LDF Fellow

Olga Akselrod received her JD, cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2002.

Olga Akselrod

She received her MA in political science from The Johns Hopkins University in 1999 andher BA in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on legal philosophy from theUniversity of California, Berkeley in 1996. After working with Fried Frank’s litigationdepartment for two years, Olga joined LDF in October 2004. While at LDF, she servedas Assistant Counsel in LDF’s education division, working primarily on the School-to-Prison Pipeline Initiative, and also worked in the criminal justice project on a variety ofcases. After completing her Fellowship in 2006, Olga became a staff attorney at theInnocence Project, Inc., where she handles a nation-wide docket of post-conviction casesinvolving DNA evidence and also serves as an adjunct clinical law professor at theBenjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

I always knew that my main goal was to work at an organization that is committed toaddressing racism and other social inequities in the many contexts in which they arise.The Fried Frank LDF Fellowship provided me the opportunity to obtain a broad range oflitigation experience and, at the same time, enter into a career in social justice work.

In the two years I was at the firm, I was staffed on a variety of commercial cases thatallowed me to sharpen the many skills that go into being a good litigator. I was given farmore responsibility than I expected as an associate, and I not only researched variousareas of the law but also drafted numerous briefs and actively participated in developingapproaches to the legal issues involved. The firm was also very responsive to my desireto do pro bono work. My pro bono cases allowed me to begin to develop courtroom andappellate skills and, more importantly, gave me the chance to make a positive differencein the lives of my clients.

After my productive time at Fried Frank, I felt well-prepared when I joined LDF. At LDF, Iworked on two areas of the law that are fundamentally important to the lives of peopleof color and about which I am most passionate: education and criminal justice. I wasable to continue to develop my skills as an attorney by fine tuning my legal writing andlearning to develop class action litigation from the ground up. I successfully litigated drugresentencing cases, developed litigation to address education issues, and assisted withbriefing on several death penalty cases. I also had the opportunity to develop publicpolicy and advocacy skills, as I co-authored several reports and public information piecesand organized public hearings in Florida on education.

Looking back, I am honored to have begun my career in public service through the Fried Frank LDF Fellowship.

LDF Fellow

Marc Kevin Battle received his JD from the HowardUniversity School of Law in 2002.

Marc Kevin Battle

While in law school, he interned with Black Entertainment Television (BET) and theDistrict of Columbia Office of Human Rights, and was a Merit Fellow and ThurgoodMarshall Scholar. He received his BA in print journalism and political science in 1999from the University of the District of Columbia, where he received the Max RobinsonJournalism Scholarship. As an undergraduate, Marc worked as a journalist, counseledyouth in the criminal justice system and served as a White House intern in the Clintonadministration. After law school, he served as senior counsel and communicationsdirector for the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee (18th Congressional District, Texas), andlater as general counsel of the Committee on Government Operations for the District ofColumbia City Council. Marc has the proud honor of being the first African-American everelected to the Borough of Haledon Council in New Jersey. Marc is currently AssistantGeneral Counsel at Pepco Holdings, Inc.

Lawyers have the potential to shape the future and even correct the inequities of thepresent. I became a lawyer because of my strong family influence and myunderstanding and appreciation of the crucial civil and human rights issues this nation hasstruggled with since its founding. Coming from the Howard University School of Law, theimportance of civil rights work is instilled in you from the very first day of class.However, practicing law in the fast-paced private sector was always an attractive careerpath as well. Fried Frank’s Fellowship Program appeared to be the perfect blend of twodifferent careers. While most people have to make a choice to do either public interestor private sector work before they graduate from school, the Fellowship Program offersthe opportunity to gain meaningful experience in both arenas.

I learned about the Fried Frank LDF Fellowship through correspondence directed to alumnifrom Howard’s career services director, and I found the corporate law and civil rightsadvocacy to be an interesting combination of skill sets. Although I was not seeking anew job, I still remained acutely receptive to opportunities to advance the civil rightsagenda and build on my legal skills. The Fellowship Program has given me theopportunity to do both.

Fried Frank exceeded my expectations with respect to the quality of the work assigned tome, as well as the general pleasant nature of the partners and associates. While workingat Fried Frank, I had the opportunity to do quite a bit of legal writing, includingdeveloping legal arguments and defenses. I was also able to do some very interestingpro bono work, and the firm was very supportive in this regard.

