Five students have been selected as Public Service Scholars to work with the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law for the 2019-20 academic year. The University of Texas School of Law awards these scholarships each year to a group of outstanding students who demonstrate a commitment to studying, promoting, and working in public service. The scholars work closely with the Justice Center on public service initiatives.
“We look forward to working with this impressive group of scholars,” said Eden Harrington, director of the Justice Center. “They are committed to supporting public service at the law school and beyond and will surely have a positive impact on our community.”
Meet the 2019-20 Public Service Scholars:
Fabiola Casas ’20, is chair of the Board of Advocates and executive editor of the Texas International Law Journal. She is on the leadership team for the Mithoff Pro Bono Program’s January 2020 winter break trip to south Texas, serves as a Texas Law Student Ambassador for the Admissions Office, and is active in the Chicano/Hispanic Law Students Association. She has worked for South Texas ProBar in Harlingen, Texas Legal Services Center in Austin, and Judge Ricardo Hinojosa of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in McAllen.
Zoraima Pelaez ’22, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Humanities and a concentration in public policy, communication, and women’s and gender studies. Before coming to law school, she worked for the ACLU’s National Prison Project and the Texas Freedom Network, where she managed community advocacy and grassroots lobbying efforts at the Texas Legislature and State Board of Education.
Kevin Robinson ’20, helps lead the Public Defense Group, a new Texas Law student organization, and is a Teaching Quizmaster for the 1L legal research and writing program. As a 2018-19 Pro Bono Scholar, he led the Gender Affirmation Project. He has participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic and worked for the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio and the King County Department of Public Defense in Seattle, Washington.
Kristin Schulz ’21, has leadership roles in the Student Bar Association, the Public Interest Law Association, and Texas Law OWLS (Older, Wiser Law Students). Last summer she worked with the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in the Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Division. She is the founder of a website to raise awareness of human trafficking and to promote social enterprises employing survivors of sex trafficking.
Julia Wang ’20, served as a 2018-19 Pro Bono Scholar leading education-related projects and helped organize the Pro Bono Program’s 2019 winter break trip to south Texas. She has participated in the Capital Punishment Clinic and worked for the Texas Fair Defense Project in Austin, the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs in Austin, and the ACLU Capital Punishment Project in Durham, North Carolina.