University of Virginia School of Law students used their talents to serve the greater good this year, from helping people rebuild their lives post-conviction to getting new state legislation passed. These 10 stories capture the range of academic and extracurricular service projects in 2023 and profile students who have dedicated their time to helping others.
Decarceration Clinic’s Busy Year Rebuilding Lives
In the year since the Decarceration and Community Reentry Clinic started at UVA Law, students have helped free five people imprisoned in Louisiana, launched a program to educate incarcerated people about financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and connected dozens of clients with services needed to rebuild their lives.
Students Present Research on Hate Speech to Lawyers in South Africa
Several members of the Black Law Students Association traveled to South Africa for the group’s annual international service trip. They conducted and presented legal research on international hate speech law to attorneys with the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.
Clinic Helps Pass Mental Health Reforms in Virginia
With the help of two State and Local Government Policy Clinic students, mental health legislation to address overcrowding in the state’s hospital emergency rooms became law. Michael Ferguson ’24 and Clare Hachten ’24 worked with state Sen. Creigh Deeds on bills to reform temporary detention orders, or TDOs, which allow courts to direct a law enforcement officer to take an at-risk person into custody and transport them to a specified facility for mental health treatment.
Students Volunteer Their Services for Spring Break
While college students across the country may have been traveling for fun during their spring breaks this year, 53 UVA Law students donated their legal skills as part of the 15th annual Alternative Spring Break, organized by the student-led Public Interest Law Association. The spring break’s programming director, Elizabeth Putfark ’24, said she’s hoping next year’s spring break will continue to expand into other spheres of public interest work.
Future Prosecutor Brings Urgent Drive and Open Mind to Manhattan D.A.’s Office
Adam Younger ’23, now a prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, was inspired to go to law school after witnessing the 9/11 attacks up close and watching his father plead guilty to a tax crime. At UVA Law, Younger said he actively sought out relationships and information that challenge his existing habits and opinions.
16 Members of Class of 2023 Planning To Serve in Public Defender Roles
Sixteen members of the Class of 2023 obtained positions as public defenders or planned to serve in the role after a clerkship. Leah Gould, assistant dean for public service at the Law School, noted that the number is a new high for recent classes and could be a record.
Former Schoolteacher Mary Merkel ’23 Aims To Help Adolescents in New York
As a schoolteacher in a small town in Mississippi, Mary Merkel ’23 saw that at-risk students need strong advocates outside the classroom just as much as they do inside of it. As UVA Law’s latest Equal Justice Works Fellow, she will be that advocate for special education students in the Bronx, under the sponsorship of law firm Greenberg Traurig.
Ruby Cherian ’23 To Pursue Civil Rights Claims on Behalf of Incarcerated
A sense of commitment, particularly to justice and those in need, carried Ruby Cherian ’23 through college and law school and earned her a two-year appointment as an Equal Justice America fellow at the Legal Aid Justice Center in Richmond, where she joined the civil rights and racial justice unit. She planned to pursue civil right claims on behalf of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.
Pro Bono Award Recipient Tallied 468 Hours of Service
Kara Hafermalz ’23 volunteered 468 hours over her three years at UVA Law and received the school’s annual Pro Bono Award at graduation. She said she plans to maintain her focus on pro bono work not only because the experience was rewarding in law school, but also to pay forward the support and love she felt from the UVA community.
Student, Former Naval Aviator Reflects on Service, Including Brush With ‘Top Gun’
Ahead of Veterans Day, Lt. Cmdr. Eli Sinai ’26 reflected on the path that led him from naval aviation to his new dream of serving the United States through the legal system — with a connection to “Top Gun: Maverick” in between. He was influenced to enlist by mentors like his high school coaches.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
