Fellows-Elect

Wassa Bagayoko is a Malian American from Harlem, New York. She graduated from Brown University in 2021 with a Bachelors of Arts in International Relations. At Brown, Wassa focused her studies on the intersections of climate change and human rights, specifically the issue of forced climate migration. Outside of the classroom, was a member of Sunrise RI (formally the Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition) and ThoughtsPrayersAction (TPA), a Brown-based, gun violence prevention organization. As the head of TPA, Wassa worked with local groups to pass common sense gun reform and was honored by the Governor for her efforts. Wassa was also active on campus as a community service chair of the Black Student Union and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Immediately after Brown, Wassa was awarded a Fulbright English teaching fellowship in Cote d’Ivoire, where she spent nine months teaching in Abidjan and volunteering at a women’s library. After her fellowship, Wassa returned to New York City where she worked as a consultant in Ernst & Young’s business practice. During this time, Wassa became the first alumni member of Harlem Academy’s junior board and a member of The Chapin School’s alumnae board. She remains passionate about sustainability, education, and justice.

At Columbia Law School, Wassa is a Richard Paul Richman Scholar and a member of the 1L Human RightsAdvocate Program.

Jonathan Kamanta was born and raised outside Los Angeles in Walnut, California. He graduated from the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree in International Relations. Before attending the University of Chicago Law School, Jonathan worked as a legislative staffer for Congressman Morgan McGarvey in Washington, D.C. He has previously worked for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, the Democratic National Committee, and the California Democratic Party.

Ria Kanani is dedicated to advocating for survivors of sexual harassment and domestic violence, with a focus on representing individuals at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. For the past five years, she has worked at a family law firm, specializing in domestic violence and Minor’s Counsel cases and advancing initiatives to better support children navigating legal proceedings. Ria also interned at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, where she contributed to key research on improving juvenile court resources for domestic violence victims.

While originally from the Bay Area, Ria also calls DC home as a graduate of Georgetown University. There, Ria founded and led The Women’s Network, fostering a community for ambitious women to connect and support each other. At Columbia Law, she is a fellow of the Max Berger Public Interest Program and the Human Rights Institute Advocacy Program. After law school, she aims to build a national public interest law firm dedicated to using a victim-centered approach to advocate for survivors of sexual harassment.

Nilab Nawabi was born and raised in the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley, to Afghan immigrant parents and is a proud graduate of the California public school system. Nilab has spent the past decade working for health care related nonprofits across the state, including San Ysidro Health Center in San Diego, Kheir (Care) Center in LA’s Koreatown, and most recently, at HealthRIGHT 360, an organization providing health care to thousands of Californians experiencing homelessness headquartered in San Francisco.

As HealthRIGHT’s current Chief People Officer, Nilab has developed private and public partnerships to put together workforce development and paid training programs for people with lived experiences of homelessness and mental health conditions. Harnessing the power of human resources, Nilab has successfully advocated to raise wages for workers across the state, and has helped bridge the workforce shortage gap in behavioral health, including running the state’s largest Mentored Internship Program with funding from the California Department of Health Care Services.

Nilab is thrilled to achieve her long-time goal of attending law school, and is honored to be selected as a Tony Patiño Fellow-Elect.

avita Rai is from Ventura County, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California, where she majored in Public Policy. A cancer survivor and women’s health advocate, Kavita is focused on advancing health equity and addressing public health challenges. After graduation, Kavita helped build Ethos, a digital health startup delivering behavioral health and early detection technology to patients and providers, with a focus on substance abuse. She previously founded and led Justice in the Classroom, an education nonprofit that expanded racial equity resources to school districts across California during COVID-19. During her time at USC, she spearheaded Title IX reform in partnership with students, USC Health, and EEO-TIX.

For her leadership, advocacy, and service, Kavita was recognized as a 2024 Vital Voices Fellow by the Estée Lauder Fund and honored by the UN Campaign Girl Up as the 2024 Young Woman of the Year. She previously held roles as a national fellow at the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and as a NextGen Board Advisor at Female Quotient. Kavita has been invited to speak at the 2021 World Economic Forum in Davos and Los Angeles City Hall for the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Day.

Kavita’s legal interests include working at the intersection of health innovation and law, fighting for reproductive rights, and advancing health justice.

