Meet Our Student Leadership Council

Headshot of Jan Rotich

Jan Rotich

  • Jan Rotich is a 3L from Dallas, TX at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. At Penn, Jan is also a Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Social Change and an active member of the law school's two pro-bono projects serving Philadelphia public high school students. Prior to law school, Jan earned her Master's of Public Administration and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Africana Studies from the University of Cincinnati. During this period, she worked for the then-House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, the Mayor of Cincinnati, the DSCC, Urban League, and Common Cause. Throughout her law school tenure, Jan has worked for Hausfeld, Burns Charest, Reid Collins & Tsai, Berger Montague, and Gibbs Mura.

Sonam Jain

  • Sonam is a 2L at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Prior to law school, Sonam worked as a legal assistant at a small immigration firm and a litigation assistant at Morgan & Morgan. This summer, Sonam is working as a summer law clerk at Smith LaCien LLP, where she will collaborate with seasoned trial attorneys and law students on legal briefs and trial preparation in personal injury matters. At Loyola, Sonam serves on the board of the South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) and as a Themis Bar Prep representative. Outside of the classroom, Sonam loves exploring new restaurants and cafes and is an avid fan of horror and thriller films.

Abbe Murphy

  • Abbe is a rising 3L at American University Washington College of Law, where she co-founded and is co-president of the Plaintiffs’ Law Association. She is a senior staffer on the American University Law Review, a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, a research assistant to Professor Elizabeth Beske, and a constitutional law teaching assistant. This summer, Abbe is a summer associate at DiCello Levitt, one of the nation’s leading plaintiff-side firms specializing in class actions, mass torts, and complex litigation. She previously interned with the Consumer Protection Division of the DC Office of the Attorney General and the Deputy Presiding Judge of the DC Superior Court, where her work focused on complex civil litigation. Before law school, she was a legal assistant at Gupta Wessler, a boutique plaintiff-side appellate firm in Washington, DC.

James Bray

  • James Bray is a 3L at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law from South Carolina. He has worked at two personal injury firms, getting hands-on experience in the kind of practice he intends to build a career in. He also competes on Kline Law’s trial team. Outside of work and school, you can find him exploring Philadelphia's neighborhoods, competing at trivia nights with friends, or at home with his cat.

Isabella Jackson-Saitz

  • Isabella is a 3L at Stanford Law School. Previously, she was the Stanford PLA’s co-president where she organized numerous speakers to increase passion for plaintiff-side opportunities on campus. She has spent her summers at several plaintiff-side civil rights and employment firms and aspires to be a civil rights litigator. She graduated with a degree in history and medieval studies from the University of Chicago, and in her free time, loves baking and ballet.

Marissa Lambert

  • Marissa is a 3L at Boston College Law School. At BC, she serves as Co-President of the Plaintiffs’ Law Association, where she works with the law school administration to expand students’ exposure to plaintiff-side practice and create opportunities for those interested in the field. Outside of school, she co-hosts Cause of Action, a podcast created by a longtime plaintiffs’ attorney that introduces law students to plaintiff-side practice. On the podcast, she helps bring the law student perspective to conversations about life in law school, the job search process, and the evolving landscape of plaintiffs’ law careers. In her free time, she’s learning how to sew and making her way through a growing list of her friends’ favorite books!

Casey Linden

  • Casey Linden is a rising 3L at Stetson University College of Law. He lives in Florida, where he was born and raised. He was a founder/vice president of the Plaintiff’s Law Association at Stetson. Outside of law school, Casey loves sports, movies, and outdoor activities.

Tavia Andrew

  • Tavia Andrew is a rising 2L at Lewis & Clark Law School. Before law school, she worked with Student Legal Services and the Explore the Law program at Portland State University, where she helped students navigate legal resources and mentorship opportunities. At Lewis & Clark, Tavia works with the Women’s Law Caucus, the Intellectual Property Student Organization, and the mock trial team. She is also involved with Oregon Women Lawyers and is interested in strengthening connections between students and legal communities. She works with a regional federal power administration through a service contract with her law school. Outside of law school, Tavia enjoys music, making an unreasonable number of Spotify playlists, reading, and hiking above her physical abilities.

Adam Yaggy

  • Adam Yaggy is a 3L at Duke Law School from Fort Wayne, Indiana. At Duke, Adam founded and leads the Duke Plaintiffs’ Law Association. He also is a member of the Mock Trial Board and the Moot Court Board, a Lead Editor for the Alaska Law Review and a J. Porter Durham Scholar. Before law school, Adam graduated from Indiana University as a Kelley Scholar. In college, he earned his Private Pilot License and worked at Boeing and Cirrus Aircraft. After 1L, Adam worked at Podhurst Orseck, helping represent victims in wrongful death and product liability litigation, including aviation accidents.

Lucy Roberts-Widdison

  • Lucy Roberts-Widdison (she/her) is a law student at the University of Michigan. She joins the National Plaintiffs Law Association board with a professional background as a cartographer and spatial data scientist, having previously worked designing maps and conducting research for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the National Geographic Society, and Esri. Lucy is currently a Harriet Tubman Fellow at the Institute for Law & Organizing, working at the intersection of data analysis and legal advocacy to combat institutional property tax over-assessments. Next summer, she will work as a summer associate at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd.

Ethan Whitehead

  • Ethan Whitehead is a 2L at Willamette University College of Law, where he founded and serves as President of the Willamette Plaintiffs' Law Association. His interest in plaintiff-side practice predates law school; he grew up around the plaintiffs' bar and previously worked at a plaintiff firm in Idaho, where he developed an early appreciation for the impact this work has on people's lives. Outside of school, Ethan enjoys flying, Formula 1 racing, and working with cars and motorcycles.

Daphne de Beistegui

  • Daphne is a 2L at Georgetown Law. Originally from London, she decided to study both humanities and physics in the US. While interning at the Earth Law Center in Colorado, she discovered eco-centric jurisprudence and the Rights of Nature movement, which brought her to law school. In her first semester, she learned about the important role played by plaintiffs' firms in private enforcement where regulation is threatened or lags behind. She hopes to devote her career to fighting environmental battles for future generations and the estimated 9 million other species on Earth. She also loves mountain activities, cooking, and dancing.

Marianne Sarne

  • Marianne Sarne is a rising 3L at UC Law SF (Formerly UC Hastings). She is a Co-External Vice President of UC Law SF's Plaintiffs' Law Association, which is where she helped organize a Spring Networking Event, which brought together current students interested in learning more about plaintiffs' law and some of the top plaintiffs' attorneys in the Bay Area, each specializing in a wide variety of plaintiff-side litigation. Marianne also competes on UC Law SF's Trial Team and has served as a Staff Editor on her school's Journal on Gender and Justice. Outside of law school, Marianne enjoys playing the piano and guitar, and spending time with her friends.