Meet the 07-08 Lead Fellows
Yaniv Adar '09 - Group 1
Yaniv is a joint degree student seeking a JD and a master's degree in public policy at the Terry Sanford Institute. Hailing from Miami, Florida, Yaniv is an avid Florida Gators fan, and he will gladly share any sort of statistic about the Gators' impressive sports records. Despite this allegiance, he nonetheless has shifted at least some of his loyalties to Duke, where he has served as the president of the Jewish Law Students Association and as an active volunteer in the Law School community.
Frederic Chang '09 - Group 2
Freddy is from Dallas, Texas and is a graduate of New York University, where he majored in finance. Before coming to law school, Freddy worked in real estate sales and investments. He recently completed a summer associate program at Gardere, Wynne & Sewell LLP in Dallas. Freddy is an active participant in the Asian Law Students Association and believes that involvement in student-run organizations is the most important law school activity because it helps build teamwork skills and develop friendships.
Randy Clark '09 - Group 3
Randy is from West Palm Beach, Florida and graduated from the University of Central Florida in the spring of 2006. This summer, he worked for Professor Benjamin as a research assistant. While he says his most important school-related activity this last year was reading in the library, he also believes in the importance of out-of-class experiences that connect students. Randy's favorite thing about law school is the complete lack of dull moments and his two favorite things about Durham are the never-ending supply of sweet tea and the roads that all lead to somewhere and nowhere at the same time.
LaToya Edwards '09 - Group 5
LaToya hails from West Palm Beach, Florida and proudly displays pride for her alma mater, the University of Florida. She spent this past summer in Asia. Known by her classmates for her enthusiasm, ever-present smile, and willingness to help out wherever and whenever it's needed, LaToya has already distinguished herself in both the Mock Trial and Moot Court. She holds leadership positions in both organizations, and will likely use her advocacy skills to try and recruit her LEAD group members for next year's teams and boards.
Elissa Flynn '09 - Group 4
After growing up with the country music and county fairs of Danville, Illinois, Elissa spent four years at Marquette University. She studied psychology, communication studies and philosophy and graduated in 2006. Two weeks later, she entered the JD/MA psychology program here at Duke. This past summer, Elissa enjoyed her summer associate position at the Chicago office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. Elissa's most important law school activities are DBA, Mock Trial, and Duke Law Journal. She also enjoys attending Bar Review, a weekly event where Duke Law students congregate to celebrate making it through another week. Elissa is grateful for the opportunity to not only learn from some of the most prestigious scholars in law, but also from her talented and insightful peers.
Julia German '09 - Group 5
Julia grew up in Nashville, TN and went to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She grew up rock climbing and playing ultimate frisbee, and when she moved to Colorado this translated into working for the ultimate frisbee team and as an arborist (a job that involves climbing trees to care for them). She also worked as a carpenter and, in law-related employment, as a firm receptionist and LSAT instructor for the Princeton Review. She spent this past summer in Los Angeles working on international human rights cases. While there are many activities at the Law School she enjoys, Julia says her most important activity is Mock Trial. Her favorite aspect of Duke Law School is the community-minded nature of the faculty and staff.
Kristina Johnson '08 - Group 6 (White)
Kristina grew up on Whidbey Island, just off the coast of Seattle. She traveled through parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia before beginning law school, and spent her 1L summer working for the United Nations in Kenya. In her 2L summer, Kristina worked for a Native American legal firm in Seattle. At Duke, Kristina has been incredibly involved, currently serving as the DBA community service chair, articles editor of the Duke Environmental Law & Policy Journal, and program director of the Innocence Project. Kristina hopes to pursue a career in international law upon graduation.
Jeffrey Jones '08 - Group 7
Jeff was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended the University of Notre Dame. During his high school and college years, his long list of jobs included: a cook at McDonald's, a McDonald's manager, an Outback Steakhouse waiter, an ice cream shop server, a collections representative, an amusement park ride operator, a State Farm claims adjustor, a writing tutor, and a law clerk at Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP. He says his favorite thing about law school is when he entered a year ago he barely understood the difference between a federal and a state court, but now can find the answer to most legal questions, including "where you should file a suit" and "how jurisdiction might settle a question of first impression." He enjoys participating in the Duke Law Bowling League, Bar Review, and volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem and at Teen Court.
Matthew Levy '09 - Group 8
Matt is originally from Westchester, outside of New York City, and went to high school in Manhattan and recently lived there for a few years. He graduated from Cornell University in 2003 with a business/finance degree. Matt worked in finance in New York for two and a half years, and then pursued his longtime ambition of becoming a lawyer. At Duke Law, he spends most of his time involved in DBA, as the DBA treasurer, or in various Pro Bono projects. This past summer he had the privilege of working at the Department of Justice. His favorite activities include studying outside eight out of nine of the school months, trying out new restaurants, lounging by his apartment's pool, and hitting up the Franklin Street "scene" on a Saturday night.