Community involvement is very important to me and working with Fried Frank and LDFgave me that opportunity. In all of the work that I do, I realize the importance of the lawand the power of those who interpret and argue it. Along the way, I have amassed skillsthat served me well in both law school as well as the actual practice of law. When Itransitioned to LDF, I knew that I had the training I needed, and more importantly, theability to continue learning.

LDF Fellow

Elise C. Boddie was the first recipient of the Fried Frank LDFFellowship.

Elise C. Boddie

She received her JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1996 and also receivedan MA in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in1996. While in law school, Elise was an executive editor for the Civil Rights-CivilLiberties Law Review. She held summer internships with the Constitutional RightsProject in Lagos, Nigeria and with the Justice Department, Civil Rights Division. Prior tojoining Fried Frank, Elise clerked for the Hon. Robert L. Carter, U.S. District Court forthe Southern District of New York (1996 – 1997). Elise was an associate in FriedFrank’s New York office from 1997 to 1999, when she joined LDF as an assistantcounsel. Following the end of her Fellowship in October 2001, she officially joined theLDF staff. Elise eventually became Director of LDF’s Education Group and an AssociateDirector of Litigation. Elise left LDF in January 2006 and became an AssociateProfessor at New York Law School, where she taught constitutional law and state andlocal government law and land use regulation. She was also Associate Director of theRacial Justice Project at New York Law School. Recently, Elise rejoined LDF as DeputyDirector of Litigation and Senior Policy Counsel.

I confess that initially I was hesitant about working at a large Wall Street law firm. Incollege I had decided that I wanted to be a civil rights lawyer, and it was unclear to mehow a law firm could fit into that long-term picture. When I learned about theFellowship, I decided to chance it, figuring that the experience of litigating with smart,seasoned lawyers at Fried Frank would help me become a better litigator. Although itwas two years away, I looked forward to the opportunity to work at LDF, an organizationI had long admired.

Little did I realize how much I would grow as a result of my experience at Fried Frank.As an associate in litigation, I drafted motions and briefs and helped prepare witnesses fordepositions and for trial. I also worked on a number of pro bono matters. My mostpersonally rewarding experience at Fried Frank was helping to win political asylum for aNigerian political dissident.

I am exceptionally fortunate to have worked at LDF. As any student of civil rights andU.S. social movements knows, LDF has a rich and amazing history of activism in thefederal courts. In many ways, I have benefited directly from the work of LDF lawyers,and the opportunity to give back to my community has been immensely rewarding, bothpersonally and professionally. At LDF, I litigated in the areas of affirmative action,education, and employment and handled all aspects of litigation in my cases. I alsoargued two cases in the federal courts of appeals. In short, this Fellowship can provide arich and rewarding experience for attorneys interested in and committed to civil rights.

LDF Fellow

Jenigh Garrett received her JD from the University ofWisconsin at Madison in 2003 and her BA in educationfrom the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1995.

Jenigh Garrett

While in law school, she was the Senior Articles Editor for the Law Review and was amember of the University of Wisconsin Moot Court Board. She received the Abe SigmanLaw Prize for scholarship, character and contributions to the law school, the Ray andEthel Brown Prize for outstanding scholarship and service to the law school and thecommunity, and she won Best Respondent Brief in the Fredrick Douglas Moot Courtcompetition. Prior to attending law school, Jenigh was a teacher in the Chicago publicschool system and co- founded “Sisters,” a program that provides a forum for femalejunior high-school students in economically challenged neighborhoods. Following theend of her Fellowship, she officially joined the LDF staff. She is currently a staff attorneywith the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section.

I went to law school to become a civil rights lawyer. For me, impacting society throughthe law, defending the rights of the poor and protecting and improving upon thesuccesses of the civil rights movement are priorities.

The Fellowship caught my attention because it offers a unique opportunity to work in twoostensibly disconnected areas of the law – the public and private sectors. I believe thatthe increased participation of private entities in the public sector makes it necessary forforward-thinking lawyers and civil rights leaders to work very closely to continue to havean impact on social change. I am proud to be a part of this process.

While an associate at Fried Frank, the formal and informal learning opportunitiesexceeded my expectations. The partners were excited about the fields of law in whichthey specialized and showed an interest in incorporating associates into the work life of

the firm. I had the opportunity to work on a variety of complex litigation matters rangingfrom securities law to patent law and was a member of a trial team each year I was atthe firm. The firm was also supportive of my desire to do pro bono work. While at FriedFrank I aided a Tibetan client as she obtained political asylum.

My experience at Fried Frank proved critical when I entered the second phase of myFellowship at LDF. When I joined LDF’s staff in 2005 I became a member of LDF’s VoterProtection Project and immediately joined the team of lawyers litigating the first votingrights case in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast.

