The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) recently welcomed 26 law students to Washington for the TFAS Summer Law Fellowship. The nine-week academic internship experience brings law students from all over the country to the nation’s capital for a summer filled with legal internships, lectures from esteemed judges and attorneys, professional development seminars and an introduction to the legal world through experiential learning and networking opportunities.
This summer the Law Fellows will take a class on constitutional originalism with Dr. Jeremy Rabkin of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Dr. Rabkin’s class explores the concepts of the original meaning theory as a method of constitutional interpretation. It will expose students to the history of originalism and its practical application in landmark cases before the Supreme Court.
One Fellow, Johnathan Baur, Law ’22, is a rising 2L at Scalia Law. He heard of Professor Rabkin’s class on originalism and had been trying to work it into his schedule. When he found out about the TFAS Summer Law Fellowship, he knew he had to apply.
I wanted to do the Fellowship because the options TFAS offers to law students for progressing in their studies and preparing them for their careers by introducing them to judges, attorneys and the like is amazing.” – Johnathan Baur, Law ’22
“I’ve heard terrific things about Dr. Rabkin’s class,” Baur said. “I wanted to do the Fellowship because the options TFAS offers to law students for progressing in their studies and preparing them for their careers by introducing them to judges, attorneys and the like is amazing.”
In addition to coursework, the Fellows are interning at various legal offices and sites throughout the D.C. area. Their internship sites include Baker Hostetler, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, Pacific Legal Foundation, the Institute for Justice, Americans United for Life, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and many more.
Fellows will also have the special opportunity to learn from a plethora of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. District Court in the “Thoughts from the Bench” series. Judge Douglas Ginsburg of the D.C. Circuit will take the Fellows on a guided tour of the U.S. Court of Appeals and share his expertise.
Outside of classes, lectures and internships, TFAS offers professional development seminars with various professionals from the legal sphere. This summer’s series includes informational sessions on judicial clerkships, religious liberty cases, careers with the Department of Justice and more.
Charles Brandt, Law ’22, is especially looking forward to the guest speaker events and networking opportunities TFAS offers.
“I’m looking forward to being able to have intelligent conversations about the constitution with my fellow law students, our guest speakers, our professors, the judges and other legal professionals,” he said. “I’m excited to start my own legal career, especially since I’m coming out of my 1L year. I think it will be great to meet people from all over the country with similar perspectives on the importance of originalism.”
Another Fellow, Anne Carmack, Law ’22, says she has high expectations for herself and for the program, but she feels ready for the challenge and knows the Fellowship will live up to the standard.
“This summer, I expect to learn as much as I possibly can and become a more well-rounded law student,” she said. “I expect to leave this summer with a better understanding of diverse points of view, which is vital in our line of work.”
Learn more about each of the Fellows below.
Meet the 2022 Law Fellows
Johnathan Baur
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: St. Clair Shores, Michigan
Johnathan Baur was born and raised in the Detroit metropolitan area. He attended Thomas Aquinas College in California, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology. While at Thomas Aquinas, he was active in the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, student government and intramural sports. After spending a year working at a nonprofit in southeastern Michigan, he enrolled at Antonin Scalia Law School. During his first year, Johnathan became active in the Federalist Society, where he became an officer. He just completed his first year and is looking forward to discovering what the TFAS Summer Law Fellowship holds.
Chelsea Brandt
Law School: University of Minnesota Law School
Hometown: Horace, North Dakota
Chelsea Brandt is a distinguished graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She holds dual undergraduate degrees in psychology and literature and led numerous organizations and clubs while attending CU Boulder. In the summer of her junior year, Chelsea was selected to serve as a legislative intern for Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) in his Washington, D.C., office. Her internship proved to be a turning point in her professional life. Chelsea realized that Washington was a place where her legal ambition could not only exist, but thrive. She is excited to return to D.C. to build upon what she learned as a legislative intern and Juris Doctorate candidate. After graduation in May of 2023, Chelsea plans to move to Washington, D.C., to start her legal career in transactional corporate law.
Charles Brandt
Law School: The George Washington University Law School
Hometown: Olney, Maryland
Charles Brandt just finished his first year at the George Washington University Law School, where he served as a first year law student representative for GW Law’s Federalist Society chapter. Before starting law school, Charles graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland, College Park with a bachelor’s degree in economics and minors in Spanish and statistics. While enrolled at UMD, he worked at the Naval Sea Systems Command as a data management and security operations intern. He also worked as an office assistant with the university’s Economics Undergraduate Advising Office, and in spring 2020, he served as a research assistant intern at the Brookings Institution.
