This year’s class of Fordham Law’s Stein Scholars, composed of 21 students, are devoted to public interest law issues that range from human rights to gender equity, to labor rights, among others.
New Stein Scholars are matched with their upper-class counterparts, faculty, and alumni as mentors who provide guidance and opportunities to learn more about what it means to practice as a public interest lawyer.
“I wanted to apply to the Stein Scholars Program because I feel like it’s like the golden ticket in public interest, because it provides you with a community of people who have similar interests as you and can be your support team,” said Daniella Nitza Lopez, LAW ’26, FCLC ’23.
Interested in immigration law, Lopez hopes to take her passion for protecting affected communities from policies that disregard fundamental rights based solely on citizenship to the next level through the Stein Scholars Program. “Right now immigration is a very crucial political topic. I want to be an asset to my community through tools that I can bring to the table—being bilingual, obtaining a law degree, and using other lawyer skills—to help win someone’s legal case in the future.”
The Stein Scholars Program in Public Interest Law and Ethics is designed to cultivate the next generation of public interest lawyers through academic and specialized discussion series, mentorships, and volunteer work with public interest organizations.
It offers select students with an expressed desire to work in public interest law the opportunity to receive tailored academic guidance, mentorship, community, support and experience in not-for-profit law offices, government, and pro bono law. This year’s scholars are interested in everything from fighting voter suppression to exploring the repercussions of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“When other students were picking out their ‘when I grow up’ careers in the second and third grades—like a police officer, doctor, and firefighter—all I knew was that I wanted to touch as many lives as possible,” said Tony Hemphill ’27. “That was my idea of a career.”
When his Peace Corps service in Kosovo was cut short by the pandemic, Hemphill earned a master’s degree in public service from NYU with concentrations in advocacy and political action. Since then, he’s worked in the fields of humanitarian aid, refugee and immigrant rights, climate justice, and public transit.
Hemphill says he is excited to bring his experience, most recently at the International Rescue Committee, to Fordham Law through the Stein Scholars Program.
Since 1992, more than 450 Fordham Law students have participated in the Stein Scholars Program, which currently supports 59 day and evening students.
Angela DeVolld, the Director of Public Interest Scholars and Fellowships at the Public Interest Resource Center , works closely with the Stein Scholars Program and says the program gives students a dedicated space to share their passion for social justice, learn from each other, and prioritize experiential learning in the public interest sector. “Public interest lawyers do incredibly valuable work in our communities and across so many different practice areas, and we are happy to give our students additional support to pursue this work here at Fordham and beyond. We are excited to welcome another class of accomplished and dedicated social justice advocates and cannot wait to see what they accomplish.”