David Lipps '09 - Group 9
Dave was born in Huntington Beach, California, spent a few years living in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea and most of his younger years in Dallas, TX. He graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville with an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science and is pursuing a joint degree in law and philosophy. Dave spent this past summer doing his internship with Legal Aid of North Carolina's Durham office. He is also on the board of a non-profit organization that aims to support orphanages and other community groups in poverty-stricken areas of the world, such as the Hananasif Orphanage in Tanzania. For Dave, the most important law school activities are involvement in pro bono projects, mock trial, and moot court, all of which are rewarding and serve to build practical skills. However, the most important thing for him is to live a balanced and healthy life, which requires involvement in some activities outside of the Law School. His extracurricular passions include rock climbing, ultimate frisbee, soccer, playing drums, recording and mixing music, and slacklining.
Laura Lucas '09 - Group 10
Laura is from Granbury, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received a bachelor of journalism in magazine journalism, a bachelor of arts in Hispanic studies, and a certificate in business foundations. At Duke, Laura will receive her JD and LLM in International and Comparative Law. This past summer, she attended the Duke-Geneva Institute of Transnational Law and worked as a summer associate at Asahi Law Offices (now: Nishimura & Asahi), a Japanese law firm in Tokyo. Laura currently works as a research assistant for Professor Barak Richmond on a project that examines the controversial background of Lucy v. Zehmer, a famous contracts case. Laura enjoys volunteering at Dedicated to Durham, attending Duke basketball games, and law school social events. She says for her, the most important aspect of law school has been the opportunity to learn new perspectives on law and life by attending various programs and by learning about the experiences of her peers.
Steven Marku '08 - Group 20
Steven is from Dresher, Pennsylvania and earned his undergraduate degree in history and political science from Case Western Reserve University. While at Case Western, Steven studied abroad in Prague and served as a member of the university's Jazz Ensemble. At Duke Law School, Steven is a member of the Duke Bar Association Executive Board, serving as a class of 2008 representative.
Kimberly Maynard '09 - Group 18
Kim is originally from Michigan and received her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, where she studied Spanish, psychology, and dance. Before coming to Duke, Kim worked as an arts administrator for the Trisha Brown Dance Company in New York City. She also taught at a local dance studio, worked as a recreational therapist at a nursing home, and volunteered in the Dance Program at the New York State Council on the Arts. This past summer, Kim worked for Public Knowledge, a digital rights organization in DC, where she worked on a variety of issues in copyright and communications law. At Duke this year, she will serve as co-director of the Refugee Asylum Support Project and donations chair for the PILF auction.
Amanda McRae '09 - Group 11
Amanda is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, MN. She grew up in Orlando, FL, and went to high school in Overland Park, KS. Prior to law school, Amanda worked for a year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member at two non-profit organizations in the Twin Cities: the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. Working at these two institutions inspired her to attend law school and pursue a career working to forward civil and human rights. This summer, she continued that pursuit while working at the Duke AIDS Legal Assistance Project, a law clinic here at Duke that takes on legal work for low-income people with HIV/AIDS. Her most significant pro bono experience thus far has been working with the Immigration Education Project, which sends students out into schools and community groups to talk to immigrants about the immigration legal system and their rights under American law. Her favorite part about Duke Law is being part of such a supportive and cohesive community.
Jeremy Ochsenbein '09 - Group 12
Jeremy primarily grew up in Castle Rock, CO, before moving to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. After finishing his undergraduate and graduate work at USC, he worked for seven years as a city planner with municipalities in the Los Angeles area. Most recently, he worked as an intern for the Southern Environmental Law Center in Chapel Hill. When he's not in class or spending time with his wife and 3 year old son, he enjoys lunchtime lectures, PALS (Parents Attending Law School) events, and Tuesday night trivia at James Joyce. Jeremy's favorite thing about Duke Law is his fellow students-he says it is a pleasure to spend his days at school with so many bright, fun, and friendly people.
Nikhil Palekar '09 - Group 13
Nikhil grew up near Cleveland, OH, and did his undergraduate and graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. He received his bachelor's degree in computer science in 2005 and his master's degree in security informatics in 2006. Much of Nikhil's coursework in graduate school focused on the policy issues associated with developing technologies such as the Internet and included courses in the areas of privacy law and IP law. Nikhil worked at the law firm of Amin, Turocy & Calvin from 2003-2006, where he performed patent prosecution and opinion work. This summer, Nikhil worked at the law firms of Alston & Bird and Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox where he performed patent prosecution and IP litigation work. He is currently the vice president of the Intellectual Property and Cyberlaw Society. His favorite thing about Duke Law is that students are relaxed and enjoy having a good time.
Vanessa Pi '09 - Group 14
Vanessa is from Miami, Florida and graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in finance. This summer she worked for a firm in Miami with practice groups from product liability defense to corporate, securities and tax. Vanessa says it was one of the best learning experiences of her life. Although she feels it is hard to pick a favorite activity, one that stands out is her involvement with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). She found it very fulfilling to assist local low-income individuals file their taxes and get a sizable tax refund, for some. Vanessa's favorite thing about Duke Law is the people. She notes that at Duke Law it is easy to make friends and feel at home right away.
Michael Pusateri '08 - Group 15
Michael grew up in Scarsdale, New York and studied labor relations at Cornell University. Prior to coming to law school, he worked as an intern at a major entertainment company, as a farm hand, and as a union organizer in New York City. Here at Duke, he is pursuing a JD/LLM in international and comparative law, and he spent half of last summer in-house at an investment bank and the other half at the international institute in Hong Kong. Michael is involved with the Duke Bar Association, serving as the 2007-08 DBA president. He also participates in the softball and bowling leagues, and is an articles editor on the Journal of Law and Contemporary Problems. Michael's favorite thing about Duke is the sincerity and enthusiasm of its student body.
Sonja Ralston Elder '09 - Group 16
Sonja (JD/MPP '09) hails from Denver, CO. After receiving bachelor's degrees in Spanish and theater from Texas Tech University, she spent two years teaching bilingual first grade in Richmond, CA for Teach For America. Last summer, Sonja worked for the Children's Education Law Clinic here at Duke, and she split this summer between Hogan & Hartson in D.C. and the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction, doing education work at both. For Sonja, the best part of law school, aside from all the fabulous people here, is that she can be involved in so many activities. Although it is hard to pick favorites, she especially enjoys her involvement in the Duke chapter of the American Constitution Society and the Moot Court Board.
Jeff Ward '09 - Group 20
Jeff and his wife, Taryn, are from Chicago and have two kids, a little one named Amelie and a really little one named Avery. He attended Notre Dame as an undergrad and received his masters in literature from Northern Illinois University before teaching high school English for a few years. At Duke, Jeff is the student director of the Duke Law Innocence Project and co-chair of Parents Attending Law School (PALS). His favorite spot in Durham is a popsicle store near campus called LocoPops. He encourages everyone to check it out on a hot day and suggests ordering a small, even if you're so excited about "Pomegranate Peach" that you're tempted to order a large. It's better to keep your options open for a second delicious flavor!
Jonathan Williams '09 - Group 17
Jonathan is somewhat of a rarity at Duke: a native North Carolinian. After growing up in Charlotte, he fled to Princeton, where he studied religion, spent ungodly hours on the newspaper staff, and realized that his home state wasn't so bad after all. But before he returned to school, he took a year off, filling it with time at the New York Times and a stint at the Charlotte firm of James, McElroy and Diehl. A resident of the far reaches of Trinity Park, he's enjoyed discovering that Durham is a much more interesting, complex, and tasty place than he thought before arriving. Bulls games, hikes at Eno River State Park, running on either of the campus trails, and eating at any of the great restaurants around downtown are his favorite ways to get out and see the area. Now that he's back after a summer split between Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson in Charlotte and Brooks Pierce in Raleigh, he's looking forward to plunging into second year. While moot court and Duke Law Journal will take a good chunk of his time, he says the best thing about Duke is the students and faculty, who have so many different interests and stories.
Jennifer Wimsatt '08 - Group 18
Jennifer is originally from Palmyra, a small town in Southern Indiana just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. She studied political science at Indiana University Southeast and was a waitress during college and then came straight to Duke as summer starter in the joint JD/LLM program Jennifer has been involved in both the Innocence Project and Vita pro-bono projects. Jennifer is also a research assistant for Professor Mitu Gulati, will be a teaching assistant for Distinctive Aspects of American Law taught by Professor Tom Metzloff, and is currently the Senior Research Editor on Duke Law Journal. Following her 1L year, she worked for City-YUWA Partners, a Japanese law firm in Tokyo, Japan and then participated in the Duke Law Asian American Institute in Hong Kong. She spent this past summer in Washington, D.C., at Williams & Connolly LLP, a firm which specializes in high stakes civil and criminal litigation. She says the people she has met at Duke are her favorite thing about the school, and found the committed yet non-competitive attitude of the students make it truly a great place to study.
Betty Yang '09 - Group 19
Betty is from Atlanta, Georgia, graduated from Emory University with a double major in philosophy and chemistry, and came straight to Duke Law after graduation. At Duke, Betty is involved in the Innocence Project, the Guardian ad Litem Program, Mock Trial Board, and Moot Court Board. Her favorite Law School activity so far has been Moot Court. Betty interned with Kilpatrick Stockton LLP in Atlanta this past summer, and she loved every second. Her favorite color is pink, and she is bubbly and generally likeable person, although she is often criticized for being too active on facebook and clogging mini-feeds. Betty's favorite non-Law School activities are bar review, shopping, Guitar Hero, bowling, and softball.