Anne Carmack
Law School: Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
Hometown: Lehi, Utah
Anne “Annie” Carmack just completed her second year at the Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School. In her undergraduate studies at BYU, Annie studied interdisciplinary humanities with an international development emphasis. In law school, she has had the opportunity to work with two federal district court judges and her local U.S. attorney’s office. Her interests include traveling, music and the outdoors.
Nicholas Chesrown
Law School: The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Nicholas Chesrown graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Xavier University in 2015. While attending college, he was in Xavier’s R.O.T.C. program and commissioned as a field artillery officer. He served in the Army for six years, earning the rank of captain prior to his honorable discharge in September 2021. While in the Army, Nick was stationed in South Korea twice, spent time in Hungary for a military exchange program, and was stationed in Texas, Oklahoma and various other locations in the United States. Nick just completed his first year at The Catholic University of America, where he serves as a first year law student representative in the school’s Federalist Society chapter.
Nicholas Clifford
Law School: Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Nicholas Clifford just completed his first year of law school at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University, where he studied public policy and economics. Previously, Nick worked as a clerk at the Law Office of David Hennessy and was a summer clerk for the Honorable Judge Heather Welch at the Marion County Superior Court. He was a 2019 Political Studies Fellow at the Hudson Institute and a 2020 Summer Fellow at the Hertog Foundation. Nick has also participated in programs at the Common Sense Society and Hoover Institution. Before entering law school, he interned at the Cato Institute and the Indiana State Senate.
Nicholas Cohen
Law School: Seton Hall University School of Law
Hometown: Newark, New Jersey
Nicholas Cohen just completed his first year at the Seton Hall University School of Law. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a concentration in national security studies. Before starting law school, Nick worked as a strategy director for Majority Strategies in Jacksonville, Florida, and then as an investigative analyst for the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York. At Seton Hall, Nick is a member of the Seton Hall Community Outreach Committee and serves as the representative for the school’s Federalist Society chapter. In his free time, he enjoys watching baseball and Formula 1 as well as planning his next recipe as an avid home brewer.
Christopher Condon
Law School: The George Washington University Law School
Hometown: Manorville, New York
Christopher Condon attended Gettysburg College for his undergraduate studies, where he majored in political science and minored in art history. During his time at Gettysburg, Chris interned in the office of Rep. Lee Zeldin, interned in Suffolk County Family Court, and worked at the Eisenhower Institute. He moved to Washington, D.C., after graduation to work at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, an American government think tank. Upon entering law school at The George Washington University, Chris joined the George Washington Law Review and will serve as its senior online editor in his upcoming year. He has focused mostly on constitutional and criminal law, including courses on the Bill of Rights, U.S. legal history and criminal procedure. Chris interned at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers during his first summer of law school. In his free time, he enjoys collecting vinyl records, learning to play the piano and reading.
Nicholas Galluzzo
Law School: Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Hometown: Parish, New York
Nicholas Galluzzo is a native New Yorker born and raised in Oswego County, New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a concentration in legal studies from Eastern Michigan University. While at Eastern, he participated in a number of extracurricular activities, including heavy involvement in the student body senate as a student senator. In this role, Nicholas regularly attended the meetings of his committee assignments and the broader senate as a whole. He also participated in Eastern’s Moot Court program through the political science department, which is where he first felt drawn to a career in the legal field. Nicholas attends Villanova Law School, where he has just finished his second year. At Villanova, he has associated with student organizations such as the Federalist Society and the Criminal Law Society.
Steven Grotch
Law School: Emory University School of Law
Hometown: Alpharetta, Georgia
Steven Grotch just completed his second year at Emory University School of Law. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, double majoring in international affairs and political science and minoring in criminal justice studies. While at UGA, Steven participated in a variety of organizations, including Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity and Rally Foundation. Entering his third year at Emory Law, Steven was elected president of the Emory Federalist Society chapter and director of operations for the Emory Law School Supreme Court Advocacy Program. He is a staff member on the Emory International Law Review and has interned with the Naval War College as a legal adviser on issues pertaining to the Law of the Sea. Steven is particularly interested in pursuing international trade and commercial arbitration, national security law and the growing practice of space law.
Nicholas Gucciardo
Law School: William & Mary Law School
Hometown: Massapequa, New York
Nicholas Gucciardo recently completed his first year at William & Mary Law School. Before attending law school, he studied international affairs and economics at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. During his undergraduate studies, Nicholas participated in student organizations such as the Japanese Cultural Association, Strategic Crisis Simulations and the International Affairs Society. Additionally, Nicholas has completed internships with the Madison Coalition, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. During his first year of law school, he joined the International Law Society and Comparative Legal Student Scholars.
