Samantha Wolfe

Student and Alumni Stories

Chicago-Kent is home to an amazing community, with a diverse range of interests and backgrounds. Browse our stories below for pictures and perspectives from our students, recent graduates, and alumni of note.

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  1. Seeing is Believing

    • Law '09

    Editor's note: this is a story from the the Fall 2023 Chicago-Kent Magazine. To read the magazine in full, follow this link . “I am truly a public interest attorney...

  2. No Regrets

    • Law '23

    Growing up in Albania, Zeta Terpollari ’23 was always drawn to American movies—particularly courtroom dramas. “My dream of becoming a lawyer and a judge began from the American courtroom,” she...

  3. Champion for the Innocent

    • LAW '13

    Rachel Brady ’13 won’t let anything—even the Illinois Supreme Court—stop her from clearing the names of the wrongfully convicted and helping them rebuild their lives.

  4. A Lasting Legacy

    • LAW '17

    Militza Pagán ’17 took on the Trump administration to protect the rights of immigrants. Locally, she’s helping to enact rules that protect domestic and other low-wage workers.

  5. To Serve the Community

    • LAW '19

    From handicap ramps to gender-inclusive language, August Hieber ’19 is working to build a court system that is accessible to all.

  6. A Place to Be Herself

    • Law '23

    Jumana Abdelrahman's journey from first-generation law student to civil litigator.

  7. The Call to be a Defender

    • Public Interest Law 2023

    While working for a decade as a behavior analyst with students with developmental disabilities in Chicago, Nicole Jansma ’23 came to a discouraging conclusion. “One of the unfortunate realities in...

  8. The “Generalist” at DEI’s Forefront

    • Intellectual Property Law '08

    As the top city attorney in Evanston, Illinois, Nicholas Cummiongs '08 never thought the ordinance he helped draft would put him at the forefront of the national DEI debate.

  9. Diversity by the Numbers

    • Labor and Employment Law '06

    Michael Wilder '06 made a living helping companies navigate affirmative action audits. Now the organization that he created provides peer support for Black male attorneys worldwide.

  10. An Agent of Change

    • Labor and Employment Law '08

    Jessica Muench ’04 says it was tough having national pundits critique the flagship program of the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy she helped build at United Airlines. For her, that meant the change was real.