Vadim Trubetskoy was born in Moscow and emigrated to the United States with his family at a young age. After growing up outside of Boston, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Political Science. While at USC, Vadim was heavily involved in the community, both on and off campus, through his leadership in numerous organizations, volunteer opportunities, and civic engagements. He captained the USC Trial Advocacy team to its first appearance at the National Championship in nearly a decade and served as the Vice President of the California College Democrats. Additionally, Vadim did research at the Brookings Institution and worked for the White House.

Upon graduating, Vadim was commissioned as an Army officer in the Military Intelligence Corp and now serves as a 1LT on the Joint Staff J2, supporting the Director of Intelligence and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Between graduating from USC and matriculating at UChicago Law, Vadim helped run a successful Congressional campaign in California’s 42nd district, after which he led the transition and then worked as the Legislative Assistant and Member Services Director on Capitol Hill. At UChicago Law, Vadim is excited to learn about civil rights and work on issues affecting immigrant and underserved communities and hopes to clerk after graduation.

Reem is Sudanese-American, and born and raised in the Washington D.C., area. She graduated from Harvard in 2023 with a degree in Government and a specialization in Data Science, a minor in Computer Science, and a language citation in Modern Standard Arabic. After graduation, Reem moved to Doha, Qatar, where she completed a research fellowship focusing on democratization in Sudan and the impact of the current war and crisis on the country. Afterwards, she moved back to the D.C. area, where she worked in management consulting at Boston Consulting Group for 18 months.

Beyond her work experience, Reem has spent the past two years serving and continues to serve on the executive team of Nas Al Sudan, an advocacy organization focused on expanding resource access for those impacted by the current war in Sudan. She has also carried out projects relating to humanitarian aid and expanding educational access for internally displaced people on the ground in Sudan in 2024 and 2025.

Throughout her different streams of work and education, Reem’s aspiration and goal remain constant: to serve as an advocate and a voice for the most marginalized communities across the globe and to empower those who lack access to resources and opportunity.

Alexis is a Cuban American from Los Angeles, California. She graduated with highest honors from Cornell University with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations, receiving the Seidman Prize for best undergraduate thesis for her research on migrant worker precarity and undocumented status during COVID-19.

Motivated to understand immigration through both legislative and practical lenses, Alexis interned in the offices of Senator Kamala Harris and Congressman Adam Schiff. She also worked with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, supporting clients seeking legal representation and assisting in the release of a detained individual.

After Cornell, Alexis joined the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., where she authored policy reports and collaborated with advocates and policymakers to advance immigrant integration at the local, state, and federal levels. She later taught U.S. law and policy as a Fulbright Scholar at the Universidad de La Laguna in the Canary Islands, Spain, while volunteering with humanitarian aid programs for newly arrived migrants.

Motivated by her family’s story and a dedication to justice, Alexis seeks to leverage these experiences to advance immigration and civil rights law.

Born and raised in Falmouth, Massachusetts, to parents who were political refugees from the Soviet Union, Dan Gessen has always felt a responsibility to give back to the community and country that has given him so many opportunities, and to ensure these opportunities remain available to those who come after him.

After graduating from college, Dan commissioned as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. He has led soldiers as an Aerial Response Force commander on deployment to Iraq and Syria, and in summer 2025 he assumed command of a mortar platoon, which he will lead while pursuing his law degree.

Alongside his military service, Dan has remained deeply engaged in his hometown and region. As the youngest person ever elected to the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, he now serves as its Deputy Speaker, where he has advanced initiatives to confront the housing crisis and respond to climate challenges facing Cape Cod.

Looking ahead, Dan hopes to carry this commitment to service into the legal profession, aspiring to build a career in public policy and civil rights litigation.

Kat Lane earned her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, along with minors in Philosophy and American Indian and Indigenous Studies, all with high honors. During her time at UC Santa Barbara, she worked alongside a coalition of legal and environmental professionals to lead a student organization in its successful campaign to prevent ExxonMobil from resuming oil operations just offshore in Santa Barbara.

Her ongoing commitment to environmental advocacy was formally recognized in December 2023 by the California State Senate, when she received the Sierra Club Volunteer of the Year Award presented by State Senator Monique Limón of District 19. Kat is deeply honored to have been chosen as a Tony Patiño Fellow-Elect and is excited to bring her dedication to public service and leadership to UC Law San Francisco and beyond.

