Our Impact

Since 2019, TAP has supported more than 600 law students with mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities that open doors into the appellate field. Our alumni are clerking in state and federal courts, litigating at top law firms and advocacy organizations, and contributing to the legal scholarship and debate that shape how justice is understood and delivered in our country.

Our Theory of Change

We believe lasting change starts with opening doors and ensuring people have the tools and support to walk through them. Our programs begin by raising awareness that appellate practice is a career path within reach for talented law students from underrepresented backgrounds. We then build skills and confidence through mentorship, training, and community.

As our program alumni move into clerkships, fellowships, and early-career appellate roles, they gain sponsorship and visibility from judges, senior practitioners, and peers. These connections help launch them into the next stage of their careers. Over time, they will step into influential roles in the judiciary, top law firms, government, and advocacy—positions where they can help shape precedent, expand access to justice, and strengthen public trust in the courts for decades to come. Just as many of our current volunteers have done, these appellate leaders will return as TAP mentors and sponsors, ensuring that every new generation has the support they need to rise even higher.

About this map

This map captures just a snapshot of our vibrant community. The alumni, law schools, and volunteer organizations highlighted here represent only a fraction of a much larger movement—see the numbers below for the full picture.

Our alumni go on to clerk, pursue fellowships, and build careers across a wide range of fields. The law schools shown reflect where they’ve studied, while the volunteer organizations featured—spanning federal and state courts, public defender offices, law firms, and public interest organizations—are just a sample of the many advocates driving our mission forward.

We’re proud to showcase the law schools and volunteer organizations connected to our community. Please note that their inclusion does not necessarily indicate a formal partnership or endorsement.

This map captures just a snapshot of our vibrant community

TAP’s community reflects the growing influence of our work across the appellate field. Our alumni are making a difference in federal and state courts, law firms, government, academia, and public interest organizations. Our volunteers include appellate judges, former solicitors general, and leading advocates committed to building a more just and representative legal system.

By the Numbers

In just four years, The Appellate Project has built a nationwide movement to reshape who leads in appellate law. We’ve connected hundreds of talented students with thousands of judges, attorneys, and clerks—unlocking opportunities, building skills, and changing the face of our highest courts.

  • 600+

    student participants to date

  • 1,600+

    Judges, attorneys, clerks, and legal professionals engaged as volunteers

  • 100+

    Judge panels, court visits, writing workshops, and skill-building sessions hosted

  • 100+

    U.S. law schools represented

  • 96%

    are first-generation law students

  • 97%

    of mentors would serve again

in their words

  • As a Black woman arguing Buck v. Davis before the Supreme Court, I stood as a living refutation of the race-as-dangerousness opinion at the heart of the case. And as one of the only women of color in the appellate field, I know how important it is to see yourself represented in these spaces. That’s why TAP’s mission to elevate underrepresented leaders in appellate law is so critical.

    Christina Swarns
    Executive Director
    Innocence Project

  • With over 25 years of experience as an appellate and Supreme Court lawyer in both government and private practice, I have seen firsthand that the appellate bar lacks diversity. While many students can easily enter the world of appellate practice through familial or social connections, others face serious entry-level hurdles – like not knowing about internship and clerkship opportunities. These barriers aren’t about talent, dedication, or hard work: they’re about access. And ultimately, they keep promising young professionals from entering the appellate community. TAP is here to change that.

    Sarah Harrington
    Partner
    Covington & Burling LLP

  • If the “life of the law … has been experience,” its death knell surely is groupthink. Without the reasoned disagreement and vibrant debate associated with diverse experiences, the law is destined to become brittle dogma untethered to the promotion of equal justice. TAP understands this. That is why it paves the road to an appellate system where judges and advocates tend to reflect the different backgrounds and perspectives of the communities they serve.

    Cesar Lopez-Morales
    Supreme Court & Appellate Counsel
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

  • Like many other first-generation lawyers, I didn’t know that appellate work was even a thing when I started law school. So I was lucky to have mentors like (now Judge) Vince Chhabria (while still in law school) and (now Chief Judge) Sri Srinivasan (while at the SG’s office) who set me on the right path. But TAP has taken it to a new level to afford such valuable mentorship to a much broader group of aspiring appellate advocates.

    Pratik Shah
    Head of Supreme Court & Appellate Practice
    Akin

  • The Appellate Project is doing incredible work to reach and educate students who may not realize that judicial internships and clerkships are both accessible and to their benefit as they begin their legal careers. In fact, one of my term law clerks was a TAP mentee. The program helped him find opportunities that led to a district court clerkship and then to an appellate clerkship with me. I look forward to continuing to receive applications from students who are working with TAP.

    Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

  • As an appellate lawyer and former federal appellate judge, I know how appellate courts shape every facet of American life—and how the lawyers and judges in these rooms still don’t reflect the diversity of the communities most impacted by their decisions. The Appellate Project is changing that by opening doors to emerging leaders who have too often been excluded from these spaces. TAP’s work is critical to ensuring that our highest courts remain both fair and credible in the eyes of the people they serve.

    Judge Paul Watford (Ret.)
    Partner, King & Spalding LLP
    TAP Board Member

  • The Appellate Project is an invaluable resource for future Native American lawyers. Native Americans possess unique rights that are often decided in the appellate courts. Preparing the next generation of Native attorneys to be effective appellate advocates is thus critical to the future of Indian law.

