The annual fellowship awards stipends of $9,000 for up to three law school students with 60 or more credit hours who secure a legal volunteer position over the summer with a social justice nonprofit organization or agency.

The 2023 inaugural fellows, Margaret (Maggie) Fagala and Jasmyne Moore, graduated with their law degrees on May 12. UofL News followed up to learn more about their fellowship experiences and how it has inspired their future goals.

UofL News: What was your reaction when you learned you had been selected for the Breonna Taylor fellowship?

Fagala: I felt incredibly excited and very, very thankful. It’s hard to explain how grateful I was for the financial help. There is a lot of work in legal spaces that are entry level positions or internships and not with big law firms or personal injury work; if you want to do public service, they’re usually unpaid. The fellowship is designed for this, and it’s great there’s an opportunity for people who are accepting those jobs that don’t offer money or very little money to help offset the financial costs. This fellowship made it easier for me to take that unpaid job and still pay rent.

Moore:  I loved it. Often public service work, especially for minority communities, does go severely underpaid – if paid at all. I think this was the right step for UofL which is dealing with a lot of the DEI issues.

UofL News: Where did you complete your fellowship and what kind of legal work was involved? What was one of your biggest takeaways?

Fagala: I spent my summer with work focused mostly on capital cases in my home state of North Carolina. The biggest thing that I took away from my experience was just a better knowledge of the way that the death penalty is being used as a weapon across the country. There are multiple variances in how different states use the death penalty, but in any place where human beings are still capable of being sentenced to die, I can’t think of a more powerful weapon than the ability to leverage a person’s life. 

Moore: I worked at a local nonprofit called , which helps clothe, feed, and provide other services for the unhoused and some of the population with mental health challenges. I was able to help them prepare contracts and do house general counseling.

My biggest takeaway was seeing many similar Black women doing similar work as me –  women that could have been Breonna Taylor. Being in rooms with them helped to empower me. In Kentucky, there are fears with new initiatives surrounding diversity coming down the pipeline. There is a phenomenon of “brain drain” and it felt good being in a room of similar minded, similarly educated people all struggling to figure out how to keep us. There’s just not a lot of incentive for young people to stay in Kentucky. Just being able to help with my little bit of experience in property law – to help Hope Village secure a new building with no liens attached – that was a big victory and a milestone.

UofL News: What influence did your fellowship experience have on your future career plans?

Moore: I think it just solidified my intent. Even before law school, I was politically active. I believe that I have done everything I could with my bachelor’s degree in political science, law, and public policy. Now, my JD (juris doctorate) degree is going to give me and my community a chance to fight even bigger battles that we just don’t know are on the horizon.

UofL News: How does the legacy of Breonna Taylor continue to inspire you?

Fagala: It’s something that has really impacted my life in a unique way because I’m not from Louisville. I wasn’t here when it happened, but I was very aware of it and now, since coming to school here and being given this fellowship, her life and her legacy have affected me in a way that I never expected. I hope that I will be able to carry that opportunity the fellowship gave me into my career and give back, because that’s what the fellowship is designed for – people who are in any way doing the work that needs to be done.

Moore: When I am applying to more conservative fellowships or with conservative judges, I remove all my Kentucky Young Dems work, in fact I remove a lot of stuff. One thing I will never remove is being an inaugural Breonna Taylor Fellow, because a Black woman had to die for me to become that. I think this experience gave me hope that those with the means to do so will support people whose work they admire. Being on the list of Forty under 40, or 25 Attorneys to Watch in the Future; all those titles are beautiful, but they don’t pay my bills. I think people are realizing that if you want the work to continue, whether you are doing it or not, you do have to find a way to support those doing the work.

Mery Muluberehan, a political science major in the College of Art & Sciences, is part of a group of 100 U.S. college students named to the inaugural cohort of awardees. She is a Louisville native and graduate of duPont Manual High School. 

Also called the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, the award includes up to $25,000 a year for the students’ junior and senior years ($50,000 total) to alleviate the burden of college debt so the student can pursue a career in public service.

The student also receives a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing for a “Summer Voyage” to pursue a summer work-travel experience between the junior and senior years in college.

After graduation, awardees will receive a $2,000 travel credit every year for 10 years (for a total of $20,000).

