Olamide Adetunji was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the United States to continue her education. She is currently a second year law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She attended Howard University as an undergrad, where she majored in Political Science and Psychology. Olamide loves podcasts, so whatever free time she gets from law school, she finds new podcasts! She also likes volunteering to help little kids and enjoys work-out classes. Olamide works at the NAD as a clinic student — her assignments at the NAD includes: conducting intakes/interviews with potential clients, researching issues relevant to litigating deaf or hard of hearing cases, and drafting legal documents to be filed with either a court, arbitrator or mediator. Olamide is extremely grateful for the opportunity to have worked at the NAD and under the supervision of two brilliant attorneys Marc Charmatz and Caroline Jackson.
Arjeta Albani is a clinic student with the NAD. Arjeta received a degree in International Studies with a diplomacy concentration from the College of New Jersey. She is currently in her second year at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She is a staff editor for the school’s Journal of Business and Technology Law. She is also a member of the school’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Team. Prior to working with the NAD, Arjeta spent her summer working at the Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center as a student equal opportunity specialist working on intakes and investigations into claims of discrimination.
P.J. Artese is a second year law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. P.J. received a B.A. from the University of Delaware, focusing his studies on Political Science and Spanish. At the law school, P.J. is a staff editor for Maryland Law Review and a member of the school’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Team. As a student in the Civil Rights for Persons with Disabilities clinic, P.J. is deeply interested in constitutional law and individual liberties. Prior to working at the NAD, P.J. interned for the Honorable Judge Michael W. Reed on the Court of Special Appeals. A Philadelphia native, P.J. is an avid supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, and 76ers.
Thomas Fuller is from Timonium, Maryland, and a graduate of Stevenson University. At Stevenson, Thomas studied Biology and earned a minor in Chemistry. Before coming to law school at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey, School of Law he worked at the National Aquarium both as a volunteer and an employee. Additionally, he has interned at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges in the government affairs department. Thomas is very interested in politics and policy development. Because of this interest, he has interned with Congressman Andy Harris, the Senate Budget Committee, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. Also, Thomas spent his summer in 2015 at the NAD and is very excited to be back. Now that he is in his final semester he is beginning to prepare for the Bar exam. After school, Thomas hopes to return to Capitol Hill as a full-time staff member.
Jaime Santiago Gonzalez is a second year law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Jaime earned a B.S. on 2014, in Criminal Justice Administration from Florida International University. Jaime also holds a minor in Sociology/Anthology from the same institution. Whereupon graduation, he was nominated a Phi Beta Kappa Scholar. In his spare time, he likes to go fresh water fishing, read about historical events, and listen to classical music. He also enjoys sports such as running or swimming.
Munib Lohrasbi is a third year student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Munib is from Ellicott City, Maryland and earned his B.A. from the Ohio State University in 2013 before deciding to return to his home state for law school. Munib’s interest in working for the NAD was sparked through his work with The Ability Experience, a non-profit organization in Charlotte, North Carolina that supports people with disabilities through shared experiences and fundraising. It was important for Munib to learn and apply principles of disability law during his time at Maryland Carey Law; making his work with the NAD a priority for his legal education. In his spare time, Munib likes to watch baseball and reruns of “Seinfeld.” He enjoys spending time with his friends and family and believes that hot dogs should be considered as sandwiches. His biggest pet peeve is wet socks.
Lauren McLarney is currently in her second year at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. This past summer, Lauren was an intern for the Honorable Stephanie A. Gallagher, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court of Maryland, and summer associate at Levin & Curlett, LLC. Currently, Lauren maintains a clerkship at the firm, where she focuses mostly on juvenile defense, serves as a student attorney at the NAD, and is Co-Vice President of the Maryland Public Interest Law Project, a 501(c)(3). Prior to law school, Lauren was the Manager of Government Affairs at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). During her seven year tenure at NFB, Lauren worked in legislative advocacy to advance education policies and the procurement of accessible materials by schools so that students with disabilities can have equal access and live the lives they want. Before NFB, Lauren was a grassroots lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest and a Press Intern for the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Lauren got her B.A. in Government and Politics and Criminology/Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland in 2008. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Claire McDowell is from Ellicott City, Maryland. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in May 2015 with a B.A. in Government & Politics. Claire is currently working at the NAD as a student attorney through the Civil Rights for Persons With Disabilities Clinic at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she is a second-year law student. She is also a staff editor on the Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class. Claire has previously worked at the Maryland State Senate, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), and as a law clerk at McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC. In her free time, Claire enjoys long distance running, wakeboarding, skiing and snowboarding, and hanging out with her dog, Lincoln.
Alex Mentkowski is from Sacramento, California and is a senior at Gallaudet University majoring in International Studies with a minor in Spanish. He is passionate about disability rights as he was involved with California Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities for 7 years serving in various roles from program assistant to staff director. At Gallaudet, Alex was formerly of Gallaudet International Human Rights Organization operating in a role of Public Relations Officer. His responsibilities at NAD include conducting research on legislative bills and issues impacting deaf and hard of hearing people. He hopes to use his NAD internship experience to propel himself in a career where he sees himself being an advocate for people with disabilities. Alex is an avid sports fan, he enjoys all sports especially his Green Bay Packers and Manchester United Soccer team. He loves to travel as he has been to 48 states and 7 countries.
Andrés Vera is a second-year student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law who enrolled in law school with an interest in administrative law and government contracting. He graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications in 2011. After graduation, Andrés worked at the Wildlife Habitat Council, a small environmental non-profit in Silver Spring, Maryland. His interest in administrative law and government contracting began as an institutional contractor with the U.S. Agency for International Development. There he discovered his interest in pursuing a legal career involving the regulatory apparatus of the Federal Government and enrolled in law school in the Fall of 2015. In Law School, Andrés has developed additional interests in public policy and international relations. He is the President of the International Law Society and Vice President of the Maryland Law Democrats. He is active in public interest opportunities and utilizes his positions on these student group executive boards to provide opportunities for his fellow students in gaining exposure to public interest practice. As part of this interest, Andrés enrolled in the Civil Rights for Persons with Disabilities clinic in the Fall 2016 semester. He hopes to use his experience at the NAD to prepare himself for a career involving federal regulatory agencies.