Solomon Scholars

• Stipend: Our Solomon Scholars receive a $10,000 stipend per academic year. This stipend does not come with any spending restrictions. Solomon Scholars remain eligible for Rutgers Law scholarships awarded at the time of acceptance or other institutional aid awarded to continuing students.
• Summer Funding: Scholars receive an additional $5,000 stipend for qualifying public service work in the summer following the second year of law school.
• Mentoring: Scholars are assigned faculty mentors and may attend faculty colloquia. Additionally, Scholars are assigned to a Rutgers Law alumni mentor who is currently working in the Scholar's area of interest.
• Career Counseling: Even as first-year students, Scholars work with a member of the Center for Career Development to develop a strategic plan regarding the pursuit of their career goals.
• Professional Development Stipend: Each year, Solomon Scholars may request additional funding to attend legal conferences or other programming related to their areas of interest.

The selection process for Solomon Scholars begins after a student has been admitted to the Law School. In the spring of each year, the Solomon Scholars selection committee invites qualified admitted applicants to interview for a space in the Solomon Scholars Program. Only those applications who have applied and been admitted to Rutgers Law School by March will be considered for this program.

Invited admitted applicants may interview in person at Rutgers Law School in Camden or virtually. Interviewers will consist of members of the faculty, Admissions Committee, and current Solomon Scholars. Students who decide to interview in person will be eligible for a travel stipend.

Kobie is a graduate of Williams College, where he majored in Political Science, focusing on comparative politics of the Middle East, and obtained a concentration in Leadership Studies: U.S.  Foreign Policy. During his undergraduate career, Kobie studied abroad for a year in Egypt, studying at the American University in Cairo taking Arabic language and graduate political science courses. He also spent three weeks in Morocco studying comparative corruption between America and the Middle East/North Africa region.

Neeraja is a New Jersey native and 2019 graduate of the College of William & Mary, where she graduated cum laude majoring in biology with a minor in public health. While at William & Mary, Neeraja conducted microbiology research and studied comparative health care policy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Neeraja sought to improve minority representation in student leadership by serving as a President's Aide, director of the Orientation Program, and member of the Undergraduate Honor Council.

Jennifer graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Nanotechnology from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2024. While in school, Jennifer was the captain of the Division I lacrosse team, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and was a Student Chapter Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). She also served as a Plant Operations & Engineering Intern at Calpine Corporation, where she helped improve plant operations by organizing and updating utility system records, predicting energy output using data analysis, and creating clear operation manuals for gas turbine generators.

After graduating, she worked as a Project Engineer at Environex, where she managed and executed engineering projects focused on air quality solutions for the power industry—overseeing tasks from drafting the scope and proposal to completing the final report and maintaining communication with clients. Jennifer is passionate about contributing to the clean energy movement in a more impactful way as a lawyer and about creating realistic solutions through legal work to support progress toward net-zero emissions and a cleaner world.

Raised in New Jersey, Roman Brooks graduated from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), where he obtained a degree in political science and a minor in law, politics, and philosophy. During his time at TCNJ, he attended the Washington Center in Washington DC, interning as a political fundraiser coordinator. Following this, he completed an internship as a public affairs intern with The Munshine Group, working with non-profit organizations and donor research.

Malley Chertkov was raised in Millstone, New Jersey and was excited to return for law school. Malley graduated from Wellesley College in 2019 with a degree in Philosophy and went on to work as a paralegal at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Criminal Division, Fraud Section, helping prosecute individuals for serious financial crimes and major market fraud.

Prior to law school, Mara had a ten-year career working with progressive, social justice-oriented organizations. On behalf of the Human Rights Campaign, they organized an office of street canvassers to advance the Equality Act for LGBTQ+ Civil Rights. Mara received their M.Phil with Honors in Gender and Women’s Studies from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and graduated cum laude with a double major in Psychology and Liberal Arts from Alaska Pacific University. They currently serve as the Co-VP of the American Constitution Society.

Mia graduated from the University of Texas in the Plan II Honors program, where she created the Interpersonal Violence Peer Support program, which trains students to be advocates for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. After graduation, Mia organized at the state and local levels—working on grassroots ballot initiatives focused on police accountability and permanent supportive housing to Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial bid. Most recently, she served as the COO for DEH & Associates, a boutique accounting firm.

Nicole earned her M.A. in HR Management and dual B.A. in Human Resources and Labor & Employment Relations from Rutgers. Her academic excellence and community service were acknowledged with several honors, including the Greek Award of Distinction and Outstanding Greek Woman Award. Nicole is a dedicated human resources professional with a strong academic background and experience in both the corporate and technology industries. Nicole hopes to focus her legal career in employment law, where she can help small businesses thrive.

A former bartender, current educator, and forever advocate, Jess Harper Meyers (she/her/they/them) was born and raised in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Jess attended the American University School of Public Affairs in Washington, DC, where she majored in Justice, Law, and Criminology. After earning their BA, Jess co-founded We Can Run PAC, a 527 political nonprofit that lowered barriers to entry for working-class progressive candidates.

