Law students selected for India summer internship

IU Maurer School of Law students have been chosen to partake in a summer internship program in India offered through the school’s Center on the Global Legal Profession. This year, nine law students have been placed in firms and nongovernmental organizations  in India.

The program was made possible by alumnus Milton Stewart and the Unitarian Universalist Holdeen India Program and its director, Kathy Sreedhar.

The students chosen this year are Louise Barrett, Jerry Carter, Ross Friedman, Nick Haering, Melanie Jesteadt, Krista Lewis, Tara Paul, Ashley Rozier and Danny
Thiemann.

Friedman said he feels that being selected for the program has provided him with a great opportunity.

“The internship program allows me to gain experience working in a law firm in a foreign country, which is great for several reasons,” Friedman said. “It allows me to gain knowledge and then come home and serve as an ambassador for both the
program and the University in the future.”

The application process for the program included a written application and
interviews.

Rozier said she is thrilled that she was selected as one of the interns. 

“I’m honored to be chosen for this opportunity out of so many talented and qualified applicants,” she said. “I’m passionate about women’s rights, and working for an organization like Jagori is a dream come true.”

Thiemann said he hopes his summer measures up to the experiences the participants had last summer.

“Last year’s participants described their experiences as life-changing — traveling by train across India while working with labor movements or interning with some of the biggest private law firms in the capital of New Delhi,” Thiemann said. “Working in New Delhi during the monsoon season will be a challenge, but an exciting one.”

The students were named Stewart Fellows in honor of Stewart, who endowed the program in 2010. 

“All of the Stewart Fellows had the opportunity to sit down with our donor, Milton Stewart, last week, and it is an honor to be representing someone who is so successful yet incredibly generous and warm,” Lewis said. “This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am deeply grateful for Mr. Stewart’s altruism and dedication to IU.”

In addition, the four NGO interns, Barrett, Haering, Jestaedt and Rozier, have been named Holdeen Scholars. Barrett said she will strive to do her best as a Holdeen Scholar.

“I feel proud to have been named a Holdeen Scholar, and I hope that my efforts at SEWA will be worthy of Kathy Sreedhar’s commitment to rights-based work in India,” Barrett said.

Rozier said she is also flattered to have been selected for both awards.

“It’s a great honor to be a Stewart Fellow and Holdeen Scholar,” Rozier said. “Both endowments make it financially feasible for myself and the other fellows to work in India. I’m grateful that so many people see the value in building international relationships, especially in a key country such as India.”