By Andrew Cohen
For decades, Berkeley Law graduates have shown how leadership comes in many forms and permeates all sectors of the legal profession. The second annual cohort of 1Ls in the school’s Leadership Academy reflects that in wide-ranging and impressive ways.
Creating such a program was a longtime priority for Dean Erwin Chemerinsky to broaden existing leadership offerings, including work from the school’s research centers, clinics, practicums, executive education program, Pro Bono Program, journals, and student groups.
“We want to help our students develop the skills to become effective leaders in every area of the law, regardless of where their careers take them,” he says. “I believe that should be a priority for any great law school.”
Berkeley Law chooses up to 10 incoming J.D. students for the Leadership Academy each year, in consultation with the school’s admissions team. Those selected receive scholarship support, leadership programming, coaching, and mentorship to help them learn how best to guide teams, innovative solutions, and organizational growth in both the private and public sector.
From climate advocacy and technology best practices to health care outreach and food justice work, this year’s Leadership Academy newcomers bring an impressive array of accomplishments and law school motivations. Learn more about them below.
Mansoor Alam spent a decade in the tech industry after teaching himself programming through YouTube videos and other outlets. He worked as a data scientist and co-founded a venture-backed precision health startup, and also held several leadership roles in AI software development.
“My decision to pursue law arises from a commitment to cyber civil rights and a belief that law is perhaps our most effective tool to confront the perils and realize the promises of technology.”
Cody Bloomfield worked at a Washington, D.C.-based civil liberties nonprofit before law school, advocating for First and Fourth Amendment freedoms. They also covered policing and protest as a journalist, reporting on FBI and DHS misconduct, politically-driven prosecutions, and anti-racist protest movements.
“At Berkeley Law, I hope to learn how to defend the most vulnerable, from indigent clients confronting criminal charges to activists unjustly targeted by surveillance and political prosecution.”
Alexis Fineman has been an educator, public servant, and climate advocate. San Anselmo’s former mayor, she helped develop policies and programs to implement the city’s climate action plan, with a focus on sustainable transportation, building decarbonization, and the city’s first solar microgrid.
“I’m eager to use my legal education to champion decarbonization, livable communities, and healthy ecosystems, and to pursue accountability for climate and environmental injustices.”
Desmond Johnson worked as an information technology consultant. He has co-created an electronic medical record system for a children’s home in Eswatini, partnered on a water infrastructure project in Guatemala, and designed an app to help people on probation and parole avoid pitfalls leading to reincarceration.
“Berkeley’s culture is one that deeply understands the equally reparative and destructive power of technology, and this ability to recognize technology’s dual power is critical in my law school education.”
Zz Khan is an artist, educator, and former mental health specialist at a nonprofit who helped people navigate Medi-Cal, designed harm-reduction curricula, and led community outreach projects. Khan is studying education policy to better support youth and marginalized communities in the criminal justice system.
“I’m inspired to explore legal academia through a lens of public health-bridging law, youth advocacy, developmental psychology, and the arts.”
Kate Leonard earned undergrad degrees in Neuroscience, Cultural Anthropology, and East Asian Studies, and researched sustainable agricultural practices in Hawai’i. She worked for three years in the U.S. Senate covering appropriations and issues of the environment, energy, agriculture, maritime, and infrastructure.
“I look forward to continuing to learn more about these topics and engage with them at a deeper level through the legal lens at Berkeley Law.”
Vikas Maturi is a strategist, researcher, organizer, and former director of grantmaking strategy and research at Liberation Ventures, a nonprofit accelerating the Black reparations movement in the United States. He also worked on campaigns to end forced prison labor and expand tenant protections in California.
“I look forward to examining how we might embed reparations and repair more deeply in our laws, particularly for those who are incarcerated or experiencing other forms of state violence.
Samia Noor is a documentarian focused on amplifying solutions related to combating gender-based violence. With a background in public policy, strategy, and government affairs, she spent three years in government consulting in New York City and a year as a judicial fellow in Riverside County Superior Court.
“I hope to explore the school’s vibrant pro bono culture and engage in meaningful service opportunities, and envision serving my community through advocacy and empowerment.
Camryn Pak’s master’s thesis probed the impacts of large language models on reporter conduct and newsroom policies. Passionate about storytelling, local journalism, and civil rights, she completed the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and worked on voting rights enforcement at the Department of Justice.
“A Berkeley Law education will equip me with the necessary tools to serve my communities with integrity and purpose.”
Greta Zorn has spent 10 years running the reproductive justice nonprofit Uterish, which she co-founded, fundraising and engaging in digital advocacy and educational initiatives. She worked in research and writing positions in New York and volunteered helping people stuck in pretrial detention in Seattle.
“I hope to continue exploring criminality through a reproductive justice lens by working in public interest law, and I’m thrilled Berkeley Law gave me a chance to return to the West Coast.”