Introducing DRA’s 2023 Summer Interns

DRA’s passionate new interns are working hard to advance DRA’s disability justice mission. We are excited to have them aboard!

Eliana Fisher

Tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to DRA.

I am a rising 3L at City University of New York (CUNY) Law School and a graduate of the dual degree program at Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Before law school, I cultivated my dedication to public interest law and my passion for empowering individuals with disabilities through my work with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). As a senior paralegal case handler in NYLAG’s Disability Advocacy Project (DAP), I represented claimants at different stages of the Social Security Administration’s appeal process. Prior to joining DAP, I worked as a paralegal in NYLAG’s Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program (EFLRP) as part of the Avodah Service Corps. In this role, I advocated for older persons and people with disabilities to ensure access to Medicare and Medicaid coverage and services.

While working with my clients, I witnessed how the rules and regulations that govern many federal and state agencies are not implemented in an equitable way that serves intended beneficiaries. My desire to address many of the systemic issues I saw in the course of my work lead me to apply to law school, to intern at Disability Rights New York last summer, and ultimately, to applying to DRA. I am drawn to DRA because I value DRA’s commitment to advancing the rights of people with disabilities through high impact litigation and DRA’s ongoing efforts to reform federal and state systems.

What aspect of DRA’s work are you most excited about/interested in?

I am most interested in DRA’s work at the intersection between disability justice and prisoners’ rights. I am particularly interested in DRA’s efforts to reform state agencies and institutions which incarcerate and institutionalize individuals with disabilities. In addition, I am excited to broaden my experience in different areas of disability justice, especially in terms of ensuring access to music and the arts as well as digital media.

Rebecca Jenkins

Tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to DRA.

I’m a rising 2L at Georgetown Law, but my background is not particularly linear! I have a master’s degree in Shakespeare Studies, and I spent several years as a theater professional. Prior to starting law school, I worked as a paralegal in elder law. I specialized in guardianship law, which is known as conservatorship in some jurisdictions. That work exposed me to many of the issues that affect people with diminished legal capacity. It also made me a passionate advocate for nationwide guardianship law reform. I was drawn to DRA because I want to join those who are working to make systemic change in the lives of people with disabilities.

What aspect of DRA’s work are you most excited about/interested in? 

Because of my background in guardianship law, I am particularly interested in issues affecting people with disabilities that affect their legal capacity. I am also interested in immigration and refugee law, so I am excited to learn as much as I can from DRA’s work in the Fraihat case on disability-related discrimination within immigration detention facilities. I look forward to broadening my understanding of disability rights and developing my skills in impact litigation!

Bailey McPhail

Tell us a little about your background and what drew you to DRA.

I am a rising 3L at William & Mary Law School. I decided to go to law school after spending four years observing and teaching in various schools in Ohio while in pursuit of my teaching license. I loved my time in the school and getting to interact with students, but I was often struck by how unresponsive the schools were to what students needed. This unresponsiveness stretched into many aspects of school life, but it was perhaps easiest to see among students with disabilities. IEPs and 504 Plans were often not taken seriously, and teachers who pushed for more accessible classrooms or for an available intervention specialist were often told that the school lacked the necessary resources or that these accommodations just weren’t a priority. It was my frustration with this system that led me to law school and, from there, to DRA.

What aspect of DRA’s work are you most interested in?

I’m most interested both in education cases as well as prisoner’s rights cases, but I’m really looking forward to learning more about impact litigation more broadly. DRA’s work covers so many different environments and contexts, and I’m excited to work on a wide range of topics and experience many different stages of the legal process while striving to advance the rights of those with disabilities.

Elsa Nethercot

Tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to DRA.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and stayed in LA for college, where I earned a B.A. in Political Science at the University of Southern California. While completing my undergraduate degree I competed on the USC mock trial team and worked at a personal injury law firm, which solidified my desire to study law. When entering law school at UCLA, I knew I wanted to help marginalized people, but was not sure of the exact practice area I wanted to work in. Upon looking for my first summer job, I stumbled upon a position at the Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center Special Education Law Clinic. In this position I was able to advocate for students with disabilities and ensure that they were provided with an appropriate education. This was the perfect position for me, as someone whose brother is disabled and who watched her mother work hard to advocate for him as he navigated the education system. Although I really enjoyed direct client representation, it was frustrating at times to see the overarching issues that I was unable to fix. Thus, I was drawn to DRA because of the structural change the organization effectuates through high impact litigation.

What aspect of DRA’s work are you most excited about/interested in? 

Although I am particularly interested in special education, while working at DRA I am most excited to learn about different areas of disability law through the wide array of cases, as well as gaining experience with high impact litigation. Additionally, as someone with a mental health disability, I am interested in working on cases that help promote the rights of those with mental health disabilities, which I have already had the opportunity to do during my short time at DRA.