Name: Sheree Brewer '23
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Undergrad: Rowan Univeristy
Interests: Family Law, Public Health, Public Interest

Shéree Brewer’s determination to pursue family law, public health, and social justice is derived from her own encounters with our legal system.  She is motivated to influence the decisions that are made regarding restraining orders, passionate concerning creating a healthy relationships curriculum for the youth, and adamant about diminishing the disparities that perpetuate social ills.  Each career choice was a deliberate decision to bridge a gap in our society providing lower-income families with higher quality education and housing.  Her trajectory started at Charity Community Church where she learned how to better serve the community: “We are charged to give the best we have as often as possible.”  Preceding law school, she managed the operations of a parochial school where they teach children how to communicate offering a private school education to underprivileged families.  In 2018, she earned a degree in Psychology from Rowan University to better understand the people she serves.  For over 13 years she managed a mixed low-income housing tax credit property, where she learned the importance of building a community.  While renovating the environment into a more beautiful dwelling, she brought the residents out of their homes with events giving them bonding opportunities with their neighbors, first responders, and management converting a once dangerous area into a community of quality.  

Name: Nkora Carr '23
Hometown: Long Island, NY
Undergrad: Pennsylvania State University
Interests: Juvenile Criminal Defense

As a sociology major, Nkora researched the school to prison pipeline and (so-called) deviant behavior. She learned that black children are being pushed in to the prison system at alarmingly young ages, for behaviors that white children would get detention for or speak to a counselor. Exposing children to the prison system makes it harder for them to properly socialize. Most children who behave badly have an undiagnosed mental illness or issues at home, such as neglect or abuse. These are children who need our help, they do not need to be displaced and outcasted. This is why Nkora is also interested in Child Advocacy and wants to pursue a Masters in Social Work. 

Name: Loris Dennis
Hometown: Michigan
Undergraduate: Denison University
Graduate: Boston University
Interests: Public Interest, Education Law

Loris Dennis is a 1L from Michigan. She attended Denison University as a Psychology major. Throughout her studies at Denison, she took on various leadership roles and completed independent research focusing on the intersection between literacy development and disadvantaged communities. After undergrad, Loris joined Teach for America in Boston, Massachusetts where she received her Masters in Education, taught 10th-grade Biology and worked for the organization outside of teaching. While working as a teacher, she noticed the racial and economic struggles her students and families were experiencing and wanted to do everything she could to support them. She knew law school was an important step to advocating and serving them.  She is particularly interested in the education, the legal system, and housing injustices that face communities of color and disadvantaged populations.  Loris hopes to use her law degree to advocate and serve communities like her students to ensure they are receiving justice. Loris strives for equity ensuring these communities are getting the legal justice they need and deserve.

Name: Jibri Douglas, MPH
Hometown: Newark, NJ
Undergrad: University of Georgia
Interests: Racial Justice, Civil Rights, Real Estate, Public Health, Entrepreneurship, Movement Lawyering, Civil Litigation 

Jibri Douglas hails from Newark, NJ, and is currently a 1LE in the part-time program. In 2010, Jibri graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in Health Promotion and Behavior. Since graduating from UGA, Jibri has worked tirelessly in the HIV/AIDS field in many capacities primarily with LGBT homeless youth, substance users and formerly incarcerated women of color. In 2017, Jibri graduated with their Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University concentrating in Health Management and Policy.  Today, Jibri is the Program Manager of Family Planning for a local Philadelphia non-profit as well as a professor at Montclair State University. Additionally, Jibri identifies as a social entrepreneur who over the years has slowly married their background in public health to entrepreneurship. Jibri started their journey in 2008 by publishing their first poetry book "Old Vs. New: The Chronicles of Growth" selling over 300 copies in undergrad. In 2015, after successfully launching the first hospital-wide LGBTQ healthcare initiative in Hudson County, NJ, Jibri founded TJD Medical Consulting, a small diversity and inclusion boutique consulting firm with a focus on healthcare organizations. In 2019, Jibri transitioned into real estate development. After years of working in public health and seeing the impacts of housing blight on communities, Jibri created Noire Real Estate, LLC. As a Social Justice Scholar and subsequently as a practicing attorney, Jibri plans to combine their experience and passion for public health, real estate, and entrepreneurism to work alongside communities to revitalize residential and commercial properties, close the generational wealth gap, and fight against codified disenfranchisement in our legal system for Black and Brown communities. Jibri's ultimate goal is one day become a judge at either the appellate or state Supreme Court. 