Jakob Haws
Law School: Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law School
Hometown: Silverdale, Washington
Jakob Haws is an aspiring legal professional interested in military and cybersecurity law who recently completed his first year of law school as a merit scholarship recipient. A graduate of Brigham Young University with bachelor’s degrees in both political science and French studies, Jakob reads, writes and speaks English, French and Samoan. During his undergraduate years, Jakob served as a full-time proselyting missionary in Samoa, studied as an intern at l’Université Catholique de Lille in France, and worked as a classroom teacher, training instructor and interpreter. Jakob is a member of the Federalist Society, the BYU Freedom of Religion & Belief Club, the BYU Men’s Chorus, the BYU Folk Dance Club and the Dickinson International Law Society. Jakob loves being a Christian, a husband to a wonderful wife, and a father of two beautiful children.
Jensen Hoernig
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: McLean, Virginia
Jensen Hoernig graduated from Christendom College in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and English. He spent a few months in the insurance industry before deciding to go back to school. He has now completed his third year of law school and is looking forward to his professional life. Jensen spent the past year working part time as a summer intern and then as a Law Fellow at the American Conservative Union. During law school, he served as the vice president of marketing for his campus chapter of the Federalist Society and treasurer for his campus chapter of the Thomas More Society. While his professional interests are domestic, Jensen enjoys international travel and has spent a semester studying abroad in Rome, been on mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Peru, and has traveled recreationally to Kenya, Tanzania, Canada, Poland, Spain and Japan.
Jacob Hopkins
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: Woodland Park, Colorado
Jacob Hopkins just completed his third year at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. He recently completed an internship with the Federal Trade Commission’s Mergers I Department and previously served as a litigation law clerk for Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, a D.C. area regulatory law firm. Jacob is passionate about constitutional, administrative and antitrust law. He served as the Magister for the Lewis Powell Inn of Phi Delta Phi; the submissions and publications editor for the Journal of Law, Economics and Policy; and the vice president of communications for Scalia Law’s Federalist Society chapter. Before law school, Jacob was a customer relationship management analyst for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Jacob received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, majoring in sport management and marketing with a minor in economics.
Devin Humphreys
Law School: Notre Dame Law School
Hometown: Farwell, Michigan
Devin Humphreys is a rising third-year law student at Notre Dame Law School. A graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College, Devin is the Executive Symposium Editor for the Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy, a Blackstone Legal Fellow and a proud member of the Notre Dame Folk Choir. During his first summer of law school, he worked as a research assistant for Professor Paolo Carozza. This past fall, Devin externed for Justice Brian Hagedorn on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Halbert Koelsch
Law School: University of Houston Law Center
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Halbert Koelsch studied philosophy at Baylor University during his undergraduate studies and was invited to lecture at a symposium held at Texas State University in 2018. Hal worked at the Baylor Law Library as an undergraduate student. Hal’s father Robert passed away during his senior year of college. This forced Hal to take some time off from Baylor, but ultimately made him want to become a lawyer like his father. Hal graduated in May 2019 with the goal of not letting his father’s passing keep him from achieving what his father believed he was capable of. He worked at two tutoring companies prior to the pandemic, and then he began studying for the LSAT. Hal is now a rising 2L at the University of Houston Law Center.
John Maloney
Law School: Washington & Lee University School of Law
Hometown: Lexington, Virginia
John Maloney is a rising second year law student at Washington and Lee University School of Law, a Federalist Society Representative Committee member and an active member of the Christian Legal Society. Prior to law school, John served eight years in the U.S. Air Force as an Electronic Warfare Officer on the EC-130H Compass Call. He led aircrews, instructed new Mission Crew Commanders and flew over 600 combat hours in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Before commissioning, John obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from New York University, studied abroad in Israel and interned for former U.S. Senator John Ensign both in Las Vegas and D.C. He enjoys cooking, reading history written by non-historians and spending quality time with his wife and dog.
Nicolaus Neser
Law School: Georgetown University Law Center
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Nicolaus Neser just completed his first year at Georgetown University Law Center, where he is involved in numerous on-campus activities. He is a Bradley Scholar in Georgetown’s Center for the Constitution, a Business Law Scholar, a member of the Federalist Society and the incoming president of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. He is interested in litigation, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust counseling/investigating and government relations. As a paralegal in the Antitrust Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, Nic worked closely with attorneys, economists and other professionals to investigate and bring charges against major technology companies who allegedly engaged in anti-competitive practices. Nic graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts in American studies.
