Graduates Launch Careers Through Public Interest Fellowships

Public interest law is not a niche pursuit at Northwestern Pritzker Law — it is a defining feature of the school’s culture and mission. With dedicated career advising, robust clinical programs, and a thriving community of students committed to social justice, Pritzker consistently produces graduates who go on to shape the legal landscape for underserved communities. Each year, a significant number of students pursue public interest careers, supported by the school’s deep commitment to preparing lawyers who lead with purpose.

Four Northwestern Pritzker Law graduates have begun their careers in public interest as recipients of national fellowships. These 2026 graduates have dedicated their time and skills to causes such as eviction defense, supporting nonprofits advancing philanthropy and economic justice, and environmental advocacy in Appalachia. To help talented students launch public interest careers, external fellowships award them with competitive salaries, plus medical insurance coverage, to support one or two years of full-time service as a lawyer at a nonprofit or government agency.

Jehovahnie Saint Rose (Inner City Law Center Housing Justice Fellowship)

Jehovahnie Saint Rose Amankwa (JD ’26) was raised in Haiti and Long Island, New York. She earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. At Northwestern Pritzker Law, she enjoyed classes such as property law, healthcare law, international human rights, and intellectual property, and was recognized with the Thomas F. Geraghty Leadership Award and the BLSA 3L Legacy Award. She held multiple leadership roles across student organizations and fellowship programs including Street Law, the Black Law Students Association, Northwestern Prison Education Program, and the Visibility Initiative. Jehovahnie will begin her legal career in eviction defense at the Inner City Law Center in Los Angeles.

Tram H. Nguyen (National Center on Philanthropy and the Law Fellowship; Lawyers Alliance for New York)

Ngoc-Tram (Tram) H. Nguyen (JD-MBA ’26) is a JD-MBA graduate of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Kellogg School of Management. A Vietnamese immigrant from southern Vietnam and the first in her family to attend high school, college, and graduate school, Tram has dedicated her training to strengthening the legal and financial infrastructure of mission-driven organizations. During her time at Northwestern, she helped build Kellogg’s first-generation student community, creating space and support for students navigating higher education without the family roadmaps many of their peers have. She also provided direct legal services to immigrants at Instituto del Progreso Latino, worked with small business owners and nonprofits through the Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Clinic, and produced accessible legal resources at Illinois Legal Aid Online. A 2025-2026 fellow of UT Law’s Nonprofit Organizations Institute and recipient of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago Scholarship, Tram will join Lawyers Alliance for New York as a National Center on Philanthropy and the Law Fellow upon graduation, where she will support nonprofits advancing philanthropy and economic justice.

Tyeese Braslavsky (Equal Justice Works Fellowship, Legal Aid Chicago)

Tyeese Braslavsky (JD ’26) will be an Equal Justice Works Fellow in Legal Aid Chicago’s Housing Practice Group. Her passion for legal aid work stems from her love for her disabled sibling who struggled to maintain housing, her immigrant family’s experience living in subsidized housing, and watching her mom advocate for elderly and disabled clients as a caregiver. At Northwestern Pritzker Law, Tyeese spent her time working with Legal Aid Chicago, Access Living, the Law Center for Better Housing, and the Tenant Advocacy Clinic. She has served on the boards of the International Refugee Assistance Project and the Public Interest Law Group, volunteered with the Metropolitan Tenants Organization, Mano A Mano Family Resource Center, StreetLaw, and Legal Aid Chicago, and led the Law School rock band, Learned Band. As a fellow, Tyeese will be working on a project that defends tenants with disabilities from evictions resulting from symptoms of their disabilities through community education, building a network of support, and direct representation.

Deirdre Edward (Equal Justice Works Fellowship, Appalachian Mountain Advocates)

Deirdre Edward (JD/PhD ’26) is an Equal Justice Works Fellow and will be hosted by Appalachian Mountain Advocates (Appalmad), a nonprofit environmental law firm with cases across Appalachia. Her project addresses the rapid expansion of data centers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia, which is straining energy grids, polluting air and water, and driving up utility costs for Appalachian residents. At Appalmad, she will function as both scientist and litigator, drawing on her applied mathematics PhD to identify discrepancies in industry technical submissions, support expert testimony, and build a network of trusted technical experts for communities that often lack access to qualified witnesses. Deirdre completed her JD and PhD in Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics at Northwestern concurrently, with doctoral research focused on modeling civil infrastructure systems. During law school, she clerked at the Illinois Attorney General’s Environmental Enforcement Bureau and at Earthjustice’s Toxic Exposure and Health Program and worked as a student attorney at Northwestern’s Environmental Advocacy Center.

“Externally funded postgraduate fellowships remain one of the most powerful pathways into public interest law,” said Leah Gould, Assistant Dean of Public Interest. “Through these highly competitive opportunities, our graduates are able to launch innovative projects, build lasting partnerships, and advance Northwestern Pritzker Law’s mission of service and social justice nationwide”

Northwestern Pritzker Law is a leader in preparing students for public interest careers and pro bono work, with an unparalleled focus on advancing social justice. Founded in 2016, the Public Interest Center provides strategic leadership for key public interest initiatives on campus, advising and supporting students in their development as the next generation of public interest attorneys and leaders. Student-led groups such as the Public Interest Law Group further cultivate a vibrant public interest culture on campus.