Nima is an Iranian-American from Central New Jersey. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2023 with a dual degree in Business and Global Affairs and minors in Persian Studies and International Development. At Georgetown, he was an active campus leader, serving as president of the Iranian Cultural Society and working with organizations such as Georgetown Opportunities for Leadership Development and the Persian Studies Program.

After graduation, Nima moved to Bukhara, Uzbekistan, where he taught English, linguistics, and history at the state pedagogical institute through a Fulbright fellowship. He later served as the Resident Director of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, overseeing a U.S. Department of State Persian-language program for high school students. Nima’s work in Central Asia deepened his commitment to advancing human rights, freedom of expression, and corporate accountability. Drawing on his international experience and Iranian heritage, he hopes to pursue a career in international human rights law and academia.

He is deeply honored to have been selected as a Tony Patiño Fellow-Elect and looks forward to joining a community of principled leaders dedicated to integrity, service, and lifelong learning.

Lila is thrilled to start her law school journey as part of the Fellowship community. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021 with a degree in History, studying everything that has gone wrong in American history and how to fix it. During her time at WashU, Lila focused her advocacy on urging the University Administration to leverage its wealth and influence to become a true engine of social mobility. She championed causes such as implementing need-blind admissions and establishing a food pantry to ensure that all students could thrive.

After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove. As a Legislative Correspondent and policy aide, she worked on legislative solutions to help solve constituents’ problems. A proud Angeleno, Lila is happy to be back in California for law school. In her free time, Lila loves cooking and reading food journalism, and is looking forward to playing soccer in Golden Gate Park with new friends.

Grant Booker is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 2023 as an honors student and a B.S. in Political Science. While in Annapolis, he served in various leadership positions to include Commander of the Plebe Summer Regiment, a member of the Naval Academy Honor Congress, and President of the Class of 2023. As a midshipman, Grant competed in San Remo, Italy, as a delegate in the International Institute of Humanitarian Law’s Competition on the Law of Armed Conflict. His research on the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary was recognized with the CAPT James F. Brooke III Award for the best honors thesis in the Humanities Department. For his contributions and achievements at the Naval Academy, Grant was honored as a Chief of Naval Operations Distinguished Graduate.

Grant commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps upon completion of his undergraduate education. After completing his advanced training, he reported to 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he served as an artillery cannons platoon commander. He and his platoon conducted several battalion and regimental training exercises and deployed to Okinawa, Japan in 2025. While in this role, Grant applied to the Marine Corps’ Funded Law Education Program. This program allows two or three active-duty officers to attend law school each year without interrupting their service, facilitating the transition from their current occupational specialties to the Judge Advocate community. He finished his assignment in Camp Lejeune as the Fire Direction Officer for 10th Marine Regiment before he and his wife, Kami, moved to Chicago.

Grant is grateful for his selection as a Tony Patiño Fellow-Elect and looks forward to taking the lessons he learns with him into his service as a Marine Corps Judge Advocate.

Joaquin was born in Santa Barbara, California, where he grew up fishing, surfing, and playing sports year-round. His family always stressed the importance of gratitude, education, and good humor. 

Joaquin attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland where he studied Environmental Studies and Economics. At Lewis & Clark, he was a three-time captain on the varsity baseball team, served in student government, allocated grant funding for his peers’ research, and founded the college’s inaugural Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Chapter.

He also chaired the college’s 28th annual environmental symposium, to which he brought an innovative approach: Joaquin designed a community engagement experiment to get agricultural stakeholders with vastly different backgrounds to engage in policy dialogue. That experience advanced his passion for facilitated conversation and engagement across difference, and he looks forward to pursuing a similar project at UC Law San Francisco. 

In summer 2026, Joaquin interned for the legal office at Deckers Brands, the footwear company that owns HOKA, UGG, and Teva. The program featured a different focus area each week, and his experience ranged from intellectual property to corporate governance, to sustainability and employment law. He gained great perspective of how corporate in-house counsels function, and looks forward to seeing how he can apply what he learned to his studies. 

Joaquin hopes to pursue civil litigation to help protect the health of people and the environment, using his comfort with oral advocacy to gain expertise in trial lawyering. He is beyond grateful to be welcomed into such a prestigious community and looks forward to connecting with everyone both personally and professionally.

Roni Kane grew up in the metro Detroit area before attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she graduated with the highest distinction, receiving a B.A. in International Studies as well as a B.A. in Film, Television, and Media. She also completed minors in Spanish and Business Administration.