Fried Frank’s training and commitment to excellence prepared me for the second phaseof my Fellowship and the rest of my career.

LDF Fellow

Ryan Paul Haygood received his JD from the University ofColorado School of Law in 2001.

Ryan Paul Haygood

While in law school, Ryan interned with the Colorado State Public Defender and LDF andwas an LDF Earl Warren Civil Rights Scholar. He received his BA, cum laude, in Americanhistory and political science in 1997 from Colorado College, where he was nominatedfor the Rhodes Scholarship. As an undergraduate, Ryan became the first football playerin Colorado College’s history to earn both academic and athletic first-team All-Americanhonors. Between college and law school, he served a year-long internship with CampusCrusade for Christ, spending the last few months of his internship in Zambia. Ryan wasan associate in Fried Frank’s New York office from 2001 to 2003, after which he joinedLDF as an assistant counsel. Following the end of his Fellowship in September 2005, heofficially joined the LDF staff. Ryan is now Director of LDF’s Political Participation Group.

I pursued a career in law because I have been inspired by the ability of civil rights lawyersto effect legal and social change in our society. As an LDF Fellow, I have had theopportunity to learn and sharpen my legal skills through the training and support availableat a leading law firm, while maintaining my commitment to legal and racial justice.

While at Fried Frank, I was staffed on numerous complex commercial litigation mattersthat provided me with wide-ranging substantive litigation experience, including conductingextensive legal research and writing; drafting complaints, answers and discovery requests;writing motions and briefs; taking depositions; and preparing for oral arguments and trials.I also worked on a high-profile U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, forwhich I reviewed a significant number of documents—a junior associate task that Ilearned to appreciate as an essential component of litigation. I also benefited from FriedFrank’s commitment to pro bono legal service, which afforded me the opportunity tosuccessfully represent a client in a Title VII employment discrimination matter.

The invaluable training I received as an associate at Fried Frank enabled me to contribute

to LDF’s work in a way that simply would not have been possible had I joined LDFimmediately after law school.

At LDF, I work for the nation’s preeminent civil rights organization, which I deeply respect forits cutting edge use of the law to protect and advance the civil rights of African Americans.

As the Co-Director of the Political Participation Group, I oversaw all aspects of LDF’s votingrights docket, and litigated cases that are of great significance to the political power ofAfrican Americans.

In that capacity, I served on LDF’s team that successfully defended a core provision of theVoting Rights Act against a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court. I alsolitigated a case that ultimately provided African-American voters in Jefferson Parish,Louisiana to elect, for the first time in history, an African-American judge to the Fifth CircuitCourt of Appeals. I also challenged, in the Second and Ninth Circuits, the discriminatorydenial of the vote to racial minorities with felony convictions.

During the 2008 presidential election, I coordinated LDF’s Prepared to Vote Program, a 10-state non-partisan voter empowerment initiative. In connection with that effort, I trainedhundreds of legal and other volunteers. I also litigated two successful pre-Election Daychallenges, one that permitted a prison-based voter registration drive in Alabama tocontinue, and another that enjoined an effort in Indiana to challenge voters’ eligibility tovote on the basis of home foreclosure.

The experiences afforded to me by the Fried Frank Fellowship have enriched my personaland professional development, and I am incredibly thankful for the rewarding experience.

LDF Fellow

Dale Ho received his JD in 2005 from Yale Law School, andreceived his BA, summa cum laude, in Political Philosophyfrom Princeton University in 1999, where he was electedto Phi Beta Kappa.

Dale Ho

During his law school summers, Dale worked on habeas petitions for capital defendantsat the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, and on genocide trials atthe United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania.Dale served as a student director of the law school’s Immigration Legal Services Clinic,during which he represented several clients seeking asylum in United StatesImmigration Court. Dale also interned during the school year at the ACLU’s Drug LawReform Project and at the Housing Authority of New Haven. Prior to joining FriedFrank, Dale was a law clerk for the Hon. Robert S. Smith in the New York Court ofAppeals (2006 – 2007), and for the Hon. Barbara S. Jones in the U.S. District Courtfor the Southern District of New York (2005 – 2006). He is in the second phase ofhis Fellowship at LDF as an Assistant Counsel in the Political Participation Group.

I decided to attend law school because of my desire to work in civil rights. I had alwaysbeen interested in social justice work, but it was when I was an undergraduate, whilestudying the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s successful campaign todismantle de jure segregation, that it became my aspiration to work as a civil rightsattorney on a wide range of issues that affect people of color.

