Justice for All Summer Clerks are law students funded by the Foundation working across Ohio to support civil legal services. The clerkship increases accessibility to public service law for students of color and advances diversity in the profession.
2022 Clerks
Alaina Collins
Host: LegalWorks
Law School: Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Q: Describe your path to law school. What got you interested in becoming an attorney?
A; What got me interested in becoming an attorney was hearing about and being affected by things I felt could be changed for the better. I want to become an attorney because I want to be in a position to change what I don’t like instead of accepting something that should be unacceptable.
Q: What drew you to your specific host organization?
A: I was drawn to LegalWorks because of the work they do in the community when it comes to sealing past criminal convictions. My goal for the summer following my first year of law school was to gain experience with the skills I learned in my first year while still helping others. Being a law clerk at LegalWorks has allowed to do all of this and then some.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: I love trying new restaurants. I try to go to one of the restaurants mentioned on the Instagram page @foodincleveland at least once a week. I have yet to be disappointed.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort movie or TV show?
A: My go to comfort movie is Zootopia. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that movie, but I can promise you it gets me emotional every time.
Tavis Daluz-Cates
Host: Disability Rights Ohio
Law School: Capital University Law School
Q: Describe your path to law school. What got you interested in becoming an attorney?
A: My path to law school started while attending Ohio Wesleyan University. Many of my classes focused on the history behind societal problems that continue to impact marginalized communities today. Towards the end of my college career, I began to take pre-law courses. These courses taught me a lot, and I became intrigued with how the law could positively influence societal issues. I then decided I wanted to become an attorney because I realized that with a law degree, I would be better able to create change within our current systems.
Q: You were a Justice for All Summer Clerk for Disability Rights Ohio last summer as well. What caused you to return to the organization this summer?
A: I chose to return to Disability Rights Ohio because I enjoy helping those who have historically been marginalized. I also admire the passion and dedication the attorneys have to the mission of ensuring the civil rights of Ohioans with disabilities. The experience I had last summer while clerking for DRO was great because it gave me an introduction to working in the public field.
Q: If you could solve one major world issue, what would it be?
A: If I could solve one major world issue, I would solve the education crisis faced by many children across the globe. Around the world, some children do not have access to an adequate education due to location or a lack of resources. I believe that a good education is necessary for a child to succeed, so I would want to ensure that every child has the opportunity to start with the right foundation.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy going for walks, watching TV, and spending time with my friends.
Michael Hakes-Rodriguez
Host: Pro Seniors
Law School: University of Cincinnati College of Law
Q: What are you most looking forward to in your clerkship?
A: I am most looking forward to being an asset to my community by serving the elderly population of Southwest Ohio in the best way that I can. Pro Seniors is doing important work, advocating for those who would otherwise remain voiceless, and I am excited to contribute to their mission.
Q: How do you hope this experience will shape your career goals in law?
A: I hope that this opportunity will help me to know which practice area’s strike my interest and which I would do best to avoid moving forward. I think it is important for me to get hands on experience in a lot of different areas so that I can be sure I am headed in the right direction moving forward.
Q: If you could solve one major world issue what would it be?
A: If I could snap my fingers and solve one problem in this world, it would be water insecurity. The fact that some folks have to drink dirty water because they have no source of clean fresh water breaks my heart.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
A: The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given, and the best advice I could ever give anyone is to read the Gospel.
Veronica Hodges
Host: Equality Ohio
Law School: Capital University Law School
Q: Why did you choose to spend your summer with Equality Ohio?
A: When looking for opportunities, I wanted something that was in line with what I wanted to do and what I was passionate about. Equality Ohio has always been an organization I have supported. I have supported them since 2014 when I began to speak out about the injustices that happen within the LGBTQ community. It was amazing that I was able to finally become a part of an organization that I have supported for a very long time.
Q: What are you most excited for in your clerkship this summer?
A: I am excited to learn what it is like to be an activist in the public sector – helping people who really need help and resources.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort movie or TV show?
A: This is a tough question! I would have to say Schitts Creek at the moment. An oldie but a goodie.
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: I would like to be able to teleport to anywhere in the world. That way I can check off being a world traveler a lot faster and save some money.
Royce Johnson
Host: The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Law School: University of Akron School of Law
Q: Describe your path to law school. What got you interested in becoming an attorney?
A: I graduated from Shaker Heights High School and went to Kent State University where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. I was accepted into the University of Akron School of Law as a spring start and am currently in the middle of my 2L year.
Q: What drove you to spend your summer doing public interest work with legal aid?
A: I believe the work done here is extremely important as our justice system can be difficult to navigate and providing help to lower income families aligns with my passion.
Q: What do you see as the most compelling social justice issue facing our communities?
I believe there are many and depending on one’s circumstances, the most compelling social justice issue may vary. However, I believe that a social justice issue effecting many would be the critical determent that economic disparities play in the role of receiving justice and fair treatment.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
To never give up. Keep going after what you want and when you give something your all, you can live with the results.
Eashan Menon
Host: International Institute of Akron
Law School: University of Akron School of Law
Q: Describe your path to law school? What go you interested in becoming an attorney?
A: I immigrated to the US in 2019 from India. Back in India, I was already an attorney and practiced around three years in lower and High Court. The main person who motivated me to join law school in India was my father, who was a prosecutor in High Court, Chandigarh, India. When I arrived to the US, it was really nerve-wracking, leaving all my clients behind and entering a brand new country. But having the support of my parents meant the world to me. Now, I am happy that I am in last year of law school and excited to become a licensed attorney in two countries.
Q: Why did you choose to spend the summer clerking with International Institute of Akron?
A: Being an immigrant, I knew the problems and hurdles that immigrants face here in the US due to their language, less knowledge of country or financial reasons. Secondly, all the staff and attorneys at IIA are super nice, and always try to help clients meet their needs, whether it’s related to accommodation, expenses or anything else. Personally, what I like most is to meet the new clients, who come from a different countries, backgrounds, languages and cultures.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort movie or TV show?
A: Recently, I’ve been watching Ozark and Better Call Saul, which are some of my favorites. I also love to watch Friends, which always make me laugh and feel better.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: I usually go for running in Akron University campus which is nearby to my house or watch movies on Netflix. My family and cousins live in Cincinnati where I visit on some weekends and go clubbing with them.
Zainab Raza
Host: Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
Law School: University of Cincinnati College of Law
Q: What drove you to spend your summer doing public interest work with legal aid?
A: While studying at Michigan State University to get my bachelor’s degree in psychology, I had the opportunity to participate in a program and become a mentor and advocate for a youth in the area. The program was called the Adolescent Diversion Program (ADP). Being an advocate for my youth encouraged me to enter law school and continue to aid youth in the foster care system. I chose to work at legal aid this summer because I would be able to continue assisting youth through the Guardian ad litem (GAL) and Family law interest groups.
Q: How do you hope your summer clerkship will shape your career goals in law?
A: I hope this summer clerkship will give me the opportunity to grow my knowledge and my interest in family law and GAL work. I hope to create a better understanding of the type of attorney I hope to be, whether that involves daily litigation or a focus on case management.
Q: Is there a specific area of law that you find yourself most interested in?
A: My main interest is in juvenile advocacy and juvenile defense.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort movie or TV show?
A: My favorite movie is Murder by Death (1976) but my comfort movie is the entire Harry Potter series.