Deciding to pursue a career in public interest law is a big decision. For law students selected for the Foundation’s Justice for All Summer Clerk Program, a hands-on experience at some of the top civil legal service providers in Ohio helps make the decision easier.
“Summer Clerks really get an inside view of what it’s like to work in nonprofit law,” said Camille Gill, programs and grants counsel at the Foundation. “The organizations that host the students do a great job facilitating a summer that helps them grow professionally and personally.”
In addition to public service experience, the Foundation helps connect clerks with attorneys in the private sector. At a recent panel discussion coordinated by the Foundation and hosted by Barnes and Thornburg LLC, attorneys from across the legal industry covered topics including how to maximize the benefits of a summer clerkship, common challenges faced by clerks, and how a summer clerkship can inform future career decisions.
This year’s panelists returned for the second year and included Nicholas Barnes, partner at Williams & Strohm, LLC; Blaique Brown, associate at Barnes and Thornburg; Russell Hauser, staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland; and Natalie McLaughlin, partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.
“We want the clerks to walk away from this event excited about the possibilities in law,” Gill said. “Barnes and Thornburg and all of our panelists have been amazing partners in making sure that happens.”
Sophia Chang, pro bono director at the Foundation, moderated the panel discussion. When she asked the panelists the most important thing summer clerks should do during their clerkship, panelist Nick Barnes kept his advice simple.
“In the words of Shakira, try everything,” Barnes said. “Do everything you’re given and do it well. Take every opportunity that’s given to you.”
The 2026 Justice for All Summer Clerks are:
- Jana Abulaban, Asian Services in Action
- Harwan Alaatre, Legal Aid of Western Ohio
- Katie Bell, Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio
- Kenady Cox, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
- Layla Fuller, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
- Caroline Hill, Community Refugee and Immigration Services
- Summer Husein, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
- Anna Koduru, International Institute of Akron
- Jasmine McGowan, Pro Seniors
- Amishi Singh, Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio
- Harry Suddleson, Equality Ohio
Justice for All Summer Clerks are law students funded by the Foundation working across Ohio to support civil legal services. Learn more on the Foundation’s website.