Create Change Summer 2024
Executive Director's Message
“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”
— Nelson Mandela, human rights lawyer
It’s been a privilege to be a part of the Levin Center team for nearly a year now, and to work with and learn from our students. They are so insightful, passionate and empathetic! Their care for others’ well-being and dignity — without limitation to particular communities or geographies, but truly universally — is inspiring. And they are not waiting to become attorneys to live their values; they are already shaping and leading change on tremendously urgent and high-stakes issues like climate justice, state violence, and human rights. Throughout the past academic year, SLS students made time and devoted impressive energy to serve the public good: launching and leading pro bono projects, contributing their skills through their clinical courses, and interning with organizations and agencies to try to better the world.
Last week, Dean Anna Wang and I travelled to SLS receptions in New York City and Washington D.C. You can check out some photos below. It was wonderful to meet and get to know so many SLS alumni — many of whom generously give their time as Public Interest Alumni Mentors to our current students — and to reconnect with students immersed in their fast-paced summer internships. We even met a few incoming SLS students who we are so excited to see on campus this fall.
Our team is looking forward to getting to know the class of 2027 and reuniting with our returning students and faculty at our Fall Welcome Reception! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our summer issue of Create Change. I welcome your feedback!
With Appreciation,
Shannon
SLS Students' Leadership and Service Celebrated at Spring Awards Reception
On Monday, May 20 in the Russo Lounge, The Levin Center and the Office of Student Affairs co-hosted our annual Spring Community Leadership and Public Interest Awards Reception to celebrate the extensive public interest and community leadership accomplishments of our students. At this annual reception, three student awards — the Leon M. Cain Community Leadership Award, Lisa M. Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship, and Deborah L. Rhode Public Interest Award — are presented to the year’s honorees.
The Leon M. Cain Community Leadership Award is presented each year to a student from each class for outstanding contributions to enhancing the Stanford Law School community. This year’s awardees were Marie Wako, JSD candidate; Stefan Suazo ’24; Salma Abdelrahman ’25; and Donya Nasser ’26.
Ariel Salmon ‘26 was awarded this year’s Lisa M. Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship, which is given to an outstanding first-year student dedicated to public interest law. She was presented with her award by 2023 Schnitzer Memorial Awardee Mahshad Badii ’25.
This year’s Deborah L. Rhode Public Interest Award recipients were Ben Clark ’24, Lauren Courtney ’24, and Shafeen Pittal ’24. The award recognizes graduating J.D. students or teams for exceptional contributions to underrepresented groups or public interest causes through non-scholarly public service during law school.
Interim Dean Paul Brest in his remarks to reception guests also congratulated SLS students graduating with Pro Bono Distinction. Seventeen 2024 graduates earned Highest Pro Bono Distinction for contributing over 150 hours of pro bono service during their time at SLS. Twenty-two earned High Pro Bono Distinction for over 100 hours of service, and seventy-seven earned Pro Bono Distinction for completing 50 hours or more of pro bono service. Overall, the class of 2024 distinguished itself by performing 15,932 hours of pro bono service during their time at the law school. That is the equivalent of more than 8 years of one attorney’s full-time work!
We also celebrated our students’ mentoring of their incoming classmates through the PI-FAMM (Public Interest Fellows, Associates, Mentors and Mentees) program. And we applauded graduates embarking on roles in government honors programs; as fellows through the Skadden, Equal Justice Works and SLS Fellowship programs; and as new public interest attorneys.
Read more about our awardees in the press release.
All photos by Monica Schreiber.
Students Contribute Pro Bono Service on Alternative Spring Break Trips
This year saw enthusiastic participation in SLS’s acclaimed Alternative Break Program, in which students use their spring break to travel to different cities providing support and services to local communities.
This year, forty-five students travelled to locations around the country to contribute their legal skills and provide other requested support to local organizations. This year’s projects took students to Detroit, Michigan to work with Michigan Legal Services + United Community Housing Coalition; Laredo, Texas to work with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid; New Orleans, Louisiana to work with Orleans Public Defenders; San Jose, California to work with the Records Clearance Project of San Jose State University; St. Louis, Missouri to work with ArchCity Defenders; and Klamanth, California to work with the Yurok Tribal Court.
“I spent my week with Orleans Public Defenders taking notes for my attorney on a murder trial. Having just finished my 1L criminal law course, the opportunity to see these concepts applied in real time and hear from attorneys about case strategy was invaluable,” reflected Ariel Salmon ’26 about her Alternative Spring Break service in New Orleans. “The experience of being in a trial is going to stay with me. And outside of work, we did a really great tour on the Steamboat Natchez!”
You can read more about our students’ Alternative Spring Break projects in the press release.
SLS Alumni and Students Gather at NY and DC Summer Receptions
In July, Levin Center joined SLS alumni and students at receptions in New York City and Washington D.C. We even had a chance to meet some brilliant and energetic incoming members of the class of 2027!
On July 10, SLS Alumni Relations held a reception for alumni and students in Washington D.C. The gathering, at Dirty Habit, brought together dozens of SLS students and alumni working in government agencies, private practice and nonprofit organizations who caught up while taking respite from the heat.
On July 9 in Manhattan, the Levin Center convened alumni and students in public interest and public service to a reception hosted by Neufeld, Scheck, Brustin, Hoffman & Freudenberger. The gathering reunited — and introduced for the first time — students and alum working at private public interest firms, government agencies and a wide range of nonprofit advocacy and direct service organizations.
We look forward to seeing all our students — returning and incoming — on campus this fall, and staying in touch with all of our generous Public Interest Alumni Mentors.
About Create Change
Create Change is designed and produced quarterly by the staff of the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law. Unless specifically noted, all articles are written by staff.
Associate Dean for Public Service and Public Interest Law: Anna Wang
Executive Director: Shannon Al-Wakeel
Director, Pro Bono and Externship Programs: Mike Winn
Director, Public Interest Career Development Program: Shafaq Khan
Public Interest Career Counselor: Kevin Lo
Program Manager: Melanie Stone
Research Assistant: Noelle Andrew, BA ’24
To be notified when new issues of the newsletter are available, please visit this website.
Create Change is published via email and past issues are available on our website. Articles, letters, and photos are welcome. Please send them to public.interest@law.stanford.edu.
You can visit us on the web at:
law.stanford.edu/levin-center
www.facebook.com/levin-center