Hanna Wargula is a 3LE at Rutgers Law School. She is the treasurer of the Public Interest Law Student Association and a Fellow with the Immigrant Rights Clinic. Recently, she has worked with adult and youth immigrants through her legal internships on their BIA Appeal, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and Asylum cases. Hanna is a graduate of Seton Hall University where she received a dual B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations and Modern Languages (Spanish and Arabic). Prior to attending law school, Hanna was a care coordinator for immigrant survivors of torture in Buffalo, NY. She received a certificate in Global Medical Health from Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and is remains interested in immigrant mental health and how it relates to legal processes.

Erick Guerra is currently enrolled as an evening student at Rutgers Law School, expected graduation date of 2025. His concentration is in the field of immigration law, which stems from his personal experiences with the immigration system. His studies have focused on refugee and asylum law, immigration detention, and sanctuary law. In his professional role, Erick serves as the Director of Operations at Crenshaw Associates, an executive leadership development firm. His professional background spans operations, project management, and data analytics. Erick is a graduate of Berkeley College, holding a B.A. in Business, and holds a certificate in Project Management from New York University.

Tiffany Fahmy is a second-year student at Rutgers Business School, where she is pursuing a degree in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Supply Chain. Whilst she is in college, she is currently an eager Pre-Law student working with Dean Villazor on the CILPJ Project. She hopes to learn more as she continues her academic career to one day participate in the law world.

Diana is a 1LE at Rutgers Law School.  They are a class representative in the Immigrant Rights Collective at Rutgers, and an active member of the Rutgers Chapter of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).  They have B.A. in Psychology and in Political Science from Kean University.  Previous to law school, they have worked in technology and information security contracting, as well as in eDiscovery, with experience in healthcare and non-profits.  Diana lives in Newark, and is a proud member of Brick City Mutual Aid.

Samantha is a 1L at Rutgers Law School. She currently serves as the Public Relations Committee Leader for the National Lawyers Guild Rutgers-Newark chapter, and a 1L Representative for the Immigrant Rights Collective and APALSA. Samantha has a B.A. from Columbia in Statistics. Prior to law school, Samantha worked as a data manager for KIPP NYC through Education Pioneer’s Impact Fellowship. Right after undergrad, she was a consultant for IBM’s public sector practice and worked as a data analyst for federal agencies such as USPS and CMS. She is currently a Board Member for Khmer Arts Academy.

Patrick is a 2L at Rutgers Law School, where he currently serves as an Associate Editor of the Rutgers Law Record and as Treasurer of the Immigrant Rights Collective. For his 1L summer, Patrick interned with the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Rutgers, where he assisted with legal research primarily pertaining to asylum, cancellation of removal, and custody redetermination issues. Patrick received a B.A. in History from the University of Portland in 2018. Prior to attending law school, Patrick worked as a member of the faculty at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, where he taught American history, worked as an assistant to the service director, and volunteered as an assistant speech and debate coach.

Joseph is a 2L at Rutgers Law School. He currently serves as a Fellow at the Immigrant Rights Clinic, Lead Associate Editor for Rutgers Race & the Law Review, and Community Liaison in the LGBTQ Caucus. In the summer of 2020, Joseph interned at American Friends Service Committee, where he worked with immigrants detained in New Jersey and facing deportation. Joseph has a Master’s in Urban Planning from CUNY-Hunter College and a B.A. from NYU in Asian Pacific American Studies and Latino Studies. Prior to law school, Joseph worked in city government, tenant and immigrant rights, community development, and U.S.-China relations. He is a member of the Asian American Impact Fund and a founding member of GòngMíng Collective for Language Justice.

Alexandra Tran is a 3L student at Rutgers Law School. Prior to law school, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Alexandra is currently the Notes and Comments Editor for the Rutgers Race and the Law Review. She previously interned at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office in the Affirmative Civil Rights and Labor Enforcement section, where she conducted research pertaining to various areas of employment law.

Melgily J. Valdez is a 2019 graduate of Rutgers Law School. While at Rutgers Law, she was one of the inaugural CILPJ fellows. Additionally, she was a clinical associate in the Immigrant Rights Clinic with Professor Gupta working with alongside two fellow law students on an affirmative asylum application. Melgily works as a Program Coordinator at Partners for Women and Justice, assisting low income victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. She is a resident of West Orange.

Alma A. Godinez is a former evening student and now law graduate. Alma served as one of the inaugural fellows for the CILPJ during her 2LE year. Throughout her time in law school, Alma worked full time as a Program Coordinator for the Rutgers Child Advocacy Clinic on a project that provides immigration legal services to youth who have been involved with state’s child protection agency. Alma has also been involved with the Rutgers Immigrant Rights Collective and was elected Vice President of the organization during the 2018-2019 year. Alma served as a Publication Editor on the Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal. She also worked as a Clinical Law student in the Intellectual Property clinic. During her summers in law school, Alma interned at the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and served as a Summer Associate at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Mazel LLP. Alma is passionate about public interest work and immigration law. She plans to continue her involvement in immigration policy issues throughout her career.