Office of the Attorney General Welcomes 14 Graduates of District Law Schools as 2016 Charles F.C. Ruff Fellows

Year-Long Fellowship Honors Former Corporation Counsel and Enables Fellows to Work at OAG

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Fourteen Charles F. C. Ruff Fellows have begun year-long law fellowships with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The fellows are graduates of George Washington University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, American University Washington College of Law, and Howard University School of Law.

Their fellowships are jointly funded by the schools and OAG, and the fellows were selected through a highly competitive process among top graduates from each school. After completing their fellowship, many former Ruff Fellows have been hired for permanent positions at OAG.

“Every year, Ruff Fellows across our agency contribute important legal work on behalf of the District, and the high quality of this year’s class ensures that tradition will continue,” said Attorney General Racine. “Earlier in my career, I had the honor of working with Chuck Ruff – and I believe he would be proud to know that this diverse and talented class of bright young attorneys is serving the public interest in the District through a program that bears his name.”

The 2016 Ruff Fellows, the law schools from which they graduated, and their division assignments within OAG are:

  • Andrew V. Morris, Howard University, Personnel, Labor & Employment Division;
  • Ariel M. Ebi, Georgetown University, Commercial Division;
  • Caroline M. Gignoux, George Washington University, Legal Counsel Division;
  • Conrad Z. Risher, George Washington University, Public Interest Division;
  • Erika Clark, George Washington University, Public Safety Division;
  • Hillary J. Freund, George Washington University, Public Interest Division;
  • Jessica Trieu, Georgetown University, Public Safety Division;
  • Kasey Nordeen, Georgetown University, Public Safety Division;
  • Katherine A. Wilson, American University, Office of Consumer Protection;
  • Noah Baron, Georgetown University, Office of the Solicitor General;
  • Randle T. Wilson, University of the District of Columbia, Public Safety Division;
  • Sean R. Callaghan, George Washington University, Public Interest Division;
  • Tram T. Pham, Georgetown University, Civil Litigation Division;
  • William Liapis, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division

“We look forward to working with this fifth class of outstanding Ruff Fellows as they begin what we hope will be long and rewarding careers in public service,” said Sally Gere, OAG Deputy Attorney General for the Public Interest Division, who directs the Ruff Fellows program.

The program was created to provide the District government with more legal assistance and to promote public interest legal work. The Fellowship is named in honor of Charles F.C. Ruff, who served as the District of Columbia Corporation Counsel (the position now known as Attorney General) from 1995 to 1997. Ruff also served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and taught at area law schools. Ruff, who passed away in 2000, served as White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton; Attorney General Racine served as Associate White House Counsel during Mr. Ruff’s tenure.