Three students have been selected as Public Service Scholars to work with the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law for the 2020-21 academic year. Texas Law awards these scholarships annually 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.
“Last week we welcomed this impressive group of scholars to our student advisory board,” said Eden Harrington, director of the Justice Center. “Alyssa, Caro, and Emily are committed to supporting public service at the law school and beyond. During this time when we are unable to gather on campus, we look forward to working with them virtually to continue to develop our programs, support students, and build community.”
Meet the 2020-21 Public Service Scholars:
Alyssa Gordon ’22, is co-founder and executive director of the Law School’s chapter of Law Students for Black Lives, parliamentarian for the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, and director of membership for the Southwest Black Law Students Association, which includes students from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas. She has participated in several pro bono activities, including Law for Black Lives and the Expunction Project, and is currently participating in the Civil Rights Clinic. Last summer she worked with the Habeas Corpus Resource Center in San Francisco. Before law school she interned with diversion programs in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston.
Caro Rivera ’22, is vice president of the Public Interest Law Association, a co-organizer of GRITS (Getting Radical in the South), and a coordinator for the Society Program. She has participated in a range of pro bono activities, including the 2020 Pro Bono in January (PBinJ) service trip to south Texas, expunction clinics, immigration work at the Hutto Detention Center and with Casa Marianella, helping to prepare an election guide for Law Students for Black Lives, and volunteering with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. She is a member of the 2021 PBinJ Leadership team and participates in the Immigration Clinic. Last summer she worked with Washington, D.C. office of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).
Emily Guzman Sufrin ’22, is president of the Public Interest Law Association, co-vice president of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, and a co-organizer of the law school’s Women of Color Collective. She is a Mithoff Pro Bono Scholar for the Driver’s License Recovery Project and has participated in a range of other pro bono activities, including PBinJ 2020, the Expunction Project, DACA renewals, Law For Black Lives, the INCLUDE Medicaid Evidence Workshop, and the Jane’s Due Process hotline. Last summer she worked with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.