Khira graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from California State University, Fullerton in 2023. While in school, Khira served as the Founder and President of TEDxCSUF, Team Captain of the CSUF Moot Court, Vice President and Social Chair of the President’s Scholars Student Association, and the Social Justice and Equity Commission Coordinator for Associated Students Inc. She also worked as a Casework and Policy Assistant at Protect Our Defenders, a Legislative Intern with the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and an Executive Intern at Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America.

After graduating, Khira joined the Department of Justice, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, first as a Special Assistant to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Principal Deputy Attorney General Marshall Miller, and later as a Paralegal Specialist. She served as a liaison to civil rights components including the Office on Violence Against Women and the Civil Rights Division, represented the office on the DOJ Reproductive Rights Task Force, collaborated with the ATF, and coordinated the DAG’s public events.

Building on this experience, Khira is committed to continuing her advocacy for women’s rights in law school and beyond.

Sarah recently graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Forensic Studies from Loyola University Maryland in 2025. She was highly involved on campus, expanding her writing and interpersonal skills as a Career Ambassador, Mentor Captain for Student Leadership Corps, Ignite Fellow at Teach For America, and Writing Center Tutor at Pioneer Academics. She also became a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was awarded the departmental Forensics Medal at graduation.

While in school, Sarah interned with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, where she gained mock trial experience and assisted with advocacy events for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. She also completed an internship with Baltimore Witness, attending and reporting on Baltimore City Circuit Court hearings for homicide and non-fatal shooting cases to foster transparency within the city’s criminal justice system. Additionally, she volunteered with the Maryland Legal Aid Expungement Clinic where she assisted clients with intake paperwork and gained valuable insight into Maryland’s expungement process.

Aiming to work in public service, Sarah is eager to explore prosecutor and public defender roles through clinics and internships during law school.

Raised by a single mother who worked as a drug addiction specialist in the Philadelphia prison system, Alexandra was exposed to inequalities from a young age. Drawing on her mother's experience, Alexandra gained valuable experience interning with the ACLU-NJ, the Federal Defender's Office, and the civil rights firm Kairys Rudovsky throughout law school. To continue her mother's legacy and pursue her passion for equality and constitutional law, she hopes to become either a public defender or plaintiff's civil rights litigator.

Joshua attended George Washington University, where he graduated cum laude and majored in International Affairs. After graduating, Joshua was commissioned as a US Naval Officer, where he served as a Liaison Officer, Search and Rescue Swimmer, and its Legal Officer. Once he had completed his deployment, he moved to NYC and began working at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as a Digital Evidence Analyst. Joshua volunteers with Achilles International and the ACLU, where he works as a protest monitor.

Priya earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a minor in Global Health from Duke University, and a Certificate in Prison Studies from Duke Divinity School. She recently graduated with a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2025. During her undergraduate years, Priya volunteered as a Client Advocate for the Orleans Public Defenders and the Innocence Project in London. She also conducted extensive public health research on carceral systems at the UNC School of Medicine and Oxford University and has contributed to several publications. After college, she taught at Valor Collegiate Academies through Teach for America (AmeriCorps), as well as with the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Princeton Writing Academy.

As a graduate student, Priya has dedicated her time to the Princeton University Prison Teaching Initiative, serving as a graduate fellow, college instructor, and tutor. She also served as a Chaplain Intern for both the New Jersey Department of Corrections and Penn Medicine Princeton Health, providing interfaith care and emotional support to diverse populations. She is currently pursuing her yoga teacher certification through the Prison Yoga Project.

She is attending law school to leverage her backgrounds in education and chaplaincy towards holistic legal advocacy for the communities she will serve.

Courtney is a Long Island native and proud alumna of Clark University, where she graduated summa cum laude in her B.A. in Political Science in 2017 and MPA in 2018. Prior to attending law school, Courtney spent five years advocating for equitable public policies and greater investment in under resourced neighborhoods in Memphis, TN and the Deep South. She is passionate about advancing economic justice through the law and plans to leverage her legal education to better serve underrepresented communities.

Wan-Chen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese from National Taiwan Normal University in 2013 and a Master of Arts in History, with a concentration in Nation-Building in Modern Ireland, from National Taiwan University in 2017.

Throughout school, Wan-Chen was dedicated to activism, helping to raise awareness through multiple campaigns, including those focused on workers’ rights. She also taught Mandarin classes to Tibetans and beginner Tibetan classes to Taiwanese, and worked as a psychology research assistant.

After receiving her degrees, she traveled to the Himalayas in 2018 to study the Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy. Over two years, she was taught that compassion is the foundation of inner peace. She eventually returned to Taiwan, where she aimed to create change—no matter how small—by working as a civil servant in the Education Department for nearly three years.

Most recently, she worked as the Secretary of the Standards and Compilation Board and the Supervisory Board at the Institute of Internal Auditors, Chinese Taiwan, where she wrote, edited, and reviewed all external documents from the Secretariat. Wan-Chen aspires to bring an international perspective and fresh insights into legal practice in Taiwan, focusing on the intersection of administrative law and comparative law.