Four students have been selected as Public Service Scholars to work with the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law for the 2023-24 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.
“The Justice Center team is thrilled to welcome the new Public Service Scholars,” said Nicole Simmons, director of the Justice Center. “We look forward to working together to support the public service community at Texas Law.”
Meet the 2023-24 Public Service Scholars:
Clara Altfeld ‘25 is a board member of the Public Interest Law Association, vice president of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, a staff member of the Texas International Law Journal, and a Pro Bono Scholar with the Mithoff Program, focusing on the SPEAK special education project. Clara spent last summer working with Texas Appleseed in Austin.
Cate Byrne ‘25 is a board member of the Public Interest Law Association and GRITS (the “Getting Radical in the South” student-led conference), an articles editor of the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights, a research assistant to Professor Lee Kovarsky, and a Pro Bono Scholar with the Mithoff Program, focusing on the expunction project. Cate spent last summer working for the Capital Habeas Unit of the Federal Community Defender for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This fall Cate will participate in the Capital Punishment Clinic.
Nina Colombotos ‘24 is a staff editor for the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights. As a 2L, Nina participated in the Immigration Clinic and the Criminal Defense Clinic. During the summer after her 1L year, Nina served as a Rapoport Center Human Rights Fellow at the Workers Defense Project in Austin. Last summer she worked for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Austin, focused on immigration related matters. This semester she is interning with the Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin and participating in the Transnational Worker Rights Clinic.
Eliot Schulte ’25 is secretary of Texas Law Fellowships, a Dean’s Fellow with the Society Program, and staff editor for the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights. Eliot spent last summer working for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) in San Antonio. This semester she is interning with American Gateways in Austin.