Root-Tilden-Kern Alumni
The first class of Root-Tilden Scholars graduated from NYU School of Law in 1954. The members of that class and subsequent classes have shown a diversity of professional interests and have become leaders in public service. A large percentage of our alumni have served in government at some point in their careers, including appointed and elected office. Some serve as federal and state court judges. Many graduates have worked with legal services, nonprofit advocacy organizations, public defenders, prosecutors’ offices, and foundations. In addition, some are employed in law school teaching or administration, or serve as partners in public interest law firms. Each year a substantial number of graduating scholars serve as clerks to federal and state judges.
Notable alumni include:
Jonathan S. Abady ‘90
Founding Partner, Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff, Abady, Ward & Maazel LLP
Betty Baez-Melo ‘11
Project Director, Advocates for Children, Early Childhood Education Project
The Honorable Thomas Buergenthal ‘60
In Memoriam
Derwyn Bunton ‘98
Chief Legal Officer, Southern Poverty Law Center
Amanda David ‘08
Assistant Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law
Diana DeGette ‘82
Representative for Colorado's 1st Congressional District
Julia Einbond ‘08
CEO, Covenant House New Jersey
Iván Espinoza-Madrigal ‘05
Executive Director, Lawyers for Civil Rights
Lurie Daniel Favors
Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College; Host, The Lurie Daniel Favors Show on SiriusXM’s Urban View; Commissioner, NYC Racial Justice Commission
Akiva Fishman '16
Director, Nature-Based Solutions, World Wildlife Fund
Elana Fogel ‘13
Director, Criminal Defense Clinic & Clinical Professor at Duke Law
Karen Freedman, ‘80
Executive Director, Lawyers for Children
Margaret Fung, ‘78
Co-Founder and Executive Director Emirita, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Tiffany McKinney Gardner
Co-Founder, One World Exchange
Tsedeye Gebreselassie ‘07
Director of Work Quality, National Employment Law Project
Matthew Ginsburg ‘05
General Counsel, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
Anurag Gupta ‘11
Founder and CEO, BE MORE America
Keith Harper ‘94
Ambassador, UN Human Rights Council (Ret.); Partner, Jenner and Block
Mary Haviland ‘94
Executive Director, New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault
Charlotte Hitchcock ‘91
General Counsel, ActiveRADAR; Former General Counsel and Chief of Staff, Newark Public Schools
Sharon Hom ‘80
Former Executive Director, Human Rights in China
Miranda Johnson ‘06
Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Education Law & Policy Institute, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Annie Lai ‘06
Co-Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Director, Immigrant & Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic, UC Irvine Law
Dorchen A. Leidholdt ‘88
Director, Center for Battered Women's Legal Services/Sanctuary for Families
Tana Lin ‘91
Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Sonia Lin ‘08
Legal Director, Governor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, Maryland Governor's Office
Oscar Londono ‘17
Co-Executive Director at WeCount!
Nancy Lublin ‘01
Founder, Crisis Text Line; Founder, Dress for Success; Founder, Primiga
Nancy Mahon ‘89
Chief Sustainability Officer at Estee Lauder
Max Markham ‘21
Executive Director, Policing Project
Julie Mao ‘11
Co-Founder and Deputy Director, Just Futures Law
Terry A. Maroney ‘98
Robert S. and Theresa L. Reder Chair in Law and Professor of Medicine, Health and Society, Vanderbilt Law School
Katherine Menendez ‘97
U.S. District Judge, District of Minnesota
Evan Milligan ‘16
Executive Director, Alabama Forward; Advisor, Fund for New Leadership
Markita Morris-Louis ‘03
Chief Executive Officer, Compass Working Capital
Nina Morrison ‘98
Judge, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York
Zama Neff ‘98
Child Rights Division Director, Human Rights Watch
Kendal Nystedt '14
Legal Director, UnLocal Inc.
Meghna Philip '16
Director of Special Litigation, The Legal Aid Society
Connie Rice ‘84
Civil Rights Activist, Co-Founder of Advancement Project
Dennis Riordan ‘74
In Memoriam
Jenny Rivera ‘85
Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, State of New York
Lourdes Rosado ‘95
President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice
Rachel Rosenbloom ‘02
Professor of Law, Northeastern University School of Law
Janet Sabel ‘84
NYU School of Law's Center on Civil Justice; Founding Director, Access to Justice Initiative; Former CEO, The Legal Aid Society
Johnathan Smith ‘07
Chief of Staff and General Counsel, National Center for Youth Law
Ría Tabacco Mar ‘08
Director, ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project
LaShanda Taylor Adams ‘99
Chief Legal Officer, Children’s Law Center
Tyler Walton '18
Deputy Director, Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law
Jessica Yager ‘03
Senior Director of Housing Initiatives, Center for Justice Innovation
Jenny R. Yang ‘96
Partner, Outten & Golden; Former Chair, Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC)