Lawyers to the Rescue recently recognized Miami Law student Nejla Calvo with the “Law Student of the Year” award and the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center with the “Institution of the Year” award.
These public service awards are given out annually by Lawyers to the Rescue, an organization committed to bringing legal assistance and humanitarian support to people around the world in times of crisis.
Born in Bolivia, Calvo came to the United States at a young age. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Spanish and Philosophy at Middlebury College. A third-year law student, she is currently a Miami Public Interest Scholar and HOPE Public Interest Fellow at Miami Law. She is also a member of the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board, the Articles & Comments Editor for the Race and Social Justice Law Review, Research Assistant to Professor Jennifer Hill, Director of Equity Playhouse, and President of the Society of Bar & Gavel.
Calvo is committed to public service and hopes to become a top-notch civil rights attorney.
"It is an honor to receive this award from Lawyers to the Rescue, an outstanding organization doing important work in the Miami community,” said Calvo. “It is especially fitting that the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center is also being honored, considering I came to Miami Law because of the HOPE Miami Scholars Program. As a Miami Scholar and HOPE Public Interest Fellow, I have been able to serve those in need during my years as a law student. I look forward to advocating on behalf of the underserved throughout my career."
Now in its 15th year, HOPE is the starting point for law students interested in service and advocacy. Nationally recognized as a leading center for public interest law, HOPE directs students to a wide array of public interest opportunities at the law school and beyond. In 2011, the American Bar Association presented HOPE with the National Achievement Award in Public Interest.
“It was wonderful for HOPE to be recognized as the Public Interest Law School of the Year,” said Marni Lennon, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono and Director of HOPE. “I have been fortunate enough to be supported by our deans and faculty in our mission to inculcate all Miami Law students with a pro bono ethic for over fifteen years. To be honored alongside our Miami Scholar and HOPE Fellow, Nejla Calvo, made this honor even more special as she is a phenomenal example of a social justice advocate.”
