Meet our Team: PHLP's 2023 Summer Interns
PHLP is pleased to host three law interns our Philadelphia office this summer. Our interns will be working directly with clients and handling their own case loads. They will get experience completing client intake interviews and assisting clients from across the state with Medicaid eligibility and access problems. Our interns will also get the chance to observe PHLP staff in action on client cases and statewide policy advocacy. Read on below for a spotlight on each of our summer interns!
Law school & graduation year: Penn State Dickinson School of Law, 2024
Hometown: Pomona, CA
What did you do prior to law school?: I was a Litigation Assistant for three years at a personal injury law firm.
What attracted you to PHLP’s mission?: I connected with PHLP’s mission of “protecting and advancing health care rights.” Access to health care can affect every aspect of a person’s life. Without regular check-ups and treatment, people may get sick and lose their ability to work and provide for themselves and their families. They may even lose their ability to connect with their community. I love working for a nonprofit that works to ensure that this does not happen.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?: I most look forward to handling a grievance and ensuring low-income Pennsylvanians have access to health care.
Other Law School Activities/Internships: Law Clerk at Los Angeles County District Attorney, Moot Court National Competition Team, National LGBTQ+ Bar’s Law Student Congress, American Constitution Society, Criminal Law Society, Latinx Law Students Association (LLSA), OUTLaw, Public Interest Law Fund, Women’s Law Caucus
What is your personal motto or mantra?: I am not sure if I have a personal motto, but if I did, it would be “Ni modo.” It roughly means, “Oh well. Nothing can be done.” This feels slightly pessimistic, but I see it as moving on and letting go of things you cannot control. It’s a way of picking yourself up and trying again.
Share a fun fact about yourself: I appeared in several advertisements as a child.
Law school & graduation year: Duke University School of Law, 2025
Hometown: Woodbridge, CT
What did you do prior to law school?: I was a legal assistant at Kang Haggerty in Philadelphia. I also spent several years as an administrative intern for PHLP while I was an undergraduate at University of Pennsylvania.
What attracted you to PHLP’s mission?: PHLP counsels clients through some of the most important problems they will ever face- ones concerning their health- and it is a privilege to support clients in these moments.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?: I’m excited to simultaneously work with clients and learn the nuances of Medicaid and Medicare! A judge once called the Medicaid Act “a virtually impenetrable thicket of legalese and gobbledygook” and I’m looking forward to diving in.
Other Law School Activities: Health Care Planning Project, Health Law Society, Women Law Students Association
What is your personal motto or mantra?: “Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything.”- Nellie Bly
Share a fun fact about yourself: I am the incoming president of the Health Law Society at Duke Law!
Law school & graduation year: Temple University Beasley School of Law, 2024
Hometown: Drexel Hill, PA
What did you do prior to law school?: Bartender at the Rittenhouse Hotel; Film student and research assistant
What attracted you to PHLP’s mission?: I am deeply interested in accessible healthcare, particularly for LGTBQ+ youth of color. Interning with PHLP provides the opportunity to gain a solid foundation in the complex healthcare system in Pennsylvania.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?: Getting a chance to catch up on movies/T.V. shows, hopefully. At PHLP, I am most looking forward to getting comfortable with the healthcare system in PA, which I’m learning is very complex.
Other Law School Activities/Internships: Judicial Intern to the Honorable Timika Lane, Temple Law Review, OUTLaw, Mazzoni Center Name Change Project, Black Law Students Association
What is your personal motto or mantra?: Inner bloom, outer shine.
Share a fun fact about yourself: I am a classically trained vocalist, as well as a songwriter and composer.