    Lenny Powell
    Staff Attorney
    Native American Rights Fund

  • TAP fills an important role of demystifying and cracking open the appellate bar through mentorship and community. This is key in creating a more representative group of practitioners and judges, who help tee up and decide important questions for the whole country.

    Devi Rao
    Director of the Supreme Court and Appellate Program
    MacArthur Justice Center

  • The Appellate Project is invaluable. It makes the appellate world accessible to students who might otherwise find it intimidating, and it equips future leaders from diverse backgrounds with the mentorship, skills, and community to thrive.

    Deepak Gupta
    Founding Principal, Gupta Wessler LLP and Lecturer, Harvard Law School

  • TAP affirms what so many of us need to hear: that even when the path feels unfamiliar, we still belong in the room. At the Edward Coke Appellate Inn, I was reminded that even those great advocates we now admire, once felt uncertain too. But they didn’t close the door behind them – they reached back. And through TAP, they continue to do so. That kind of access doesn’t just open doors – it helps us walk into dreams once deferred, and long deserved.

    Torrell Mills
    2022-23 TAP Alum
    Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2023

  • TAP has been transformative in my law school journey, building my confidence and reinforcing that there is a place for me—and others like me—here.

    William Vandergriff
    2024 TAP Alum
    Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Class of 2026

  • The J.M.K. Innovation Prize supports bold, early-stage problem-solvers leading groundbreaking projects across the US. We saw an extraordinary opportunity in The Appellate Project, which seeks to transform the pipeline of talent that feeds our nation’s highest courts. We’ve invested in TAP because of its visionary, creative approach to dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring equal justice under the law for all communities.

    Julia Bator
    Executive Director
    J.M. Kaplan Fund

  • Taking part in TAP's inaugural class of mentees allowed me to join a community of like-minded law students and lawyers of color interested in appellate work. Serving as a mentor over the past two years has enabled me to give back and further develop this community. I am humbled to be a part of TAP since its inception, and I look forward to volunteering in the years to come!

    Ayyan Zubair
    2020-21 TAP Alum
    UC Berkeley School of Law, Class of 2021

  • 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.

    Alex Bailey
    2021-22 TAP Alum
    University of Illinois College of Law, Class of 2023

  • TAP does more than connect students with people who have successfully cracked into the field—it gives them the chance to form connections with lawyers who have done so at the highest levels. I know I would not be where I am without the group of people—including the folks at TAP—who took me under their wings. The best thing I can do in return is pay it forward.

    Darryl E. Williams, Jr.
    2020-21 TAP Alum
    Howard University School of Law, Class of 2022

  • 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.

    Christina Cruz
    2021-22 TAP Alum
    University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2024

  • As a second career student—eight years removed from school—I especially appreciated TAP's 1:1 Legal Writing Program. My TAP legal writing coaches provided clear, practical, and actionable feedback on my writing throughout the year. And TAP’s legal writing trainings helped me identify great writing and understand the ‘science’ behind good prose. Thanks to TAP, I have become a clearer, punchier, and more succinct legal writer.

    Nicole Williams
    2021-22 TAP Alum
    Temple University Beasley School of Law, Class of 2025

  • There are not many words that can describe the level of gratitude I have for TAP pairing me with Armani. He’s helped me navigate 18+ clerkship interviews, life decisions, career goals—every step of the way. When he couldn’t find an affordable flight, he rented a car, grabbed his fiancée, and drove five hours while working from the road to attend my swearing-in. I really consider myself lucky.

    Kendrick Peterson
    2022-23 TAP Alum
    UC Berkeley School of Law, Class of 2024

  • Attending oral arguments at the First Circuit was particularly meaningful for me, given the fact that one of the cases we heard will determine the fate of my sister Tribe’s reservation lands. Hearing advocates on both sides debate the Tribe’s past, present, and future reminded me how important it is to have members of our communities represented in the appellate field, helping create binding precedents that promote tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

    Samantha Maltais
    2022-23 TAP Alum
    Harvard Law School, Class of 2024

A collage of headshots featuring dozens of diverse individuals arranged around a dark blue center panel with the logo of The Appellate Project and the text “Celebrating Four Years of Impact.

Impact Report

Our 2024 impact report includes updates on:

  • Our award-winning Mentorship Program.

  • The many resources and programming we have offered over the past four years.

  • Inspiring testimonials that highlight our amazing volunteers.

  • Updates on where our incredible alumni are now.

  • And so much more!

Impact Stories

All Posts
From Constitutional Law Class to Published Author: Zaakir Tameez's Unexpected Journey
From Constitutional Law Class to Published Author: Zaakir Tameez's Unexpected Journey

How TAP Alum Zaakir Tameez unexpectedly ended up writing a book on Charles Sumner.

Breaking Barriers in Appellate Law: Kendrick Peterson’s Journey from TAP Mentee to Federal Clerk
Breaking Barriers in Appellate Law: Kendrick Peterson’s Journey from TAP Mentee to Federal Clerk

Kendrick Peterson, a recent law school graduate and federal law clerk, was sworn into the Washington, D.C. bar in 2025, becoming the first Black clerk in his district to do so.

Making Her Case: Anjika Pai on Moot Court Wins, Mentorship & Finding Her Voice
Making Her Case: Anjika Pai on Moot Court Wins, Mentorship & Finding Her Voice

TAP alum Anjika Pai shares how early exposure to appellate law shaped her path.

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