“It feels surreal to be a part of the inaugural cohort of Voyagers,” Muluberehan said. “I’m so excited to be given the opportunity to not only represent UofL, but our state of Kentucky as well.”

She said she hopes to study human rights law after graduation from UofL and also wants to use some of her travel money to work in education in her parents’ home country of Ethiopia.

At UofL, Muluberehan is also a recipient of the prestigious Woodford R. Porter Scholarship, awarded to Black/African American students who show a strong aspiration to succeed and give back to the community.

She credits her friend and roommate, Sara Teshome, with helping her succeed at UofL by supporting her dreams, and said UofL students are “some of the most amazing people” because of their drive, dedication and passion.

The winners of the Voyager Scholarship were announced in early September. They were chosen out of a pool of 1,800 applicants. The announcement and list of winners can be found .

“Michelle and I know that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to create it,” said President Obama. “These young Voyagers believe in a fairer and more inclusive world, and they’re ready to help us address important challenges in new ways. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish through public service.”

The Voyager Scholarship was funded by a $100 million personal contribution from Chesky to the Obama Foundation.

“Through their stories, it’s clear that each of these Voyagers has a commitment to serving their communities, a deep curiosity about the world and big plans for the future,” said Chesky. “Traveling to new places and connecting with new people will help them turn those plans into reality and I can’t wait to see where they go from here.”

The inaugural cohort of Voyagers represent 35 states and territories and 70 colleges and universities.

“I am both excited and nervous,” Mercke says. “I think that law school has prepared me for going through the gauntlet out there.”

Public service has always been a career goal for Mercke, who will spend the summer studying for the California bar exam before he begins his position in August.

Mercke sees this job as a way to use the opportunities and privilege he’s been given for a bigger purpose.

“Part of the reason I went to law school is seeing the inequities of my community and society in general,” he says. “It’s more than just a paycheck. It’s a way to live my life and do some good in the world.”

As a law student, Mercke has been involved in several public service roles: He’s worked at Louisville’s Legal Aid Society and for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. There, he was involved in post-conviction work and sometimes visited clients in jail. He has also clerked for Chief Judge Audra Eckerle of Jefferson Circuit Court. In that role, he was able to observe the justice system from the perspective of the bench. 

These positions helped Mercke fulfill his  — all Brandeis Law students must complete 30 hours of public service work in order to graduate, although many end up completing many more hours than are required.

“The public service requirement at the University of Louisville helped me see the role of public service right from the beginning of law school,” Mercke says.

Mercke credits Professor  and Professor  as influential forces during his law school career. Both professors are enthusiastic, rigorous scholars who have been great sources of motivation, he says. 

Another source of motivation for Mercke is his desire to fight inequalities on even a small level, even if structural change is far off. 

“I want to leave the world a better place than I found it,” he says. “I want to give back what I can while I can.”

Monday marked the seventh year the university held the MLK Day of Service. About 225 participants completed projects at sites including Volunteers of America, Americana Community Center, Shelby Park, Sojourn Community Church, Kentucky Science Center, Louisville Nature Center, Louisville Urban League Saturday Academy, Uspiritus, Colon Cancer Prevention Project, Dreams with Wings and the Kristy Love Foundation.

Michael Mardis, dean of students and vice provost for student affairs, was among the volunteers who spent the afternoon at the Americana Community Center, completing projects such as sorting donations, organizing the library and clearing out old materials from the facility. Volunteers also learned about the mission of the center and how it helps refugee, immigrant and underserved families.

Mardis said the event brings the campus community together, with students from diverse student organizations working alongside one another. He said the event meets one of the university’s learning objectives in encouraging students to be engaged in the community.

 “We hope our students learn that they can give back and make a difference,” Mardis said.

See from the Americana Community Center project. 

Residents who use water supplied by Martin County Water District have been complaining of water losses, service interruptions and concerns about water quality, according to an .

“Projects such as the Martin County initiative allow the SBA to strengthen our school’s ties to the community. It is always terrible to see people suffer, but when it is happening right at your back door, it is imperative to try to help,” said SBA President Katie Bonds.

SBA is collecting the water until Oct. 28. At the end of the drive, SBA representatives will deliver the water to Martin County schools, which have been distributing bottled water to families. Water donations can be left in the SBA office on the first floor of the law school. SBA is encouraging Martin County residents to recycle the empty bottles.