Name: Deidra Hopkins '26
Hometown: Perkasie, PA
Undergrad: Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Interests: Judicial Reform and Civil Rights Advocacy

Deidra Hopkins, part time JD student, was raised in a home that was deeply rooted in the idea that service should always be freely given and enthusiastically embraced. Ingrained in her family culture was the understanding that when you have what you need and others are wanting, it is your duty to do all that is necessary to fill those gaps to the greatest extent that you are capable. This commitment to identifying needs and fulfilling them whenever possible led to a life of rich experiences surrounded by beautiful people who have expanded her worldview in innumerable ways.

Deidra has spent more than seven years working in various aspects of the judicial system. In her current capacity, she works in judicial management where she helps manage all of the District Courts in her Judicial District. Her time in the judicial system helped her see that, when properly executed, there is real capacity for healing through restorative justice.  Unfortunately, she also recognized that those instances were more rare than common. She witnessed overly prioritized bureaucracy, racial bias, socioeconomic disparity and political motivations come into play far too often with far too devastating an effect.

Her life has been touched by immigration laws, disability laws, healthcare laws, employment laws, juvenile justice and civil rights laws, all of which put vulnerable people in situations that they are not always equipped to navigate with the expectation that they do so with precision and expertise in order to avoid life altering consequences.

Name: Talia Irvine '26
Hometown: Kissimmee, FL
Undergraduate: Temple University
Interests: Indigent Criminal Defense

Talia Irvine is enrolled in the part-time program. Talia’s interest in justice began at the age of twelve when her family became a foster home for children in Florida. She observed issues of addiction, domestic violence, and the intricate and complex issues that accompany such circumstances. She also got a look into the criminal justice system, and how it treated those who need assistance. Talia was passionate about being part of the change and moved to Philadelphia for her undergraduate education at Temple University. As a Criminal Justice major, Talia was able to intern with the public defender’s office in Philadelphia. This internship cemented her passion for indigent criminal defense and continued to open her eyes to how the criminal justice system functioned as a whole. After graduation, Talia began working full time at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, where she still works today. She continues her passion outside of her work through volunteer opportunities, specifically with the New Leash on Life – USA re-entry program. Talia has, and plans to continue, to dedicate her professional life to equality, fairness, and advocacy for those who do not have the resources to fight for themselves.

Name: Rebecca Lewis '23
Hometown: Gibbsboro, NJ
Undergrad: Rutgers University
Interests: Human Rights/Prisoners Rights, Domestic Violence, and Criminal Defense

Through her experience learning about community development and working with Camden-based nonprofits, Rebecca realized her passionate pursuit of equality for all could become her life’s work. She completed internships with The Alice Paul Institute, where she focused on the Equal Rights Amendment Campaign as well as the Voter Rights Initiative, and The Pennsylvania Innocence Project where she assisted with research on potential innocence cases. During these internships she learned of the importance of and working for the rights of others and public interest law. 

Name: Emma Martin '23
Hometown: Port Jefferson, NY
Undergrad: Adelphi University
Interests: LGBTQ+ and Gender Discrimination Law

Prior to law school, Emma worked as an intern in a few different capacities, specifically surrounding food justice. She worked on a campaign advocating for farmworker’s rights on the Eastern End of Long Island, helping to create a farmer’s market campaign to spread information about the injustices farmworkers bear. Emma has also worked for a food bank, helping clients apply for SNAP and during the summer months, managing sites that distribute free food for children via a NYS federal grant. These internships allowed her to see different versions of advocacy and solidify her passion for social justice work. Emma wrote her undergrad Honors College thesis about the factors that impact LGBTQ+ college students in self-disclosing their identities on campus, where her passion for LGBTQ+ advocacy was foregrounded. She hopes to focus on LGBTQ+ and gender discrimination law, combining her social work skills with law skills to bring about positive change. 

Name: Shirneil Merisier
Undergraduate: The Pennsylvania State University 
Hometown: Abington, PA
Interests: Family Law, Immigration Law, and Civil Rights Law

Shirneil Merisier is a 1L evening student balancing law school and her position at Women Against Abuse as a paralegal, where she advocates for domestic violence victims/survivors as they navigate the judicial system. Aside from the daily advocacy Shirneil engages in with her clients. She is also committed to social justice reform within the workplace. She has taken the responsibility of facilitating conversations on the presence of implicit bias, discriminatory practices, and the role of the police in domestic violence. 

Shirneil’s interest in social justice reform was first sparked by her parents. As the daughter of immigrants, she has witnessed her parents interact with the various judicial systems and has seen first-hand how inaccessible the judicial system is to vulnerable populations. Her goal is to become a liaison between the system and those who are vulnerable. Shirneil is passionate about raising the voices of those who are often overlooked and dismissed.

Prior to law school, Shirneil graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in Public Relations, a B.A. in Psychology, and a minor in Dispute Management and resolutions. While on campus her commitment to her community and social justice reform could be seen through her work within her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. While on campus Shirneil served as the Global target chair and implemented programs raising awareness on global issues.

Shirneil is dedicated to social justice reform and is excited to expand her areas of interest and advocacy alongside the Social Justice Scholars
 

Name: Kayvon Paul ‘23
Hometown: Long Branch, NJ
Undergrad: Monmouth University
Interests: Advocacy for those affected by domestic violence, mental health issues, and poverty.

Prior to Rutgers Law,  Kayvon worked on local, state, and federal political campaigns including a campaign that led to the election of New Jersey’s first Indian-American State Senator. After these campaigns, Kayvon worked at Garden State Equality, which is New Jersey’s largest LGBT interest group that represents over 150,000 members. Currently, Kayvon works at MBI, one of New Jersey’s largest public affairs and government relations firms based in the State’s capitol. While at Monmouth University, Kayvon served as co-chair and founding member for both the Asbury Park Young Democrats and Monmouth University Democrats.

Name: Lauren “Ren” Ramos ‘25
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Undergrad: Smith College
Interests: Youth justice, LGBTQ rights, movement lawyering

Ren (she/they) is a queer Latina whose interest in social justice stems from witnessing the impact of discrimination and inequality in her conservative hometown. While at Smith College, they studied history and sociology with a focus on gender, sexuality, and social movements. They also worked as a research assistant for a reproductive justice history project, through which they created accessible materials for activists to use while organizing. Ren’s research culminated in a sociology honors thesis analyzing the collective memory of HIV/AIDS activism in the United States, which inspires her to bring historical perspectives to her current social justice work.

During undergrad, Ren interned at the Knoxville Public Defender’s Community Law Office, where she became determined to combine social and legal services in her future career. Ren also interned at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, where they handled correspondence from those who are or have been incarcerated as young people and worked on the development of accessible materials for Spanish speakers. These experiences have led her to Rutgers Law, where she is looking forward to working to expand access to legal education, social support, and justice for her community. Ren is most passionate about serving young people who are involved with the legal system, particularly those who are LGBTQ or members of other marginalized communities. They hope to pursue a path of movement lawyering in order to facilitate the work of progressive organizers.