Michael Potter
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: Delmar, New York
Michael Potter is a rising third year law student at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. He was appointed as a research editor on his school’s Civil Rights Law Journal Board and is a member of the American Inns of Court and Federalist Society. During his first summer of law school, he interned for Judge Michael F. Devine at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse, where he gained a profound respect for the institutional workings of the judges’ chambers. During his undergraduate studies at Siena College in Loudonville, New York, Michael authored and published an honors thesis in New York University’s Undergraduate Law Review: “By What Authority? Analyzing Stare Decisis Doctrine in Justice Clarence Thomas’s Gamble Concurrence.” Michael interned with Rep. Paul Tonko and served as a Summer Legal Fellow for Albany Law School’s Government Law Center, where he researched the presence and need for rural legal assistance in New York and across America.
Abigail Schwartz
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Abigail Schwartz just completed her first year at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. A graduate of the University of Rochester, she has been working in the D.C. area for several years, interning at the Cato Institute and working for the House Appropriations Committee, an educational nonprofit and political fundraising firm. At Scalia Law, Abby is an active member of the Federalist Society. In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, reading, going to museums and doing yoga.
Rafael Shapiro
Law School: Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Hometown: North Hollywood, California
A rising third year law student at Loyola Law School, Rafael Shapiro is an editor on the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, a member of the Hobbs/Poehls District Attorney and Trial Advocacy Practicum, and a legal writing teaching assistant. As a law student, Rafael has studied securities law, healthcare law, corporate frauds and white-collar defense. He has enjoyed writing appellate briefs on behalf of indigent criminal appellants at the California Court of Appeals and has worked on cases ranging from larceny to felony murder as a certified law clerk at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Rafael looks forward to a career in transactional law and white-collar defense, but ultimately has his eyes set on a career on the federal bench. During his free time, Rafael works on restoring his 1989 BMW 325i convertible, and he makes sure to get his time in at the beaches in Malibu.
Derek Walker
Law School: University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Derek Walker studied mathematics and physics as an undergraduate at Louisiana State University. He interned at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory working on projects in experimental neutrino physics. After graduating from LSU, Derek began pursuing a physics Ph.D. at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. He decided to enroll at Michigan’s law school, where he just finished his first year while concurrently pursuing his Ph.D. While in law school, Derek has been on the academic committee for the local Federal Society chapter. He has been a regular attendee of the Institute for Humane Studies’ summer seminars where students and scholars gather to discuss ideas in the classical liberal tradition. Derek is an avid golfer as well as a golf course architecture enthusiast.
Katherine Williams Wiegand
Law School: The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Katherine Williams Wiegand graduated from Christendom College in 2018 with a double major in history and political science. While at Christendom, she was involved in debate and political campaigning. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant for a professor at the Angelicum in Rome and then worked as a North Carolina Field Representative for the Leadership Institute (LI). She was promoted to a Regional Field Coordinator after one semester at LI, where she provided training, resources and speakers to student groups all over the country. Katherine just completed her second year at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She is active as the programs and events chair for her Federalist Society chapter and works as an administrative assistant for the Center for Religious Liberty. Her past legal internships have included the Alliance Defending Freedom, The Heritage Foundation and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. She lives in Alexandria with her husband Bill and their cats, Tiber and Rubicon.
Ashley Wilson
Law School: American University Washington College of Law
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Ashley Wilson just completed her second year at the Washington College of Law at American University, focusing her studies in national security and technology law. She is an active member of the Federalist Society, the Christian Legal Society and the Mental Health Alliance. In the spring of 2022, Ashley interned with The Heritage Foundation in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. She earned her Master of Science in exercise physiology from Baylor University and her Bachelor of Science from the College of William and Mary. Before moving to D.C. in 2019, she spent three months in northern England.
Logan Worrick
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Logan Worrick, a rising third year law student at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, is a member of the George Mason Law Review and the Federalist Society. His previous experiences include interning in the House of Representatives, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Department of Justice. After law school, Logan will be clerking in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Raymond Yang
Law School: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Hometown: Alhambra, California
Raymond Yang studied economics and political science at the University of California, Merced, and spent his final year at the University of Hong Kong. He just finished his second year of law school and is a member of the Federalist Society and the Moot Court Board. Raymond is currently serving as an articles and research editor for the Journal of Law, Economics & Policy. Last summer, he served as a summer legal fellow at the Free Speech Union and was a general symposium editor for the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. He hopes to obtain a clerkship after graduating from law school.