“Community service is important to law students for a number of reasons, but primarily because it keeps us grounded and provides us with an opportunity to support others and create a meaningful relationship with those in our community,” Bonds said. “Additionally, it gives law students the chance to build and improve upon skills important in the practice of law: leadership, organization, confidence, communication, compassion, collaboration and decision-making, just to name a few.”

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He is active in several community and UofL organizations and was recently named the university’s faculty grievance officer, where he will assist faculty in dispute resolution. UofL News had the chance to talk to Powell recently about his career path, his public service work and his loyalty to Cleveland sports.

UofL News: What brought you to the Brandeis School of Law?
Cedric Powell: Before I came here, I was at a large New York firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. I was there about four years, but I always wanted to teach. Before that, I was the Karpatkin Fellow in the American Civil Liberties Union in their national legal office. Before that, I clerked in DC. I did different things looking toward teaching.

I went to what they called the “meat market” years ago, an annual recruitment event they have in DC. I interviewed at some schools and got a call back here, interviewed and got the job and been here ever since.

I always envisioned, at least at some point, being a law professor.

UofL News: What was it about being a law professor that was attractive to you?
Powell: You can do a lot of different things. You’re not formally practicing but you’re bringing practice experience. There still is the opportunity to be involved in discrete projects, calling upon what you did in your former career. I’m still involved in a lot of public interest litigation on some level, usually working on appellate briefs or amicus briefs.

You can be involved in a lot of different things as well as being in the classroom and having the time to think, research and write. People say that scholarship is just talking to ourselves and just the professors read it, and on some level that is true.

But scholarship should also try to push for change in a positive way. That’s important in the law. That’s something that judges do. We certainly aren’t judges, but we certainly have the ability to impact public opinion. And that’s probably the most appealing part about this job — being involved in everything.

UofL News: You’re dean for research at Brandeis Law. What does that role entail?
�ʴǷɱ����:��It provides support for the faculty. You bring in interesting speakers for symposia. Last year we brought in someone to talk about the bar examination and incorporating those techniques into the classroom. We did a panel discussion on community-engaged scholarship because we’re actively involved in trying to define that and how we measure both our impact in the community and how faculty members will be evaluated.

I provide support for junior faculty in advancing their scholarship, which may mean just sitting back and helping them pay for a symposium to talk about writing or trying to organize informal workshops where they can get comments on their papers. Some of that, they do by themselves, but I’m here to help with suggestions on articles and any other discussions that they may want to have.

It’s sort of like continuing legal education for law professors.

UofL News: You were named UofL’s faculty grievance officer in September. How do you plan to approach that role?
�ʴǷɱ����:��I will continue in the tradition of my predecessor and colleague, , who recently began her tenure as Faculty Senate chair, to ensure that faculty members are fully informed about the procedures outlined in the (UofL’s basic governance document) and how to work through the informal and formal grievance processes to resolve disputes in a manner that respects our shared values at the university.

UofL News: You’ve been chairman of the TARC board since 2008. What is that work like?
�ʴǷɱ����:��We’ve been able to do some things to modernize our transit system. We have electric buses. We have fuel-efficient buses.

We recently dedicated a $50 million improvement on Dixie Highway. Louisvillians derisively refer to it as “Dixie Dieway” because of the high speeds, narrow lanes and high occurrence of serious accidents. We’re trying to change that with dedicated bus routes. We’re going to do something called bus rapid transit, which will focus on access, mobility and broader lanes for buses. We’re going to try to change the traffic pattern. We hope that this will lead to better things in terms of looking at a modern transportation system.

UofL News: What’s something that people might be surprised to know about you?
�ʴǷɱ����:��I like Cleveland sports. I’m from Cleveland. The baseball team is playing well. I keep telling my friends they’re going to win the World Series. Nobody believes me.

The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is a great-grandson of Justice Brandeis. When Brandeis Medal recipient and Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan was unable to attend the event, Raushenbush agreed to share some insights about his family’s legacy of justice and public service.

“This is the constant theme of our family — that nothing matters if it doesn’t serve the people,” said Raushenbush, who is a Baptist pastor serving as senior vice president of public engagement at Auburn Seminary in New York City. 

Raushenbush’s past roles include executive editor of global spirituality and religion for The Huffington Post and editor of BeliefNet. He is former associate dean of religious life and the chapel at Princeton University and co-founder of PORDIR, the Program on Religion, Diplomacy, and International Relations at the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University.

