TAP Mentorship Program Class of 2021-2022
We asked some of this year's class to share their reflections on the Mentorship Program.
Cilgy Abraham
Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2025
Participating in TAP has been a phenomenal experience. As a clinician and cancer researcher by day and law student by night, I know that time is the most precious (and limited) thing anyone can give to others. Seeing so many legal practitioners volunteer their time to uplift those below them was beyond humbling. I am so grateful to the staff, my mentors, fellow peers, and the broader TAP community who have all taught me so much and constantly inspire me with their commitment to diversity and excellence in all they have, continue, and inspire to do.
Alex Bailey
University of Illinois College of Law, Class of 2023
As a first-generation law student, TAP has served as an invaluable resource for me. I am especially appreciative of the academic and professional opportunities that TAP has provided. Specifically, I’ve had access to phenomenal mentors, attended workshops to improve my legal writing, and have spoken with sitting state and federal judges to learn what they look for in a successful law clerk. TAP's support has helped ease any anxieties about my legal abilities and has given me the confidence to know that one day I can succeed as an appellate litigator.
Ebony Christian
University of Missouri, Columbia, Class of 2024
Participating in TAP was an amazing experience! Law school happens so fast, victory favors the informed. My mentors Brittany, Ruthanne, and Sydney helped me navigate my first year of law school and develop a career roadmap. They gave me a heads up about preparing for final exams, applying for internships, clerkships, and explaining how the legal landscape works in IP and Government. Their advice made an exponential difference, and I can't recommend this program highly enough!.
Kim Vega Cioffi
Howard University School of Law, Class of 2024
Working hard during 1L and being a TAP mentee has opened doors in my legal career that only a first-generation law student can dream of. TAP’s programming, events, and my mentors have provided me with information, skills, and connections that enable me to confidently pursue opportunities I once thought were unattainable. I look forward to one day becoming a Latina appellate attorney and leaving a long-lasting impact on the law.
Christina Cruz
University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2024
The Appellate Project provided me with a safe space to learn from various appellate attorneys and provided me with a wonderful community across the country. Participating in the program allowed me to better understand the world of appellate advocacy and it reaffirmed my commitment to seeking justice through the legal profession. I am so grateful for the connections I’ve made with my mentors and for all the resources made available through this program, all of which made me a much better advocate.
Hadiyah Cummings
Yale Law School, Class of 2024
Being a part of the Appellate Project was truly one of the highlights of my first year of Law School. Because of the incredibly insightful workshops I feel like I have found my dream job (as of now): being a criminal appellate attorney. This means a lot to me because coming into law school I had no real understanding what a career path looks like in Appellate law, no less what a criminal appellate attorney does. Most importantly, my mentor and all the attorneys who have taken the time to speak with me outside of the events have been the best part of my experience. As a first generation law student, it has given me a lot of anxiety feeling like I may miss out on opportunities simply because I do not know about them. I have been amazed by how generous the attorney’s connected with TAP have been with their time and advice. I know that I will continue to lean on this strong network throughout my career and cannot wait to give back one day soon.
Javon Davis
Boston College Law School, Class of 2023
My year with The Appellate Project was fantastic and just what I needed after 1L. My mentors have been such a great resource for me as I prepare clerkship applications and for life after graduation. Additionally, my interactions with the TAP community were always a breath of fresh air during tough times — and seeing students like me striving to make an impact was very uplifting. The appellate field needs diverse perspectives, and I would encourage any eligible law student to apply to be a mentee and take advantage of all the great networking and resources that TAP has to offer.
Ayesha Durrani
Yale Law School, Class of 2024
My TAP experience meant the world to me. I've had a budding interest in appellate law for years, but TAP helped me meet attorneys who do the exact kind of work I'm interested in. There's no replacement for learning from those attorneys, who have so much wisdom and a wealth of personal experience. Participating in TAP’s mentorship program has made me a more prepared, more thoughtful law student, with a clearer sense of the goals I’m heading towards. I will always value the relationships and friendships I've formed as a participant in TAP's mentorship program.
Harold Ekeh
Harvard Law School, Class of 2024
My time with The Appellate Project has been quite formative. Since the very first orientation meeting, I've been welcomed into a vibrant and diverse intellectual community with individuals passionate about leadership and innovation in the appellate space. I feel incredibly fortunate to have mentors that are deeply invested in my personal and professional growth, exposure to the highest levels of appellate work, and all-around well being. Even as the formal mentorship program comes to an end, my mentors are coordinating lunches and introductions with top leaders in the appellate space. And I know the strength of my experience is not unique among the class of mentees. Over the past year, I’ve learned so much from my fellow mentees, TAP alumni, program staffers, and the terrific practitioners invited for intimate coffee chats with the team. I am so grateful for the opportunities the TAP community has afforded me and beyond excited to continue to pay it forward and invest in this community for the years to come!
Mark Haidar
Harvard Law School & Harvard Kennedy School, Class of 2023
Through TAP, I’ve had the privilege of being connected with two incredibly kind and competent mentors, one a current clerk and another a law firm partner. They have helped me learn more about what it means to practice appellate law as well as how to set myself up for success in such a pursuit. I hope to pay it forward by serving as a mentor in the future.
Jasmine Marchbanks-Owens
Howard University School of Law, Class of 2024
I heard about TAP from a Howard Alumni and decided to apply despite being a 1L. As a 1L, I was apprehensive about applying to TAP because I did not want to commit to too much, and I was nervous that the TAP programming would be too advanced. Instead, TAP perfectly matched my curriculum and offered me a much-needed break from the mundanity of law school. The TAP program supported me and helped me redefine the way I think about lawyering by opening my eyes to the vast opportunities the legal field has to offer. Additionally, my assigned mentors through TAP helped me acclimate to the high stress of law school and became my personal cheerleaders through my accomplishments and shoulders to lean on when I needed an outlet. As a first-generation Black woman law student, the TAP program provided opportunities and experiences that I would otherwise not have had access to. It was an honor to be a part of such an amazing program.
Ryan Jay McElhose
University of Tennessee College of Law, Class of 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed The Appellate Project Mentorship Program. I got the chance to speak to three federal judges based in California, New York, and Nevada throughout my 2L year. I also have excellent mentors who guided me with advice during law school and provided me feedback for summer funding. Their efforts contributed to me earning the 2022 National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Summer Fellowship, which is a major help financing my summer interning in death row litigation in Dallas, Texas. Lastly, with cohort members across the country, I have the access to reach out to people in cities I am considering moving to following law school. This program is worth it and has really blessed me!
Nicole R. Williams
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Class of 2025
TAP demystified in large part, the career paths of appellate attorneys and the process for obtaining clerkships. I am profoundly grateful to TAP for their thorough legal writing workshops through which my legal writing has significantly improved. To the Justices, Judges and Attorneys who have mentored me in one-on-one conversations. To my two TAP Mentors who have been supportive of me and candid about the barriers first generation attorneys face. To my TAP Peers, some of which have become close friends. TAP has folded me into a welcoming and transparent legal community. For that, I am thankful!