Although I did not attend law school in order to work at a large law firm, I also neverruled it out entirely, and I was drawn to the Fellowship because I knew it would offer meunparalleled training opportunities and the chance to expand my horizons by working onexciting cases outside of my normal areas of interest.

Thus far, my experience has exceeded my expectations. One of my first assignmentsinvolved rendering advice to a client facing potential securities derivative litigation. Thebody of substantive law with which we were dealing was complicated and interesting,and I learned a tremendous amount from working with the more senior attorneys staffedon the case.

The firm was tremendously supportive of my interest in pro bono work. Within my firstfew months, I had the opportunity to work with LDF on an amicus brief to the UnitedStates Supreme Court. The Firm also approved my proposal to work with immigrantrestaurant workers who have been paid less than minimum wage. And through theFirm’s participation in the Volunteer Appellate Defender program, I represented a client ina criminal appeal, during which I had the opportunity to conduct oral argument before theAppellate Division here in New York.

In all, the Fellowship has been everything that I hoped it would be and more, affordingme tremendous opportunities to develop as a professional, work in a variety of practiceareas, and nurture my commitment to civil rights. After completing the first phase of myFellowship at the firm, I was able to bring the skills that I developed at Fried Frank toLDF. I am currently working with LDF’s Political Participation Group. I focus on litigationunder the Voting Rights Act, felon disfranchisement, prison-based gerrymandering, barriersto registration, and ballot access.

LDF Fellow

Alexis Karteron received her JD, with distinction, fromStanford Law School in 2004. She received her BA,magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 2001.

Alexis Karteron

While in law school, Alexis was a Symposium Editor of the Stanford Law Review and aPublic Interest Fellow, and participated in numerous public interest activities. Shecompleted summer internships with LDF and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYUSchool of Law. Prior to joining Fried Frank, Alexis clerked for the Hon. Marsha S.Berzon, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2004 – 2005). Alexis served as aWhite House associate staff secretary for the Obama administration after completingher Fried Frank Fellowship at LDF. She is currently a staff attorney with New York CivilLiberties Union.

I decided to attend law school because I wanted to be a civil rights lawyer and, ideally,an LDF staff member. When I learned of the Fried Frank Fellowship during my first yearof law school, I immediately knew that it was a unique opportunity that I would one day pursue.

The Fellowship seemed to provide an excellent opportunity to study under the tutelage ofseasoned commercial litigators at a Wall Street firm, as well as preparation for the civilrights work I had long studied and planned to do.

My interest in the Fried Frank Fellowship only grew as I explored my interest in civilrights work through internships, clinical work, and other public interest activities as a lawstudent. I realized that civil rights lawyers must employ creative strategies to helpcommunities solve the thorny problems that impede progress toward social justice.While I knew that I had much left to learn, the skills that I acquired at Fried Frank servedas a valuable foundation for my work at LDF.

While at the firm, I had the opportunity to work on a variety of interesting projects,including an internal investigation of insider trading at a public company and a large class action securities litigation. In addition, I joined the team representing a long-timepro bono client in a First Amendment matter on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals forthe Second Circuit.

As a staff attorney at LDF, I joined the Voter Protection Group in October 2007. I workedon litigation under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in several states concerning statelegislative districting plans and felon disfranchisement laws, a voter empowermentprogram for the impending presidential election, Supreme Court amicus briefs concerningballot access, and election monitoring programs in Louisiana and Indiana. As a formerLDF Fellow, I am pleased that Fried Frank met my expectation of being an exceptionalplace to begin my legal career.

LDF Fellow

Janai Nelson received her JD from the University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles School of Law in 1996 and her BAfrom New York University in 1993.

Janai Nelson

Prior to joining Fried Frank in 1998, she clerked for the Hon. Theodore McMillian, U.S.Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1997 – 1998), and the Hon. David H. Coar,U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1996 – 1997). While in lawschool, Janai held an externship with the Hon. Stephen Reinhardt, U.S. Court of Appealsfor the Ninth Circuit, and engaged in numerous public interest activities. In addition, sheserved as Articles Editor for the UCLA Law Review, Consulting Editor of the NationalBlack Law Journal and Associate Editor of the UCLA Women’s Law Journal. Janai hasalso published law review articles on issues of race and the law. Following the end ofher Fellowship in February 2003, she officially joined LDF as Assistant Counsel and thenbecame the Director of Political Participation. She was later selected to be a FulbrightScholar to work on democracy issues in Ghana, West Africa and is currently an AssociateProfessor and Associate Director of the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights andEconomic Development at St. John's University School of Law. Janai has also publishedlaw review articles on issues of democracy, election law, and racial justice and speakswidely on these issues.

