Read the stories of the 2024 JMA Scholarship recipients and how each of them were able to use their scholarship to do important public interest work all over the country.
Ileaha Anderson
Legal Intern at Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin -Western District
Because of funding from JMA, I was able to take a summer position that took my knowledge of the law and accompanying skills on a rocket ship trajectory. I drafted legal memoranda, briefs, and motions, conducted legal research, attended court, and visited incarcerated clients. I learned so much about serving indigent clients in a public defense setting, that I know I will be a more effective advocate for the public interest when I graduate.
Emma Dzwierzynski
Legal Intern at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Chicago office)
Working at the EEOC, I helped prosecute companies that were discriminating against their employees on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. On a day to day basis, I conducted read through employment discrimination complaints and did legal research to see if the complaints were viable under existing employment discrimination laws. Doing this public interest work was so empowering because I got to advocate for individuals who were being taken advantage of and couldn’t afford to bring suit against their employer themselves. This internship motivated me to pursue civil rights prosecution, however, as it was unpaid, it would not have been possible without the funds I received through the JMA scholarship. I am so grateful!
Kat Kinnen
Law Intern with the State Public Defenders Appellate Division
This past summer, I had the chance to work with public defense clients as they appealed their convictions, helping provide critical oversight to ensure the legal process was fair. Thanks to the scholarship, I was able to take on this position without needing a second job, allowing me to fully dedicate myself to work I’m passionate about. I’m truly grateful that the scholarship made it possible for me to take this meaningful first step in my career as a public defender.
Sophie Lepien
Law Clerk at the Office of Governor Tony Evers
This past summer, I worked as a law clerk for the Office of Governor Tony Evers. I reviewed pardon applications, drafted memos for the Pardon Advisory Board, and worked on a variety of research projects related to state and local government law. I had such a rewarding experience that I decided to stay with the office as an extern during the fall semester. The JMA scholarship allowed me to focus on this important work without worrying about the financial challenges of an unpaid public interest position.
Srishti Ponnala
Judicial Intern for Hon. Judge Ramirez in Wisconsin Circuit Court in Waukesha
This past summer, I wrote decision briefs on behalf of judges on contracts and equitable estoppel, and compiled all novel decisions made by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Wisconsin Court of Appeals in several practice areas. Further, I developed an inclusive holiday calendar to inform family court officials, social workers, and family court mediators with the various religious or ethnic groups’ holidays and/or observances, and improve decision-making in custody arrangements, visitation schedules, etc. This will be published in the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Journal within the next year. Without the JMA scholarship, I would not have been able to commute to court as often as I did to gain the valuable hands-on litigation experience that I received!
Caroline Rachow
Judicial Intern for Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet
As a judicial intern, I conducted research on complex legal topics presented to the Supreme Court, providing recommendations and background on these topics to Justice Dallet. The Jackie Macaulay Scholarship helped me pursue this opportunity to research legal issues that impact the entirety of Wisconsin. In general, this type of work is wildly important to ensure that the rights and privileges of all people in the state are protected, and JMA was able to provide me an opportunity to participate in this valuable work.