Fellowship Program
Fellowship Program
Each year, the Rodin Center selects three to four law students as Rodin Social Justice Fellows. Fellows develop, lead, and promote social justice and public interest programming and mentor, guide and support peers to encourage social justice work and volunteering. Fellows engage in leadership and service to the Loyola University, the School of Law, and the broader community with care, respect, and compassion for others while embodying the Jesuit values of excellence and service to people living in poverty and those who are otherwise oppressed.
The Rodin fellowship is intended to support students with strong leadership skills who are committed to legal careers in social justice and public interest law.
Full-time 2L and Part-time 3L students are eligible to apply. (See application below.) Fellows will receive a total of $2,700 per semester in tuition remuneration over their last three semesters of law school and a $6,500 stipend to support unpaid social justice and public interest work during the summer before their last year of law school.
Fellowship expectations
- Demonstrate leadership and serve the Loyola University, the School of Law, and the greater Chicago community with care, respect, and compassion for others while embodying the Jesuit values of excellence and service to people living in poverty and those who are otherwise oppressed.
- Develop, lead, promote, and participate in School of Law programming and volunteer activities related to social justice and public interest law.
- Complete a 10-week summer internship during the summer of 2027 with a nonprofit organization or government agency engaging in social justice or public interest work in support of people living in poverty or otherwise facing oppression or marginalization.
- Complete the requirements for the Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate and maintain good academic standing.
- Help plan and attend monthly lunch and learn events for the law school community and an annual Social Justice Symposium as well as other programs, events and activities sponsored by the Center.
- Mentor and guide peers and work to support, educate, and engage them in social justice and public interest work.
- Commit to serving, representing, or advocating on behalf of indigent persons, disadvantaged groups, or inadequately protected interests after graduation from law school.
- Return to the School of Law in person and/or virtually to meet with and mentor law students and report on your social justice work post-graduation.
Selection criteria and process
Rodin Social Justice Fellows will be selected based upon their leadership potential and commitment to social justice work as demonstrated through activities and/or life experiences prior to and during law school. Diversity of background and experience and availability to engage in social justice and public interest activities and mentor other students is also highly valued.
Interested students must submit a completed application, which includes:
- Application form questions
- 500-word essay
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript for all law school coursework completed to date to ensure student is in academic good standing
Fellowship applications will be accepted October 1, 2026, through October 31, 2026.
Fellowship applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of the Rodin Center Director and Rodin faculty members in early November. Eight to ten applicants will be selected for interviews with the Committee. The Committee will select finalists to submit to the Dean and the Rodin Associate Dean of Experiential Education for final selection in consultation with the Provosts Office. Fellowships will be offered by the end of the semester.
For more information, contact Kate Mitchell, Rodin Center Director at kmitchell9@luc.edu.
2026-2027 Rodin Student Fellows
A new era of advocates
Meet the 2026-2027 Rodin Fellows: Ashvini Kartik-Narayan, Joyce Harduvel, Zak Cheikho, and Trinity Rogers
Meet our new fellows2025-2026 Rodin Student Fellows
Dede Benissan
Dede Benissan (she/her/hers) is a first-generation Togolese immigrant and a 2L at the School of Law. She holds a B. in biology and public policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to law school, Dede worked as an undergraduate policy consultant for FEMA, researching the best strategies to support communities affected by natural disasters. She also served as a Medical-Legal Partnership (AmeriCorps) VISTA coordinator with the Health Justice Project at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she worked to increase access to health care and economic opportunities for Black and Brown communities. During her 1L summer, Dede worked as a student attorney at the Harvard Law School’s Legal Aid Bureau, where she represented tenants at risk of eviction and provided brief legal services to unrepresented tenants in court. Dede is a member of the Loyola Law Journal, Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Team, and the boards of BLSA and FSBA. After graduation, Dede plans to use her policy and legal skills to advocate for civil rights, criminal justice, fair market competition, and consumer protection.
Sharon Kirchner
Sharon Kirchner (she/ella/ona) is a first-generation Slovakian student and 3L in the Weekend JD program. Outside of classes, Sharon runs a dog care business. During her 1L year at University of Illinois Chicago's School of Law, Sharon spearheaded the founding of Leaders in Law, a student organization empowering first-generation and minority students with aspirations to become judges, senators, and law professors. One of Sharon’s core values is volunteerism, and she has given back to her community by assisting low-income Spanish speakers seeking citizenship and starting a charity that has donated over $7,000 worth of household and personal hygiene essentials to Chicago’s homeless communities through retail couponing. Prior to law school, Sharon was chosen to be Cook County’s first survivor engagement specialist, responsible for empowering domestic violence and sexual assault survivors through their navigation of the justice system. Sharon is a law clerk at both the Chicago Federal Defender Program and the Felony Trial Division of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. Upon graduation, Sharon looks forward to being a zealous public defender serving marginalized community members.
Elizabeth Martinez
Elizabeth Martinez (she/her/hers) is a 2L. She was born and raised in Texas, where she worked at a criminal justice reform organization and a personal injury firm before starting law school. Her prior experiences solidified her dedication to a public interest legal career. Beginning her 1L year, she volunteered for local immigration organizations in Chicago and plans to continue supporting these communities in her spare time. During her 1L summer, Elizabeth interned for the Federal Defenders Program, where she did legal research and brief writing to support the criminal defense strategies of incarcerated clients. She is exploring career paths that address mass incarceration and believes that early social interventions are key to preventing or disrupting a cycle of incarceration. During her 2L year, Elizabeth joined Loyola’s ABA negotiations team and is the president of SUFEO, Loyola’s student-run organization that provides free information and assistance to families of PreK-12 students facing issues in school.
Lindsay Nicholas
Lindsay Nicholas (she/her/hers) is a 2L. Prior to law school, Lindsay worked at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, assisting with juvenile and adult criminal record expungement, which inspired her to pursue a career in post-conviction advocacy to address the disproportionate impact of the criminal legal system on Chicago’s most vulnerable communities. At Loyola, Lindsay serves as the advocacy coordinator for SUFEO, Loyola’s student-run organization that provides free information and assistance to families of PreK-12 students facing issues in school. In the spring, she will return to Ascend Justice, where she will work with the Family Defense and Incarcerated Survivors Project teams.