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.

Notable alumni include:


Founding Partner, Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff, Abady, Ward & Maazel LLP


Project Director, Advocates for Children, Early Childhood Education Project


In Memoriam


Chief Legal Officer, Southern Poverty Law Center 


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


Assistant Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law


Representative for Colorado's 1st Congressional District


CEO, Covenant House New Jersey


Executive Director, Lawyers for Civil Rights


Executive Director, 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


Executive Director, Lawyers for Children


Co-Founder and Executive Director Emirita, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund


Co-Founder and Executive Director, One World Exchange


Director of Work Quality, National Employment Law Project 


Associate General Counsel, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)


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, ActiveRADAR; Former 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


Senior Fellow at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau


Co-Executive Director at WeCount!


Founder, Crisis Text Line; CEO, DoSomething.org; Founder, Dress for Success


Chief Sustainability Officer at Estee Lauder


Executive Director, Policing Project


Co-Founder and Deputy Director, 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


Executive Director, 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, LatinoJustice


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


Founding Director, Access to Justice Initiative, Center on Civil Justice; Former CEO, The Legal Aid Society


Chief of Staff and General Counsel, National Center for Youth Law


Director, ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project


Chief Legal Officer, Children’s Law Center


Senior Director of Housing Initiatives, Center for Justice Innovation


Partner, Outten & Golden; Former Chair, Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC)