The Local Solutions Support Center (LSSC) is a national hub that coordinates and creates efforts to counter the abuse of preemption and strengthen local democracy. Our goals are to raise awareness of state preemption and its consequences, reduce the use of this threat to local autonomy, and strengthen the power of local governments to advance policies that promote equity, inclusion, public health, and civic participation.We are committed to creating a more equitable and just society by dismantling historic and current systems of oppression that exclude and harm BIPOC, LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, and workers in low-wage industries. We’re committed to supporting this work by both sharing best practices and supporting locally led strategies that center local expertise and lived experience.

International IDEA advances, promotes and protects sustainable democracy worldwide in consideration of human rights commitments through policy-relevant knowledge, capacity development, advocacy, and the convening of dialogues.The Institute has a unique position as the only intergovernmental organization solely dedicated to supporting democracy worldwide with a permanent UN Observer status. Combined with its convening power towards multilateral, national actors, democracy defenders and civil society, International IDEA plays a unique role in harnessing collective global action to champion, defend and advance democracy.International IDEA considers democracy essential for promoting and guaranteeing human rights, and believes that participation in political life, including government, is part of human rights, proclaimed and guaranteed by international treaties and declarations, as well as the Institute’s Statutes.International IDEA’s focus remains support to and advancement of democracy, with the acknowledgement that such progress requires adherence to universal and legally binding human rights commitments. Respect for human rights, democracy, equality, and the rule of law continue to underpin all aspects of the Institute’s work.

Equal Access Fellows spend five weeks working at Validity, where they learn about the practice of law and litigation funding, and then have the option to spend the remaining five weeks either at Validity, or working at the pro bono organization or public service agency of their choice. Validity pays the students’ salaries for the entirety of the program.While at Validity, fellows learn about the litigation finance sector and its increasing role in leveling the playing field in commercial disputes and ensuring that companies with meritorious claims have equal access to the courts. They assist in analyzing potential case investments, participate in meetings with claimants and lawyers, and conduct legal research on topics related to litigation and dispute funding. Participants are chosen through a highly selective process that includes interviews, a review of academic performance, and the submission of an essay addressing factors that influenced their decision to train as lawyers.

This position entailed working as a tutor and mentor for the TRIALS program. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to teach 20 incredible scholars about the LSAT and the law school admissions process on their journey towards a legal education.

Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all.Our work is guided by international human rights and humanitarian law and respect for the dignity of each human being.

Trials is a unique partnership of Harvard Law School, NYU School of Law, and the Advantage Testing Foundation. It is a fully subsidized summer study program for students of modest means whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented at the nation’s top law schools.For five weeks in the summer, Trials students take residence at Harvard or New York University. The residency alternates from year to year.Each week, instructors from Advantage Testing prepare Trials students for the LSAT by deconstructing the test and presenting a step-by-step approach to each question type. Students maintain a rigorous practice testing schedule, frequently sitting for full-length official LSATs under simulated testing conditions. Working closely with their instructors, students learn to develop an individualized study plan, focus their preparation, and apply the core principles they master.Trials students also attend lectures presented by prominent lawyers, public figures, and legal scholars, including distinguished faculty from both NYU Law and Harvard Law School. These lectures provide a wide-ranging introduction to the study and practice of the law while giving students the opportunity to ask specific questions related to their particular fields of interest.Perhaps most important, Trials allows students to experience communities similar to those they will encounter in law school. Students form study groups to challenge, motivate, and inspire one another. In lunches with instructors and speakers, students can take part in informal discussions to learn more about the law, their peers, and themselves.Finally, Trials is committed to taking full advantage of the resources of its host locations. Students enter the field in Boston and New York City to meet with and observe lawyers at work, garnering practical experience that complements the academic curriculum.

Americas Society (AS)is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Its mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social, and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.Council of the Americas (COA)is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council's membership consists of leading international companies representing a broad spectrum of sectors, including banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology, and transportation.