Three Yale Law School Alums, One Student Receive 2015 Skadden Fellowships

Four of the 2015 Skadden Public Interest Fellowships have been awarded to Yale Law School alumni and a student: Christopher Lapinig ’13, Sheela Ramesh ’14, Daniella Rohr ’15, and Cody Wofsy ’13. The fellowships were given to a group of 28 graduating law students and judicial clerks who are devoting the next two years of their professional careers to public interest work. Skadden Fellows are provided with a salary and fringe benefits for a two-year period. Further information on the four Yale Law School Skadden Fellows and the organizations and issues they will be working on is below.

Christopher Lapinig ’13, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Los Angeles, CA
Lapinig will focus on direct representation and culturally sensitive advocacy to Filipino human trafficking survivors on a range of issues, including wage and hour violations, anti-retaliation, and anti-discrimination claims on their behalf. He will also connect survivors to mental health resources and social services. Additionally, Lapinig will forge a robust anti-trafficking coalition of community leaders and government officials to facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Sheela Ramesh ’14, Bay Area Legal Aid, Oakland, CA
Ramesh will work on the provision of comprehensive direct legal services and systemic advocacy on behalf of commercially sexually exploited youth and those most at risk of exploitation in the Bay Area. She will facilitate access to physical and mental health care, education, cash/food assistance, safe housing, and social services.

Daniella Rohr ’15, The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division, New York, NY
Rohr will provide direct representation and impact litigation to enforce the rights of children in the foster care system with psychiatric conditions, specifically those that have been psychiatrically hospitalized and/or prescribed psychotropic medication.

Cody Wofsy ’13, American Civil Liberties Union—Immigrants' Rights Project, San Francisco, CA
Wofsy will work to challenge the anticipated backlash against the new administrative immigration relief program. He will focus on access to drivers’ licenses, professional and commercial licenses, and higher and adult education through direct representation, impact litigation, advocacy, and community education.

The Skadden Fellowship program began in 1989 by the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in honor of the firm’s 40th anniversary and in recognition of the dire need for greater funding for graduating law students and judicial clerks who are dedicating their careers to providing legal services to underserved members of society. For a full list of this year’s fellows, visit the Skadden Foundation website.