Pre-Fellowship Experience

Pre-Fellowship Experience

Murnaghan Fellows come from law schools and clerkships across the country and bring a broad range of educational, professional, and personal experiences to the fellowship. A number of our fellows gained substantial work experience prior to law school, including in policy advocacy, teaching, the arts, and labor organizing. Some of our fellows have worked in leadership roles in student organizations; others have published articles on topics in civil rights and poverty law. A number were participants in clinical programs during law school. Many of our fellows come from the communities whose interests the Fellowship seeks principally to serve.

All of our fellows have completed a post-law school judicial clerkship and demonstrate a commitment to the practice of public interest law.

Past Murnaghan Fellows

Melanie Babb, 2023-24 Fellow

Law school:
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

Clerkships:

  • Christopher B. Kehoe on the Appellate Court of Maryland
  • Andrea F. Kelly for Baltimore City Circuit Court

Hayley Hahn, 2023-24 Fellow

Law school:
University of Virginia 

Clerkships:

  • Carlton W. Reeves, U.S District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

Michael Abrams, 2021-22 Fellow

Law school:
University of Michigan

Clerkships:

  • Roger L. Gregory, U.S. Court of the Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • Kathleen Cardone, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

Olivia Sedwick, 2020-21 Fellow

Law school:
Howard University

Clerkships:

  • Roger L. Gregory, U.S. Court of the Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • Kathleen Cardone, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • Carl E. Stewart, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Dena Robinson, 2019-20 Fellow

Law school:
University of Maryland

Clerkships:

  • Alexander Wright, Jr., Court of Special Appeals of Maryland

Ejaz Baluch, Jr., 2018-19 Fellow

Law school:
George Washington University

Clerkships:

  • George L. Russell, III, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

K’shaani Smith, 2017-18 Fellow

Law school:
Howard University

Clerkships:

  • Roger L. Gregory, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • George L. Russell, III, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
  • James S. Carroll, III, and Denise M. Francois, Superior Court of the Virgin Islands

Anthony May, 2016-17 Fellow

Law school:

University of Maryland

Clerkships:

  • Deborah Sweet Eyler, Court of Special Appeals of Maryland

Tassity Johnson, 2015-16 Fellow

Law school:
Yale University

Clerkships:

  • Martha Craig Daughtrey, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Anna Jagelewski, 2014-15 Fellow

Law school:
American University

Clerkships:

  • Andre Davis, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Ilana Gelfman, 2013-14 Fellow

Law school:
Yale University

Clerkships:

  • Stephen Breyer, U.S. Supreme Court (post-fellowship)
  • Robert A. Katzmann, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • Douglas P. Woodlock, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Jean Zachariasiewicz, 2012-13 Fellow

Law school:
Columbia Law School 

Clerkships:

  • Fortunato P. Benavides, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Myron H. Thompson, Middle District of Alabama

Thomas Davies, 2011-12 Fellow

Law school:
Harvard University

Clerkships:

  • Judge James L. Dennis, U.S Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Jessica Weber, 2010-11 Fellow

Law school:
Yale University

Clerkships:

  • Catherine C. Blake, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Monisha Cherayil, 2009-10 Fellow

Law school:
Georgetown University

Clerkships:

  • Judge Phyllis Thompson, U.S District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Matt Hill, 2008-09 Fellow

Law school:
American University

Clerkships:

  • Deborah S. Eyler, Maryland Court of Special Appeals

Gregory Care, 2007-08 Fellow

Law school:
University of Baltimore

Clerkships:

  • Glenn T. Harrell, Jr., Maryland Court of Appeals

Janet Hostetler, 2006-07 Fellow

Law school:
New York University

Roscoe Jones, Jr., 2005-06 Fellow

Law school:
University of Virginia 

Clerkships:

  • Judge Alexander Williams, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
  • Judge Carl Stewart, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Beth Mellen, 2004-05 Fellow

Law school:
Harvard University

Clerkships:

  • Catherine C. Blake, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Joshua Auerbach, 2003-04 Fellow

Law school:
Harvard University

Clerkships:

  • Diana Gribbon Motz, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Wendy Hess, 2002-03 Fellow

Law school:
University of South Dakota

Clerkships:

  • Honorable John C. Eldridge, Maryland Court of Appeals
  • William Nickerson, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Lewis Yelin, 2001-02 Fellow

Law school:
Columbia University

Clerkships:

  • Betty Fletcher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit