Beyond Barnard

Liman Law Fellows Program

Providing funding and support to Barnard students interested in interning during the summer at organizations that advance the public interest — as well as access to the annual Liman Colloquium at Yale Law School.

 

Meet the 2023 & 2024 Barnard Liman Law Fellows

Anusha Merchant

Anusha Merchant is a junior at Barnard pursuing a degree in Political Science and concentration in Ethnicity and Race Studies. As a Liman Fellow, she served as a legal intern at Government Accountability Project, assisting Senior Counsel in litigation to promote corporate and government accountability, protect whistleblowers, and advance free speech. Previously, she worked at Columbia's Knight First Amendment Institutie, conducting research to support the organization's free speech scholarship. She has also worked as a legal intern at CAIR-NY, protecting civil rights and promoting justice for Muslim Americans, like herself. Through this work and the Liman Fellowship, Anusha has gained a passion for social justice and hopes to pursue a future career in public interest and First Amendment rights.

 

Lauren Zhou

Lauren Zhou, a senior from Manila, Philippines, is pursuing a major in History with a minor in Political Science on a pre-law track. Her interest in Asian American communities in New York City is personal. As an Asian American who has spent most of her life outside the United States, she has always regarded Flushing, Queens— where her grandparents and aunt live — as a home away from home. As part of the Arthur Liman Fellowship, Lauren interned under the General Counsel of the Chinese American Planning Council—an organization dedicated to empowering Asian immigrant communities in the city. Inspired by her experiences, she is channeling her passion into her senior thesis and Scholars of Distinction project, exploring the influence of Asian immigration on the business landscape of Flushing, Queens, post-1965.

Adeline Larsen

Adeline Larsen, originally from Chicago, is a sociology major and English minor with a concentration in human rights. This summer, she returned home to intern with the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services, working out of the city's domestic violence courthouse with their Safety and Family practice group. On campus, Adeline is involved with student-led immigration justice work and the Justice-In-Education initiative at Rikers; she also plays cello with the Columbia Bach Society. Adeline plans to take time off before heading to law school, building a foundation to ground her future legal advocacy work in the ideals of community-driven solutions and whole-person care. 

 

Dana Molina

The Liman Fellowship provided Dana with the opportunity to work as a Paralegal Intern at The Brave House, a non-profit in Brooklyn servicing young immigrant women. Dana spent her summer completing an entire asylum case under supervision from the founder, and ultimately filing the case in late september. Dana learned so many new aspects of what public interest legal work looks like, and still maintains her connections with Liman Fellows from other schools.

 

Guadalupe Vasquez ‘25

Guadalupe Vasquez is a junior double-majoring in Human Rights & Spanish and Latin American Cultures. She is passionate about immigration justice and plans on pursuing law school to become an immigration attorney. As a Liman Law Fellow, she will intern with Jubilee Immigration Advocates, a San Francisco-based law firm representing the Bay Area’s most vulnerable and marginalized immigrant communities.

 

Ana Victoria Serna ‘25

Ana Victoria  is a senior studying History with a concentration in Rights, Law, and the State. She is deeply interested in the legal intersections of border surveillance, immigration, labor power, and ongoing imperialism. Ana Victoria will work on the Immigration/Special Litigation team at Mobilization for Justice, a NPO that provides free legal services to multi-marginalized New Yorkers.

Esther Park ‘25

Esther Park is a junior at Barnard, studying Political Science and Religion. For the Liman Fellowship, she will be expanding her career in the field of philanthropy by working with the McNulty Foundation as a Summer Associate focusing on Programs and Outreach.

Lanah Wyne ‘25

Lanah is a junior pursuing a major in political science and human rights. As a New York City native, Lanah has been offered many valuable experiences to get involved in her community. She is deeply committed to advancing equal access to justice through legal advocacy.

Emma Kaneira ‘25

Emma Kaneira is an English Literature and Economics double major from Texas. This summer she will be interning at the New York Legal Assistance Group, a non profit in NYC dedicated to providing legal services for low income New Yorkers. Previously she was a Laidlaw Scholar, and worked this past summer at the Unstable Archives research group at the University of Pennsylvania. She hopes to attend law school after graduating from Barnard.

About the Liman Law Fellows Program

Applications for the 2024 cycle are closed. The application process for 2025 will begin in February 2025.

The Liman Law Fellows Program offers funding and support to Barnard students who wish to work at organizations that serve the public interest. Barnard is one of only eight institutions nationwide (the others are Brown University, Bryn Mawr College, Harvard University, Princeton University, Spelman College, Stanford University, and Yale University) where undergraduates are eligible to participate in this program. Liman Fellows spend a summer gaining professional experience that promotes social justice and equity in publicly-funded or nonprofit organizations or agencies. Qualifying work includes law-related services for the public — such as helping those who cannot afford attorneys — as well as advocacy and policy work that supports underserved communities.

Liman Fellows will take part in the Liman Colloquium, held every April at Yale Law School, where they will join students, scholars, and advocates from around the country. Through their involvement with the program and the Colloquium, Fellows become part of a robust network of public interest advocates.

Any student entering their second, third, or fourth year is eligible, regardless of their major. Intention to apply to law school is not required.

The Liman Law Fellows Program is funded by the generous support of the Liman Foundation and philanthropic contributors to the Beyond Barnard Internship Program.

Program Details

  • $6,000 stipend; Fellows are eligible for subsidized on-campus housing at Barnard College
  • 8-10 weeks of in-person summer work at a publicly-funded or nonprofit public interest, social service, cultural, or government agency
  • A final report detailing a student's internship experience is due to the Liman Foundation at the end of the summer

Qualifications:

  • Students entering their second, third, or fourth year
  • Interest in public interest services, advocacy, and social justice
  • Commitment to participate in an internship for 8-10 weeks
  • Desire and ability to attend the Liman Colloquium at Yale Law School (participation is required, and costs of attendance are covered by Beyond Barnard)

Note that performing clerical work for a judge or serving as an academic researcher/assistant are not eligible work experiences. Questions about the program can be addressed to beyondbarnard@joe-yan.net.

Previous Barnard Participants:

Barnard's Liman Law Fellows have proceeded to careers at a range of institutions. Information about their Liman Placement is included below:

2024 Fellows:

  • Lanah Wyne ‘25, Brooklyn Defenders
  • Emma Kaneira ‘25, New York Legal Assistance Group  
  • Guadalupe Vasquez ‘25, Jubilee Immigration Advocates
  • Ana Victoria Serna ‘25, Damayan
  • Esther Park ‘25, McNulty Foundation 

2023 Fellows:

  • Adeline Larsen ’24 Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services
  • Anusha Merchant 25’ Government Accountability Project
  • Dana Molina ’25 The Brave House
  • Lauren Zhou ’24 Chinese-American Planning Council

2022 Fellows:

  • Sharmie Azurel '23 (Liman Fellows Placement: Asian American Bar of New York)
  • Victoria Cadostin '23 (Liman Fellows Placement: National Immigration Law Center)
  • Renata Happle '24 (Liman Fellows Placement: Earth Law Center)
  • Mary Ingram '23 (Liman Fellows Placement: Brooklyn Defender Services)

2021 Fellows:

  • Toby Shore '22 (Liman Fellows Placement: Youth Justice Network)
  • Natalie Romain '22 (Liman Fellows Placement: Children's Defense Fund)
  • Niharika Rao '23, (Liman Fellows Placement: New York Legal Assistance Group)
  • Caroline Cole '22 (Liman Fellows Placement: Civil Rights Clinic at Cardozo Law School)

2020 Fellows:

  • Rachel Barkin '22 (Liman Fellows Placement: Emerging Adult Justice Project)
  • Alexandra Berdon '21 (Liman Fellows Placement: Title IX, Columbia University School of Law)
  • Nikita Samtani '21 (Liman Fellows Placement: Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services)
  • Julia Tecotzky '21 (Liman Fellows Placement: Center for Appellate Litigation)

2019 Fellows:

  • Iga Szlendak '21 (Liman Fellows Placement: The Legal Aid Society)
  • Nathalie Kahn '20 (Liman Fellows Placement: New York Supreme Court)
  • Samaha Hossain '20 (Liman Fellows Placement: New York Legal Aid Society)
  • Anna Sugrue '20 (Liman Fellows Placement: Columbia Law School Clinic on Challenging the Consequences of Mass Incarceration)

2018 Fellows:

  • Alida Pitcher-Murray ’19 (Liman Fellows Placement: The Door)
  • Rose Reiken ’20 (Liman Fellows Placement: The Children's Law Center)
  • Ruth Sherman ’19 (Liman Fellows Placement: Legal research for Professor Brett Dignam, Columbia Law School Mass Incarceration Clinic)
  • Shreya Sunderram ’19 Liman Fellows Placement: Legal and Policy Division of  NYC Public Advocate Letitia James’ Office, Civil Rights Investigations and Policy)