Arielle Aboulafia is a 1L at American University Washington College of Law.  She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice and a concentration in Law & Society.  Prior to AUWCL, she interned for the Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking.  At AUWCL, Arielle participates in the Equal Justice Foundation, the Women’s Law Association, the National Lawyers’ Guild, and was a quarter-finalist in the Alvina Reckman-Myers Moot Court Tournament. Arielle is interested in how community and movement lawyering can combat structural inequity, protect frontline communities, and dismantle white supremacy.

Katelyn Buckles is a 1L student in the JD/MA International Affairs program at American University Washington College of Law. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science, and minors in Global Studies and Middle Eastern Studies.  Prior to AUWCL, she volunteered with JusticeCorps in Los Angeles and served as a law clerk for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.  At AUWCL, Katelyn is a member of International Refugee Assistance Project and volunteers with the War Crimes Research Office.  Katelyn is interested in the consequences of war and conflict on civilian populations, specifically gender issues.

Vicky Cheng is a 1L at American University Washington College of Law.  She is an international student from Toronto, Canada and she graduated from McGill University with a degree in international development studies, specializing in economics and living standards.  Prior to WCL, she worked in the finance industry as a bank advisor.  At AUWCL, Vicky is a staff member of the Human Rights Brief, Legislation and Policy Brief, and APALSA.  Vicky is interested in the intersection of human rights and business law, specifically issues related to accountability and ESG.

Thea Cabrera Montejo is a 1L at American University Washington College of Law. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Sociology.  Thea is a first-generation immigrant, college student, and law student with roots in Southern California and Cebu, Philippines.  She is currently a member of the Justice Initiative, a year-long pilot project spearheaded by Harvard Law School’s Systemic Justice Project and Howard University School of Law’s Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center.  At AUWCL, Thea is a staff member of the Human Rights Brief.  Thea is interested in the legal strategies and tactics used to stand in solidarity with people who have been disenfranchised by legal systems.

Alexander Monteiro is a 1L at the American University Washington College of Law. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2019 with a degree in Political Science, Spanish, and International Studies.  Prior to AUWCL, he interned at the European Parliament in Belgium, where he followed negotiations pertaining to Brexit and the European Migrant Crisis.  He also volunteered in Ecuador in Puerta de Luz, where he built classrooms for a local elementary school, cultivated land for local agricultural production, and tutored students in English who were transitioning to online learning.  Alex is interested in international human rights. 

Kathleen Parnow is a 1L at American University Washington College of Law.  She graduated from George Washington University with a double degree in Psychology and International Affairs and a concentration in international politics.  Prior to AUWCL, she interned with the GW LGBT Health graduate program and with a trauma-informed psychological center, where she completed a practicum project on the US prison system and recidivism.  At AUWCL, she volunteers for the Status Updates team with the War Crimes Research Office.  Katie is interested in human rights enforcement mechanisms and the intersections between human rights and gender and sexuality.