ÈâÂþÎÝ

Public Interest Law Center

Root-Tilden-Kern Alumni

The first class of Root-Tilden Scholars graduated from ÈâÂþÎÝ School of Law in 1954. The members of that class and subsequent classes have shown a diversity of professional interests and have become leaders in public service. A large percentage of our alumni have served in government at some point in their careers, including appointed and elected office. Some serve as federal and state court judges. Many graduates have worked with legal services, nonprofit advocacy organizations, public defenders, prosecutors’ offices, and foundations. In addition, some are employed in law school teaching or administration, or serve as partners in public interest law firms. Each year a substantial number of graduating scholars serve as clerks to federal and state judges.

Some of our notable alumni are listed below:


Founding Partner, Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP

Betty Baez-Melo ‘11
Project Director, Advocates for Children Early Childhood Education Project


In Memoriam


Running for Criminal Court Judge

Managing Director of People, Equity & Institutional Transformation at The Bronx Defenders; Founder & Facilitator at Uproot.ed; Adjunct Professor at Columbia Law School

Amanda David ‘08

Assistant Professor of Law at the CUNY School of Law


US Representative for Colorado's 1st Congressional District

Julia Einbond ‘08

Executive Director of Covenant House New Jersey


Executive Director, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice

Executive Director at the Center for Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College; Host, the Lurie Daniel Favors Show on SiriusXM’s Urban View; Commissioner, NYC Racial Justice Commission

Director, Criminal Defense Clinic & Clinical Professor at Duke Law

Karen Freedman, ‘80

Executive Director, Lawyers for Children

Margaret Fung, ‘78

Executive Director, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Co-Founder and Executive Director at One World Exchange


Director of Work Quality, National Employment Law Project 


Associate General Counsel, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations


Founder and CEO, BE MORE America


Ambassador, UN Human Rights Council (Ret.); Partner, Jenner and Block


Executive Director, New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault

Charlotte Hitchcock ‘91
General Counsel and Chief of Staff, Newark Public Schools


Executive Director, Human Rights in China

Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Education Law & Policy Institute, Loyola University Chicago School of Law


Co-Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Professor of Law/Co-Director, Immigrant Rights Clinic, UC Irvine Law


Director, Center for Battered Women's Legal Services/Sanctuary for Families

Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

Sonia Lin ‘08
Senior Fellow at Consumer Protection Bureau


Co-Executive Director at WeCount!


Founder and CEO, Crisis Text Line; Founder, Dress for Success


Chief Sustainability Officer at Estee Lauder

Vice President, Policy & Community Engagement, Center for Policing Equity


Co-Founder and Deputy Director of Just Futures Law


Robert S. and Theresa L. Reder Chair in Law and Professor of Medicine, Health and Society, Vanderbilt Law School

U.S. District Judge, District of Minnesota

Exective Director at Alabama Forward; Advisor, Fund for New Leadership

Chief Executive Officer, Compass Working Capital

Judge, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York

Child Rights Division Director, Human Rights Watch

Civil Rights Activist, Co-Founder of Advancement Project


Partner, Riordan & Horgan


Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, State of New York


President and General Counsel at LatinoJustice


Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Experiential Education, Northeastern University School of Law


Director of the Access to Justice Initiative, Center on Civil Justice


Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, US Department of Justice


Senior Staff Attorney, Director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project

Legal Director, Children’s Law Center and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Professor of Law, David Clarke School of Law

Project Director, Red Hook Community Justice, Center for Justice Innovation


Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council for Racial Justice & Equity