Brandeis’ groundbreaking Brandeis Brief — in which he referenced social science and economic studies when arguing a case — contributed to his reputation as “the people’s attorney.” And Raushenbush said that theme of staying connected to the real world has lived on in his family as they work for justice in their various careers.

He also spoke about Justice Brandeis’ concern for the people in his own community and his love of Louisville and the University of Louisville. 

“He cared deeply about the institution, and he cared that it was in this place that mattered so much to him,” Raushenbush said. “If you really want to understand Brandeis … you come back to Louisville.”

And if you want to honor Brandeis’ legacy, work to make Louisville a place of justice and caring, he said.

The Brandeis School of Law did just that last night, as it donated more than 100 meals to The Healing Place, an addiction recovery program in Louisville. The meals were left over from guests who registered for the event but did not end up attending.

“We are so appreciative that Rev. Raushenbush shared some insights about his family’s commitment to justice,” said Dean Susan Duncan. “The law school is proud to carry on that legacy of being an engaged member of the community.”

“Because service is such a big part of Brandeis (School of Law), it’s a great way we can serve the community. I’m new to Louisville so this is a way for us to get connected to the city,” said Elizabeth Mosley, a first-year law student. 

Each year, UofL students donate more than a half million hours of community service to the university’s non-profit partners. 

“They are good, good people. They’re going to make a difference in their communities. They’re going to be the civic leaders we want to educate,” said Brandeis Dean Susan Duncan. 

Watch the students in action below: 

The medal is the law school’s highest honor and is awarded to people who champion the ideals of individual liberty, concern for the disadvantaged and public service. The award is a tribute to Louis D. Brandeis, a former U.S. Supreme Court justice from Louisville and namesake of the law school.

Kagan’s appointment to the high court by President Barack Obama was confirmed by the Senate in 2010 to replace Justice John Paul Stevens. She is the youngest sitting justice and her resume includes legal counsel and advisor to President Bill Clinton, Harvard Law School’s first female dean and the nation’s first female solicitor general. is the court’s 112th justice and fourth female justice.

To make her Louisville visit even more special, she traces her Supreme Court seat to Justice Brandeis: When Brandeis resigned, he was replaced by Justice William Douglas. When Douglas resigned, he was replaced by Justice John Paul Stevens. And when Stevens resigned, his seat was filled by Kagan.

“It’s an honor to confer this award on Justice Kagan,” said Brandeis School of Law Dean Susan Duncan. “In addition to tracing her seat on the Supreme Court to Justice Brandeis, her work in the areas of individual freedoms, equal opportunity and human rights reflects his life’s values. She’s also a great role model for our students because of her well-deserved reputation as a brilliant legal scholar and writer.”

Kagan will receive the medal Sept. 15 at a that starts at 6 p.m. in the ballroom of the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, 500 S. Fourth St. The cost is $100 per person. Registration is available until Sept. 12 and .

Kagan is the sixth Supreme Court justice to receive the Brandeis Medal since its inception in 1982. Others have included Justice Harry Blackmun (1983), Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (1992), Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2003), Justice Stephen Breyer (2004), and Justice John Paul Stevens (2013). 

The Brandeis Medal was established to recognize individuals whose lives reflect Justice Brandeis’ commitment to the ideals of individual liberty, concern for the disadvantaged, and public service. The medal is cast in the likeness of Justice Brandeis as a reminder of his contributions and dedication to the law. 

The ABA awarded the Public Service Award and ABA Involvement Award to the law school.

The Public Service Award honors law schools with a demonstrated commitment to public service, and the ABA Involvement Award goes to a school in line with the ABA’s goals and vision, said Katie Bonds, incoming Student Bar Association president.

The 2015-16 SBA president, Rudy Ellis III, and student representative Tony Singleton traveled to the annual meeting in Chicago last year to fulfill their goal of getting the Brandeis SBA . Ellis said it was the first time in a while anyone from Brandeis had attended the event.

Bonds credited last year’s SBA leadership with earning the awards and said that this year’s SBA will build on that success.

“We want to be a part of that world and we want to have a stronger connection with the ABA,” she said.

Also at last week’s meeting, Brandeis 2L John Weber was inducted as one of three newly elected Law Student Division delegates to the ABA House of Delegates.