As an undergraduate, Roni interned as a reporter with local news outlets and was elected Managing News Editor of The Michigan Daily. She became committed to defending free speech rights and using her voice to uplift diverse stories. She also captained Michigan’s mock trial program to a second place national finish, earning several distinctions for her oral advocacy skills while exploring the critical intersection between storytelling, legal argumentation, and impact work.

Roni developed a vested interest in international service, beginning with helping to organize an educational summer camp for underserved students in Quito, Ecuador, and then working remotely to advise students across Peru through the college application process. She also interned at the U.S. State Department, establishing and leading a communications team for the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs initiative to promote the work of women business leaders around the globe.

Her international experience recently culminated in two years spent serving abroad: first as a Fulbright scholar in Madrid, Spain and then in the UK as a fellow at the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ). During her Fulbright year, Roni taught a variety of bilingual high school courses, leading a competitive Model UN program and creating a podcast series to connect second-language educators across the U.S. and Spain. This past year, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP selected Roni as a 2026 Weil Legal Innovator fellow, allowing her to gain experience in human rights advocacy at CFJ before beginning law school. Roni’s fellowship focused on monitoring global free speech cases and analyzing open justice data from hundreds of international jurisdictions.

Roni feels called to continue to pursue international human rights law as she strives towards greater access to justice in every corner of the globe. She is thrilled to be joining the intellectually-diverse Tony Patiño fellowship community in service and impact-driven work.

Deanna Segall is from the Washington, D.C., area where she cultivated her commitment to public service. Most recently, Deanna served as a public policy advisor in the Congressional Investigations practice of the law firm Morrison Foerster. Previously, Deanna served as a Deputy Director in the Biden-Harris White House, where she advanced presidential appointments to foreign policy and national security agencies. Deanna also worked in the office of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, where she held roles including legislative assistant and Judiciary Committee aide, covering issues ranging from appropriations and health care to judicial nominations.

Deanna completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Poznan, Poland. She earned an M.A. in strategic studies and defense from the Naval War College and a B.A. from Williams College, where she majored in anthropology and leadership studies. Deanna is deeply grateful to be joining this extraordinary community centered on integrity, character, and service.

Cori’Anna White is a graduate of Spelman College, where she served as the Student Government Association President and Valedictorian and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Cori’Anna was elected to serve as a 1L Representative of the Columbia Law School Senate and is an active member of the Black Law Students Association and Columbia Business and Law Association. She was also selected for Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute 1L Advocates Program, where she receives specialized training in human rights advocacy.

Public service has been central to Cori’Anna’s leadership for years. In high school, she represented the interests of more than 330,000 students and worked to create policies focused on expanding mental health resources for students. She continued that work in college, creating an institutional policy for excused mental health absences and for free menstrual products in Spelman’s residence halls.
Her experiences include interning with Citigroup on Wall Street, presenting policy recommendations on Capitol Hill, leading community service initiatives in Africa, and tutoring students in South America. Her legal interests include corporate law and civil rights law, with a long-term interest in pursuing public office.

Deeply passionate about community involvement and service, Cori’Anna seeks to use her legal education to expand opportunity, advocate for underserved communities, and create meaningful impact through law, collaboration, and public service.

Samuel was born in Astoria, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 2020 with a B.S. in Political Science and a minor in Spanish Language. In December 2020, he earned an M.A. in Security Studies from the Georgetown University Walsh School
of Foreign Studies.

After graduating, Samuel reported to his first tour of duty on board the guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG-92), serving as the Electronic Warfare Officer and Ordnance Officer. During his tour, he deployed to the South China Sea, Persian Gulf, and South America. Samuel also volunteered as his ship’s Citizenship Coordinator, helping 24 noncitizen servicemembers become naturalized citizens.

On his second tour of duty, Samuel deployed on board guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG-55) to the Red Sea, participating in combat operations against Houthi rebel groups in Yemen. As the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer, he helped develop novel tactics to combat undersea drones threatening his strike group. Samuel completed his military service in February 2026.

Outside of his military service, Samuel is spearheading an effort to reduce food insecurity among active-duty servicemembers, publishing an article in the Naval Institute’s Proceedings policy journal outlining possible policy changes. Several congressional offices have favorably received the proposal, and work is underway on a possible amendment in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act. Samuel intends to focus his legal studies on veteran’s, constitutional, and national security law.