Name: Yaslin Reyes ‘25
Hometown: Newark, NJ
Undergrad: Rowan University

Born and raised in the city of Newark, to two first generation immigrant parents, Yaslin developed a strong desire to succeed in a career that would allow her to serve her community. Knowing that this would be best achieved through a career in the legal field, Yaslin pursued a bachelor’s degree in Law and Justice Studies from Rowan University. Throughout her time in undergrad, Yaslin helped organize various community service and informational events, to educate the student body about various social justice causes in need of immediate attention and aid. By her senior year, Yaslin had narrowed her career search and realized that she wanted to earn a law degree and become an attorney. Through the help of her professors and mentors, Yaslin was given the opportunity to intern at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a non-profit organization that works to provide free legal representation to unaccompanied children faced with immigration proceedings. Her experience with KIND solidified what she refers to as her “life’s purpose” by reassuring her that helping children navigate legal systems is exactly what she was meant to be doing. Yaslin is excited to continue doing the work she is passionate about through the Social Justice Scholars Program. She is also excited and eager to work with other members of SJS for causes they are passionate about as well.

Name: Zahirah Sabir '23
Undergrad: Rowan College

Zahirah is currently a 1L student in the evening program, while balancing a career with Rowan College at Burlington County, overseeing the grants office and workforce development outreach. Raised in a family that always emphasized the importance of helping others and being an advocate. Zahirah is a member of the Board of Directors for CONTACT of Burlington County which is a suicide and sexual assault prevention non-profit organization. In addition to her work with CONTACT, Zahirah volunteers with the Burlington Vicinage’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the Burlington County Women’s Council, which dedicates time to tackling gender equity issues.

Zahirah formerly worked as a Legislative Aide for Assemblyman Whip Wilson of the 5th Legislative District where she was tasked with serving as a direct liaison for the Assemblyman to the Governor’s Office, Executive Branch Departments and Agencies, NJ Senate, Federal Representatives, County and Municipal officials as well as managing constituent cases. While advocating for constituents, she realized her passion for education and housing equity issues as well as linking community members to necessary resources. This passion for advocacy is also what lead Zahirah to law school and the SJS program.

Name: Sam Shopp '23
Hometown: Haddon Heights, NJ
Undergrad: Rutgers University
Interest: Child Advocacy, Civil Rights Law, and Labor Law

A New Jersey native and graduate of Rutgers New Brunswick, Sam Shopp is a dedicated public servant in the fields of child advocacy and education. He has interned for Senator Cory Booker and the Children's Defense Fund, and was a high school substitute teacher in South Jersey prior to entering law school. The intersections of race, class, and gender that exist within children's issues have informed Sam's commitment to continue fighting for children throughout his career as both a political advocate and a legal representative.

Name: Kimberly Taylor
Hometown: Wilmington, DE
Undergraduate: West Chester University
Graduate: University of Delaware
Interests: Civil Rights Law, Education Law

By day, Kim is the Bi-College Title IX Coordinator at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges, directing institutional efforts to address issues related to sexual and gender-based discrimination. In the evenings, she is pursuing her JD as a part-time student.

Kim has always been drawn to social justice issues, both through personal and professional experiences. She has spent the majority of her career in higher education, working in addition to Title IX, in campus safety, student conduct, prevention and advocacy, and crisis response. She is eager to merge her experiences as a practitioner with the knowledge and acumen that a law degree will provide. While her current focus is on gender equity, her “social injustice” lens continues to broaden, only deepening her commitment and belief that civil rights and human rights should be synonymous.

Name: Brett G. Weise ‘25
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergrad: San Diego State University, CA
Interests: Housing and Homelessness Law & Policy, Public Interest, Community-Based Lawyering, Legislative Counseling

Brett was born and raised in San Diego and began his career in public service while working at San Diego City Hall. As a community representative, communications manager, and eventually senior policy advisor for the Council President, he advocated on behalf of community members for improved public facilities, additional parks & open space, and access to local government. Brett’s policy focus was on land use, housing, and homelessness, which inspired his focus on supporting marginalized tenants and creating inclusive, desegregated neighborhoods. In 2022, Brett worked with LegalAid, immigrant rights groups, and other community members in drafting and ultimately passing an emergency eviction moratorium that kept thousands of families in San Diego from being forced out of their homes.

Brett will translate this passion into his studies and advocacy work while at Rutgers Law. He is a strong believer in both the power of government and the power of communities in effectuating positive social change. Public interest is his focus, and he aspires to apply his policy-making experience into a legislative counsel position for a state or federal legislature.