Three students have been named Public Interest fellows for the Rutgers Center for Gender, Sexuality, Law and Policy (CGSLP) and will work on interdisciplinary research involving gender and sexuality-based equality in law and policy.
The new student fellows are: Amanda Kronemeyer ‘19, Christina LaBruno ‘19, and Heather McLinn ‘19.
The students were appointed by CGSLP and the Eric R. Neisser Program, which oversees public interest career advising, service-learning projects, and public interest fellowships.
Kronemeyer will focus primarily on expanding the LGBTQ Legal Education and Outreach Project, through which, the public service program trains and recruits law students and pro bono attorneys who provide a legal educational program for the LGBTQ community in Newark. This summer, she is working at a full-time summer internship at the NYC based Transcend Legal, a non-profit devoted to providing health care and legal assistance to transgender clients.
Amanda Kronemeyer, hopes to expand the LGBTQ Legal Education and Outreach Project.
“I felt that I could use my experience and law school education to further help this marginalized group,” said Kronemeyer, who is active in the LGBGQ Caucus at the law school.
McLinn said she is deeply committed to CGSLP’s mission and said she hopes that through her work, she is able to assist in reducing homophobia, misogyny, and racism, “I wanted to become a fellow so I could conduct holistic research on relevant policy issues.” She is spending her summer as an intern at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which provides legal services to low-income people of color who identify on the gender spectrum.
Heather McLinn '19, is one of the new CGSLP Fellows.
LaBruno, a leader in If/When/How, a national reproductive rights movement, is excited to work with CGSLP on initiatives including those on reproductive rights, “I want to work to make sure everyone, regardless of their income, sexual orientation or gender identity, can decide when and how to raise a family.”
Christina LaBruno is an advocate for reproductive rights.
Jamie DiNicola ‘18, along with Taylor Brownell ‘17 and Adam Herpolsheimer ‘18, recently completed a year as CGSLP public interest fellows. DiNicola spent part of his year researching LGBT sex education policies and incarceration issues. “This is work that directly affects people,” he said. “It is not simply theoretical or academic work.”
Professor Suzanne Kim, the center’s faculty director said, “I am thrilled to welcome our talented new fellows to CGSLP. They will play a critical role in the center’s research, policy, and programming initiatives.” Assistant Dean for Pro Bono and Public Interest Susan Feathers, who assisted in designing the LGBTQ Legal Education and Outreach Project and the CGSLP Fellowship Program, said she is inspired by the fellows, “The incoming class of fellows each have a unique and rare blend of experience that will enable them to make a vital contribution to the CGSLP's policy initiatives, while also being engaged in hands on advocacy.”