Access to The Champion archive is one of many exclusive member benefits. It’s normally restricted to just NACDL members. However, this content, and others like it, is available to everyone in order to educate the public on why criminal justice reform is a necessity.

Spring is often referred to as the season of renewal, but at NACDL it may be more appropriate to refer to summer as the season of renewal. For several years now, NACDL has been fortunate to have brilliant and engaging students from across the country serve as interns. The arrival of the students is always an exciting time, as the influx of young people with a keen interest in NACDL’s mission is a reminder of the enduring importance of the defense function. The interns and law clerks who serve at NACDL are offered an unparalleled opportunity to learn about the foremost issues facing America’s criminal justice system and the Association’s broad efforts to pursue reform. NACDL’s interns and law clerks are able to attend events in and around Washington, D.C., and partake in a series of educational tutorials organized by NACDL’s policy staff. This year, under the leadership of National Security and Privacy Counsel Mason Clutter, NACDL was fortunate to host six talented interns — three law students and three undergraduates.

Now in its fifth year, NACDL also proudly sponsors a Summer Law Fellowships Program. The purpose of the fellowship is to advance diversity in the criminal defense community by giving underrepresented populations an opportunity to gain experience in a criminal defense law practice. It provides law students who aspire to a career in criminal defense the unique opportunity to spend several weeks working side-by-side with practicing criminal defense attorneys on the front lines.NACDL funded three Fellows this year — one each in New York, N.Y., Denver, Colo., and Washington, D.C. The program operates under the auspices of NACDL’s Diversity Task Force, chaired by NACDL member Geneva Vanderhorst of Washington, D.C.

NACDL Interns

Malcolm McNeil is a senior at George Washington University. He is completing his degree in Criminal Justice. He worked with Cynthia Roseberry, Clemency Project 2014 project manager.  Malcolm chose NACDL because of his desire to work hands on with criminal defense issues, specifically with clemency. He helped with data input and assisting volunteers regarding training questions. Prior to this legal internship, he spent his summer at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, where he taught reading and writing skills to children. Malcolm’s professional goals include attending law school and working as a criminal defense lawyer. 

Sara Shafi recently completed her third year at Georgetown University Law Center. At NACDL, Sara served as an intern with Cynthia Roseberry, Clemency Project 2014 project manager. She helped with grassroots and organizational work, assisting Cynthia in setting up the project. Sara set her sights on NACDL’s internship program because of her belief in the clemency mission. Her previous legal internship experience includes the ACLU, where she examined the female prison population. Additionally, she interned at Women for Women International, where she helped provide support to women in underdeveloped countries. She hopes her work at NACDL leads to work in social entrepreneurship. Sara completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. She majored in Criminology and Criminal Justice and minored in American Studies.

Adrian Slipski, who has agreed to extend his tenure at NACDL beyond the summer season, is a senior at American University with a double major in Film and History. He works with State Legislative Affairs Director Angelyn Frazer, and his projects have included helping to organize NACDL’s 13th annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference. Adrian also has assisted with some of the pre-planning for the 2015 conference. His interest in NACDL stemmed from his experience as a research media intern at the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, where he worked on criminal justice issues. After graduating, Adrian plans to attend law school and then eventually work as a criminal defense lawyer or in public health policy.

Tiffany Sommadossi is a second-year student at American University Washington College of Law. Throughout the summer, Tiffany worked with NACDL National Security and Privacy Counsel Mason Clutter, helping to advocate for legislative reform to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Additionally, she focused on building support for regulations to govern the use of domestic surveillance drones by law enforcement and federal agencies. Tiffany was excited to join NACDL because of her interest in advocating for policy reform on issues related to national security. She majored in International Studies and minored in Human Rights at the University of Chicago and previously interned at the National Immigration Justice Center, working on asylum law.

Steven Vitale is a third-year student at the University of Miami School of Law. At NACDL, Steven worked with Tiffany Joslyn and Shana-Tara Regon in the White Collar Crime Policy Department. He conducted research on the legislative history of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and how different courts have interpreted it. He also contributed to important work on discovery reform. Steven was drawn to NACDL because of its outstanding reputation in providing criminal defense lawyers with training and instruction designed to improve their practice, as well as the Association’s many efforts to address policy issues that affect criminal law. He received his undergraduate degree at Rollins College, majoring in Religious Studies and Philosophy and minoring in Classical Studies. He previously served as a judicial intern with Judge Ursula Ungaro in the Southern District of Florida.

Diversity Task Force 2014 Summer Law Fellows

Tiffany Justice was a Summer Fellow with the Law Office of Lisa M. Wayne in Denver, Colo. Over the course of her fellowship, Tiffany had the opportunity to assist with legal research and writing and also had the chance to observe many lawyers in action. She was particularly inspired by how the criminal defense lawyers sought to put their clients’ backgrounds in context and worked to mitigate consequences. Tiffany recently completed her third year at the University of Idaho College of Law, where she was a member of the Student Bar Association Judiciary, vice chair of the Native American Law Student Association, and treasurer for the International Law Students Association. She also completed pro bono work on behalf of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Law and Order Committee and served as a law clerk in the District Court Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Tiffany obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Gonzaga University.

Omar Saleem Jr. worked as a Summer Fellow with the Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) of Harlem in New York City. Omar’s interest in NDS stemmed from his desire to travel beyond his native Florida and learn about a different state’s legal system. After completing his Summer Fellowship, Omar plans to continue for two years as an NDS Fellow. Omar graduated from the Emory University School of Law in the spring of 2014. While a student, he served as the vice president of social affairs for the Graduate Student Association and vice president of academic affairs for the Emory University School of Law SBA. He completed internships with the Fulton County Public Defender’s Office, the DeKalb County Office of the Public Defender, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He also served as a mediator for the Fulton County Landlord Tenant Mediation Program. Omar completed his bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Florida.

Makia Weaver was a Summer Fellow with Harden & Pinckney LLC in Washington, D.C. Her experience at Harden & Pinckney was so enriching that she extended her fellowship for an extra month. While there, among other projects, she worked on motions to suppress in drug possession cases. Makia’s professional goal is to become a criminal defense attorney, and she said that this experience made her more passionate about criminal defense work. Makia is a second-year student at American University Washington College of Law, where she is a member of the Equal Justice Foundation and the Black Law Students Association. Last summer, Makia was a student at the Charles Hamilton Houston Law School Preparatory Institute. She previously worked as an intern with the Offender Aid and Restoration/Crisis Intervention Team in Charlottesville, Va., and with the U.S. Department of Commerce. She studied Psychology and Spanish at the University of Virginia.

GMU Student Helps Inform Public About NACDL’s Mission

By Isaac Kramer 

Ghazal Azizzada is a sophomore at George Mason University. She is majoring in Communications with a concentration in Journalism, while also minoring in Women and Gender Studies. At NACDL, Ghazal worked closely with Ivan Dominguez in the Public Affairs and Communications Department. Early in the summer, Ghazal contributed to the creation of a blog covering the training NACDL members conducted in Liberia. Ghazal also assisted in drafting several news releases, the management of NACDL’s social media presence, and updating NACDL’s website. She particularly enjoyed combining her interest in journalism with the opportunity to learn about the many important issues facing America’s criminal justice system. Ghazal’s previous experience includes a public relations internship with Iranian Alliances Across Borders.

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