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Fellows

2009-2010 Marshall-Brennan Fellows Omer Duru, Laura Olsen,
Tim Dean, and Rosa Satanovskaya laugh as their students give
them praise at the William H. Karchmer end of the year celebration.

The law students who teach two or three days per week in the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project at American University Washington College of Law are known as the Marshall-Brennan Fellows. The program is open to all upper-level law students through a competitive application process at Washington College of Law and Howard Law School. Although the time and emotional commitments are great, the benefits reaped from the program are enormous as law students become teachers and role models in the local community. The Marshall-Brennan Fellows have the chance to make a profound difference in the lives of their students. In addition to teaching, the Fellows take a year-long Advanced Constitutional Law seminar led by the program coordinators, Maryam Ahranjani and Stephen Wermiel. Classes feature guest speakers and contributions from WCL Professor Jamin Raskin, the founder and director of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. The Fellows learn classroom management techniques, pedagogical methods and master the "We the Students" and "Youth Justice" curricula. Every Marshall-Brennan Fellow must write a paper on the meaning of his or her experience or on a related doctrinal or theoretical law and education issue.

Becoming a Fellow

Each year, more Marshall-Brennan Fellows are needed to meet the growing demand for constitutional literacy classes in Washington-area high schools. The selection process begins in January when WCL holds "Opportunities Day" to inform first-year students about the many programs the law school has to offer. Information sessions are held in late Janaury. Beginning in February an applicant must submit an application form, a letter explaining why he or she would like to be a Marshall-Brennan Fellow and a resume. Each applicant is then matched with a school to guest-teach a Marshall-Brennan class. This is required to expose each applicant to the demands that a year-long commitment to teaching in the program requires. Each applicant also must have an interview with the associate director of the program. In late March, a selection committee of faculty members and Marshall-Brennan staff screen the applications and decide who will be offered the chance to participate the following academic year. Applicants selected to be Marshall-Brennan Fellows are required to attend a two-day orientation for the program, usually held on the Friday and Saturday in August that immediately precede the start of law school classes.

2011-2012 Fellows