I became a lawyer because I am inspired by and a direct beneficiary of the legacy ofsocial and political change effected by civil rights attorneys in this country. I chose theFried Frank LDF Fellowship because it offers the opportunity to practice in two distinctareas of litigation – general corporate and civil rights. I also believe the Fellowship wasan ideal way to maximize my skills as a litigator with practical experience that includedcomplex impact litigation, motion practice, trial preparation, case management andworking with seasoned litigators.

While at Fried Frank, I was impressed by the diversity of the firm’s practice. I worked oncutting-edge legal issues and was exposed to areas of law and business about which Imight not have otherwise learned. In addition, I am greatly impressed by the firm’scommitment to pro bono work and its pledge to maintain close relationships with publicinterest organizations such as LDF and MALDEF.

My desire to work at LDF stemmed from its long history of protecting and advancing thecivil rights of African Americans and other underrepresented groups. LDF’s preeminenceamong civil rights organizations in a range of significant impact litigation was alsocompelling. Through my work on voting rights and criminal justice issues at LDF, I litigatedcases with attorneys that I read about in law school textbooks and developed substantiveknowledge in areas of law that have tremendous significance for the African Americancommunity and society at large.

My long-term career goals vary from continuing to litigate civil rights cases to teachingand law school administration. No matter what I do, I hope always to bring anenthusiasm for learning and an eagerness to broaden my life experiences in order tocontribute to the betterment of my community and the advancement of people of color.The Fellowship is a rewarding means toward that end.

Johnathan Smith received his JD from the NYU School of Law in 2007 and received his BA, cum laude, fromHarvard in 2003.

Johnathan Smith

Before joining Fried Frank in 2009, Johnathan clerked for the Hon. Carl E. Stewart on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He spent two years as a litigationassociate with the Firm, where he represented clients in a variety of complex commercialand civil rights matters before federal courts. While at the NYU School of Law, he was aRoot-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar and an editor of the Review of Law and SocialChange. Johnathan graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a degree inSociology and African-American Studies and also earned a Master’s Degree in EducationPolicy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2004. He is currently in thesecond phase of the Fellowship at LDF as Assistant Counsel in the Economic Justice Group.

Having been inspired throughout my education by the courageous and ground-breakingadvocacy of lawyers such as Charles Hamilton Houston, Constance Baker Motley, andThurgood Marshall, I entered law school with the goal of becoming a civil rights litigator.I first became aware of the Fried Frank Fellowship Program during my summer internshipat LDF and I was immediately intrigued. Up until that point, I had never given seriousconsideration to working at a Wall Street law firm, but was interested in exploring thetraining, skill development, and other benefits that such a position could provide.

While at Fried Frank, I was able to work on a plethora of litigation matters, ranging fromcases involving real estate disputes to white-collar defense work. Each of the matterswas complex, interesting, and thought provoking. I learned about the various stages ofthe litigation process firsthand and was able to grow as a litigator while being exposed tothe wisdom and experience of senior lawyers at the firm. Moreover, I was impressed byFried Frank’s genuine pro bono commitment. While at the firm, I was able to work not

only on matters with leading civil rights/public interest organizations such as LDF,MALDEF, the Innocence Project, and the Office of the Appellate Defender, but also on anumber of civil rights amicus briefs, including two that were filed in the United StatesSupreme Court.

I joined LDF as a staff attorney in the Economic Justice Group in October 2010, where Iwas assigned a docket of complex civil rights litigation matters that were pending infederal courts throughout the country. The cases I worked on have included a class actionlawsuit filed on behalf of African-American homeowners who were affected by HurricanesKatrina and Rita as well as a class action lawsuit against the City of New York and theNew York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) challenging the New York City PoliceDepartment’s controversial practice of routinely subjecting NYCHA residents and theirvisitors to questionable stops and arrests purportedly to enforce trespass laws. I havebeen actively engaged in discovery, motion practice, and advocacy on both the trial andappellate levels, and the skills and knowledge I gained at Fried Frank have been directlyrelevant and tremendously beneficial.

With the benefit of having served as a Fellow, I firmly believe the Fellowship Programserves as a leading model of an effective and highly successful partnership between acorporate law firm and the civil rights community. I am grateful and honored to havebeen selected as a LDF Fellow.

LDF Fellow