Meet Your Peer Advisor
2019-2020 Peer Advisor Cohort
Section 1 Peer Advisors
Rourke Donahue
Hometown:Â Arlington, VA
Undergraduate Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Philosophy)
Areas of Professional Interest: Art Law, Intellectual Property Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Cooking, running, and painting
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Go to the U.S. Botanical Gardens!
Abby Holland
Hometown:Â Miami, FL
Undergraduate Institution: University of Alabama (Latin with a Minor in Spanish)
Areas of Professional Interest: Biglaw, specifically white collar litigation
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Cooking and yoga
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: I love to walk to the Lincoln Memorial and sit on the steps in the late afternoon when the sun is setting.
Katherine Kubak
Hometown: Moorestown, NJ
Undergraduate Institution: Boston College (Economics & History)
Areas of Professional Interest: Litigation
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Long walks, lighting candles, and cuddling my puppy
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Trying out new restaurants and walking The Mall
Leemah Nasrati
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Undergraduate Institution: University of Nebraska – Lincoln (Political Science, Global Studies, Religious Studies, Arabic Studies, Latin (Classics))
Areas of Professional Interest: Refugee Law, Policy, and Advocacy
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Cooking good dinners. It’s a break I’m forced to give myself (ya gotta eat, folks!), I get (hopefully) to enjoy the meal, and the “follow these steps and you will get the desired outcome” quality of recipes is a nice reprieve from law school which operates much differently.
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: I’m on a mission to eat my way through the city, and I’m loving every minute of it. Recommendations and co-diners are welcome!
Rachel Schumacher
Hometown: Hudson, OH
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia (Public Policy and Foreign Affairs)
Areas of Professional Interest: International Trade
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Talking on the phone with friends
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Try all the restaurants
Section 2 Peer Advisors
Melody Alemansour
Hometown:Â Mission Viejo, CA
Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley (Political Science with a Minor in Farsi)
Areas of Professional Interest: Government Compliance/Enforcement, Public Policy and Law
Favorite wellness or stress-relieving activity: Running!
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Neighborhood hopping
Dyllan Brown-Bramble
Hometown: Queens, NY
Undergraduate Institution: Rutgers University (Psychology)
Areas of Professional Interest: Corporate Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Tennis, Long Walks, Meeting New People
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Brunch
Justin LoScalzo
Hometown: Huntington, NY
Undergraduate Institution: Colgate University (Political Science and Economics)
Areas of Professional Interest: International Law, National Security Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Grabbing a meal with friends
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Going to Washington Nationals games
Caroline Oakum
Hometown: Hinsdale, IL
Undergraduate Institution: The University of Texas at Austin (Philosophy and Government)
Areas of Professional Interest: Lobbying
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Working out
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Shopping in Georgetown
Ben Vallimarescu
Hometown: New York, NY
Undergraduate Institution: Vanderbilt University (Human and Organizational Development & Political Science)
Areas of Professional Interest: Regulatory Law & International Trade
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Talking on the phone with friends
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Try all the restaurants
Neha Vyas
Hometown: Toledo, OH
Undergraduate Institution: University of Michigan(Communication Studies)
Areas of Professional Interest: Litigation (particularly sports litigation)
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Hitting the gym
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Trying out new restaurants
Section 3 Peer Advisors
Richard Bernache 
Hometown: Boston, MA
Undergraduate Institution: Saint Michael’s College (Political Science & Theatre)
Areas of Professional Interest: Anti-Trust Litigation and Mergers
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Working Out / Movie Night
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Trying new restaurants
Alex Bodaken
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Undergraduate Institution: Georgetown University (B.A., History), Lesley University (M.A., Elementary and Special Education)
Areas of Professional Interest: Voting Rights
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Ultimate Frisbee
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Eat Jamaican Food at Negril Jamaican Eatery
Justin Fitzsimmons
Hometown: Washington, DC
Undergraduate Institution: Santa Clara University (Philosophy)
Areas of Professional Interest: Criminal Law, Constitutional Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Playing pickup basketball
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: See as many Smithsonian museums as I can
Ezra Tanen
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Undergraduate Institution: York University (Health Studies)
Areas of Professional Interest: Federal budget law, non-profit organizations
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Bike riding on the Rock Creek Trail, it’s not possible to be stressed there.
