Kirkland is pleased to announce the selection of Amelia Goldberg and Sophia Berg as its 2024–2025 Kirkland & Ellis New York City Public Service Fellows. Both Fellows demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and a deep commitment to pursuing public service work in New York City. Amelia, from NYU School of Law, will work at Family Justice Law Center, assisting survivors of intimate partner violence who are subjected to heightened surveillance by the Administration for Children’s Services and New York family courts. The project seeks to use strategic appeals to correct New York’s interpretation of the law.

Sophia, from Columbia Law School, will work at Sanctuary for Families to create legal options for victims of gender-based violence, including access to healthcare. These efforts will involve advocating for clients, representing them directly, and providing training and educational materials to other attorneys representing such clients.

Every year since 1995, Kirkland has funded at least one graduating student from each NYU School of Law and Columbia Law School to pursue a yearlong public service project that principally and directly benefits residents of the city’s five boroughs. Fellows may create and fill a new position within an already-existing organization or pursue an independent project affiliated with a sponsoring organization.

Kirkland partner Shanti Sadtler Conway coordinates and leads the Fellowship. Every year, each Fellow is selected by a panel that includes a Kirkland partner, a Kirkland client, a sitting New York City judge, a public service attorney and the current Fellow from the other law school. This year, a panel headed by partner Norm Champ led the selection process for applicants from NYU School of Law, and a panel headed by partner Guillemette Chamayou led the selection process for applicants from Columbia School of Law.