Enriched Special Day Class Program at the Oakland Unified School District, assessing mental health needs of middle-school students and providing individual, group, and family therapy.  She holds a Masters of Social Welfare from UC Berkeley.   While studying there, Laurie worked on a research project to identify obstacles facing foster youth enrolling in school, and educated school officials on how to maintain foster youth school records.  Laurie is working with attorney Fiza Quraishi on improving access to mental health care for children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Laurie enjoys traveling and summer barbecues with friends.

Franchesca Gonzalez is a third-year student at Berkeley Law, where she is Co-Director of Advocates for Youth Justice.  She is also Public Interest Career Support Coordinator for La Raza Law Student's Association, and has served as Co-Director of the Expulsion Representation Clinic.  Franchesca is a member of the City of Berkeley's All City Equity Task Force, a planning group devoted to closing the achievement gap in Berkeley schools.  This past year, Francesca clerked at Legal Services for Children in San Francisco, where she assisted with cases involving school discipline, special education, and dependency issues.  Last summer, she worked as a judicial extern for the Hon. Michael Nash, Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court in her native Los Angeles.  Franchesca earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from UC Berkeley.  At NCYL, Franchesca is working with Senior Attorney Bill Grimm on Clark K. v. Willden.  Her work includes investigating the placement experiences of foster youth and assisting with the development of protocols to address and improve mental health.

Megan Rok is entering her second year at University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she is a Toll Public Interest Scholar.  Megan is active with the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, the Penn Housing Rights Project, and Lambda Law.  She recently competed in the 2009 National Moot Court on Sexual Orientation Law at UCLA. Prior to entering law school, Megan taught high school science for three years in New Orleans through Teach for America. There, Megan organized and chaired her school’s Substance Abuse Prevention Education program.  Megan received her undergraduate degree in political science from Vassar College.  While in college, she participated in the World Universities Debating Championship Tournament in Singapore.  Megan also interned for US Senator Jack Reed in her home state of Rhode Island, and spent a summer assisting the Chief of Policy for Providence Mayor David Cicilline.  Megan is working with NCYL Deputy Director Patrick Gardner, conducting legal research in support of litigation to improve children’s access to mental health services in California and Washington. She is also assisting with NCYL’s Mental Health Court Initiative.  Megan is an avid potter and a die-hard Red Sox fan.

Maria Segarra is a third-year student at Berkeley Law.  She is a member of the California Law Review, and serves as the Professional Chair of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association there.  For the past two years she has participated in the school’s Juvenile Hall Outreach program, where she teaches detained minors their legal rights.  Last summer, Maria clerked at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office in the Juvenile Division.  Prior to law school, Maria interned at the Child Protection Section of the Office of the Attorney General in Washington, DC.  Maria received her undergraduate degree in psychology from UC Santa Cruz, graduating with highest honors.  She loves to play the guitar and sing.  This summer, Maria is working with senior attorneys Pat Arthur and Leecia Welch, conducting legal research on juvenile justice issues and on procedural and substantive laws relating to Clark K. v. Willden.

Davida Silverman has completed her second year at CUNY School of Law. She received first Place and Best Oralist in the 2008 CUNY School of Law Moot Court Competition.  She co-founded the law school’s Organization of Women Law Students and is an active member of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and the Domestic Violence Coalition.  Last summer, she received an Emory University Summer Child Advocate Program Fellowship to research issues related to Georgia's child welfare system and the sexual exploitation of children.  Davida has also interned with the ACLU of Mississippi, drafting legislation for comprehensive sexual health education in that state’s public schools.  As an undergrad, Davida majored in political science at Florida State University.  She served as executive director of the university’s Women’s Center, and helped organize a campaign with the United Students Against Sweatshops organization.  Davida works with Senior Attorney Rebecca Gudeman on adolescent health law and policy, and with Staff Attorney Bryn Martyna on the Clark K. litigation.  Davida aspires to one day complete the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in ink.  In the meantime, she is keeping herself busy with the Jumble and Sudoku.

Charles Taylor has completed his first year at Yale Law School, where he is an editor for Arguendo, Yale Law and Policy Review's online companion. He holds a BA in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley, with a minor in African-American studies. Charles spent two summers interning with Neighborhood Legal Services in Los Angeles, where he helped pro se litigants gain access to legal information and file legal forms.  In addition, Charles volunteered for the JusticeCorps program, working at an Oakland-based legal clinic assisting low-income litigants in housing, small claims, and family law.  While an undergraduate, Charles was also active at the Berkeley Technology Academy, an alternative school for at-risk youth, and at the International Human Rights Law Clinic at Berkeley Law School, where he performed a research study of former Guantánamo Bay detainees. Charles is working with attorney Leecia Welch and Jesse Hahnel on foster youth education issues.