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: The Renwick Gallery is fantastic, it’s really small and not overwhelming, the exhibits are interactive, and the entire museum is photo-friendly.
Section 4 Peer Advisors
Sabiya Ahamed
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate Institution: Brown University (Middle East Studies & Political Science)
Areas of Professional Interest: Human Rights, Immigration, Social Justice
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Petting cats, trying to find the best hot chocolate
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Walking (or scootering!) around the landmarks at night
Halle Edwards 
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University (B.A., English), Northwestern University (M.A., English)
Areas of Professional Interest: Litigation, LGBTQ+ rights, Environmental Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Writing
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Visiting Union Market
Dana Holmstrand
Hometown: Wheeling, West Virginia
Undergraduate Institution: The College of William & Mary (Public Policy)
Areas of Professional Interest: Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Taking a long walk with a podcast or new album
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Going to the Botanic Gardens or walking the monuments at night
Alexander Nealon
Hometown: Miami, FL
Undergraduate Institution: Georgetown University (Government Major, Japanese Minor)
Areas of Professional Interest: Corporate Law, with an interest in IP, Technology, Sports, and Entertainment
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Video games and internet memes
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Go to baseball games and trying new ramen restaurants
David Patterson
Hometown: Austin, TX
Undergraduate Institution: The University of Texas at Austin ( Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Professional Accounting)
Areas of Professional Interest: Tax, Corporate (M&A, Capital Markets, Private Equity)
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Going to the gym and playing piano
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Kickball on the National Mall
Maggie White
Hometown: McAlester, Oklahoma
Undergraduate Institution: University of Oklahoma (Bachelor of Business Administration, Entrepreneurship and Bachelor of Arts, Letters)
Areas of Professional Interest: Family Law, Poverty Law, Direct Legal Services
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Exercising
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Visiting museums (especially the National Gallery of Art)
Section 5 Peer Advisors
Brittany Neihardt
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Undergraduate Institution: Georgetown University (Government Major, Justice & Peace Studies Minor)
Areas of Professional Interest: International human rights and humanitarian law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Reading, exploring parks and gardens
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Walking along the waterfront
Laura Singer
Hometown: Ramsey, New Jersey
Undergraduate Institution: Syracuse University (Political Science), John’s Hopkins University (Master of Science in Education)
Areas of Professional Interest: Corporate Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: I run half marathons!
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Attend Nationals and Capitals Games
Sanaya Tamboli
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Undergraduate Institution: University of Florida)Political Science and International Studies, minor in Anthropology)
Areas of Professional Interest: International law, national security law, human rights law, corporate law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Walks to the Supreme Court, knitting, boxing, movies
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Watching things at the Kennedy Center
Sarah Turner
Hometown: LaFayette, GA
Undergraduate Institution: Duke University (Psychology & History)
Areas of Professional Interest: Private Sector — undecided between litigation and transactional
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Hiking, running, boxing, binging a new show, or petting a stranger’s dog
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Play tourist on the weekends and take advantage of all the free museums and the awesome monuments down the road!
Vanisha Weatherspoon
Hometown: Kileen, TX
Undergraduate Institution: Texas A&M University (English/ History), Concordia University (M.A. Education Policy)
Areas of Professional Interest: Real estate/ healthcare
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Yoga
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Trying new restaurants
Section 7 Peer Advisors
Erika Pringle Brown
Hometown: North Little Rock, AR
Undergraduate Institution: Florida A&M University (Architecture)
Areas of Professional Interest: Employment Law and Health Law
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Time with my kids, prayer
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Explore the Architecture
Alexandra Lopez
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia (undergrad and Masters in finance)
Areas of Professional Interest: Child advocacy, national security, international law and technology
Favorite Wellness or Stress-relieving Activity: Yoga and running
Favorite Thing to Do in DC: Walking around the mall on a nice day