Eight Wayne State University Law School students will gain hands-on experience and support a range of organizations this summer through the 2026 Public Interest Law Fellowships and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Stipend.
The 2026 Public Interest Law Fellowship recipients and their placements are:
• Nakia Wallace, rising 3L, Michigan State Appellate Defender Office (Lansing) — Jan and Bob Ackerman Public Interest Law Fellow
• Rachel Fagan, rising 3L, Federal Community Defender Office (Detroit) — Penny Beardslee Public Interest Law Fellow
• Chashah Johnson, rising 3L, ACLU of Michigan (Detroit) — Romano Stancroff Public Interest Law Fellow
• Madeline Wall, rising 3L, Legal Services of South-Central Michigan (Ypsilanti)
• Ebbie Appel, rising 2L, State Appellate Defender Office (Detroit)
• Nicholas Nafso, rising 2L, Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Emily Soehren, rising 3L, Neighborhood Defender Service (Detroit)
• Alec Davis, rising 2L, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office (Detroit).
Seven fellowships were awarded through the standard PILF process. In total, $46,200 in funding was distributed to support public interest legal work.
Each Public Interest Law Fellowship recipient will volunteer 40 hours a week for ten weeks, collectively providing thousands of hours of service to organizations serving the public and underrepresented communities.
Wayne Law established the Public Interest Law Fellowships in 2009 to provide students with meaningful experience in public interest law prior to graduation, help ease financial pressures, and offer vital assistance to organizations delivering legal services to underserved populations. Fellowship recipients are selected annually by a committee of Wayne Law faculty, staff, and alumni.
The 2026 Public Interest Law Fellowship recipients and their placements are:
• Nakia Wallace, rising 3L, Michigan State Appellate Defender Office (Lansing) — Jan and Bob Ackerman Public Interest Law Fellow
• Rachel Fagan, rising 3L, Federal Community Defender Office (Detroit) — Penny Beardslee Public Interest Law Fellow
• Chashah Johnson, rising 3L, ACLU of Michigan (Detroit) — Romano Stancroff Public Interest Law Fellow
• Madeline Wall, rising 3L, Legal Services of South-Central Michigan (Ypsilanti)
• Ebbie Appel, rising 2L, State Appellate Defender Office (Detroit)
• Nicholas Nafso, rising 2L, Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Emily Soehren, rising 3L, Neighborhood Defender Service (Detroit)
• Alec Davis, rising 2L, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office (Detroit).
Seven fellowships were awarded through the standard PILF process. In total, $46,200 in funding was distributed to support public interest legal work.
Each Public Interest Law Fellowship recipient will volunteer 40 hours a week for ten weeks, collectively providing thousands of hours of service to organizations serving the public and underrepresented communities.
Wayne Law established the Public Interest Law Fellowships in 2009 to provide students with meaningful experience in public interest law prior to graduation, help ease financial pressures, and offer vital assistance to organizations delivering legal services to underserved populations. Fellowship recipients are selected annually by a committee of Wayne Law faculty, staff, and alumni.
