Liman Law Fellows Program

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, 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, 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. 

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 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  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 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 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 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.