Miami Public Interest Scholar and karaoke aficionado Carli Raben was recently awarded the Aqua Foundation for Women Scholarship, which identifies emerging leaders in the LGBT community and helps them develop and grow through their scholarship program.
“I was excited when I found out about the scholarship--not just because of the financial award but because of the mentorship and leadership development, too,” says the second-year student. “I've had great mentorship opportunities through the HOPE, but it's been great to have an opportunity to learn from student leaders in other disciplines.”
Before attending law school, Raben taught middle and high school students in a small town outside of New Orleans, Louisiana as a Teach for America corps member. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkley, majoring in History. This past summer, Raben worked as a legal intern at The Community Justice Project in Little Haiti, where she supported community organizers in promoting the rights of underserved communities in Miami-Dade. She is currently a legal intern for the Environmental Justice Clinic.
“Since coming to Miami Law, I've learned the importance of teamwork,” says Raben. “I used to be quite adverse to group projects, but I've come to understand the necessity for collaboration in the law. As stressful as finals season can be, I relied on the intellectual and mental support of my study group to help pull me through. A lot of people talk about law school as a competitive endeavor, but in my experience, I've really benefitted from the collaborative and cooperative aspects of the Miami Law student body.”
A Writing Dean’s Fellow and a member of the Public Interest Leadership Board, Raben is also a recipient of the Bruce J. Winick Award which is awarded to Miami Law students who rank in the top one percent academically.
She hopes to return to New Orleans after graduating from law school in 2018 and work in the field of juvenile justice.
“Hopefully I’ll work in some kind of combination of policy reform/defense of youth offenders,” says Raben.” If that doesn't work out, I'll pursue a career in karaoke.”
