WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine has welcomed 15 recent graduates from area law schools to join the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) as part of the 2020 Charles F.C. Ruff Fellowship. OAG established the year-long fellowship in 2012 to promote public interest legal work and give recent law school graduates the opportunity to practice law as Assistant Attorneys General for the District of Columbia. The fellowships are jointly funded by OAG and the graduates’ respective law schools. Many previous fellows have gone on to become full-time attorneys at OAG after their fellowship.
“The Ruff Fellowship offers recent law graduates a tremendous opportunity to begin their legal careers with challenging and meaningful work on behalf of the District of Columbia,” said AG Racine. “The Office of the Attorney General is fortunate that such a talented group of fellows has joined us to serve the District and its residents this year. My colleagues and I hope the experience will inspire in these new attorneys a career-long dedication to public service.”
OAG awards these fellowships to stand-out applicants following a highly competitive selection process. The 2020 class includes graduates from American University’s Washington College of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, George Washington University Law School, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law.
The new Ruff Fellows and their assignments to OAG divisions are:
- Shahzeb Asim, George Washington University, Public Interest Division
- David Brunfeld, Georgetown University, Public Advocacy Division
- Stephanie Daigle, American University, Public Safety Division
- Andrew Delaplane, Georgetown University, Office of the Solicitor General
- Naya Sara Kidibu, George Washington University, Family Services Division
- Joseph Larios, George Mason University, Public Safety Division
- Stephen Milak III, Georgetown University, Personnel, Labor and Employment Division
- Zachary Murphy, Georgetown University, Legal Counsel Division
- Faith Pang, University of Virginia, Commercial Division
- Christopher Pascual, University of the District of Columbia, Public Advocacy Division
- Christian Rosnell, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division
- Katrina Seeman, Georgetown University, Civil Litigation Division
- Lisa Slover, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division
- Kate Vlach, Georgetown University, Public Interest Division
- Michael Vlcek, George Mason University, Public Safety Division
The Ruff Fellowship program is named in memory of Charles F.C. Ruff, who was the District of Columbia’s Corporation Counsel—the position now known as Attorney General—from 1995 to 1997. Ruff served as White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton after his service as Corporation Counsel, and Attorney General Racine worked under him as an Associate White House Counsel. Ruff also served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and taught at area law schools. He passed away in 2000.
To learn more about the Ruff Fellowship program, visit https://oag.dc.gov/jobs-partner-opportunities/ruff-fellowship-program