Northeastern Law’s Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration (CPIAC) launched a Visiting Fellowship Program in 2025–2026 with Kathleen Rubenstein (left) as its inaugural fellow. As executive director of the Skadden Foundation from 2018 to 2025, Rubenstein led an organization that has granted more than 1,000 prestigious fellowships since 1988, supporting attorneys who plan careers in public interest law. From Northeastern, Rubenstein headed to Columbia Law School for a two-year appointment as a Ruth Bader Ginsburg Academic Fellow.

For 2026–2027, the fellowship goes to Amy Romero (right), recently named chief legal counsel for the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island (LCRI), a new organization providing pro bono rapid response to federal government overreach affecting individuals and nonprofits in Rhode Island. Before joining LCRI, Romero served as an assistant US attorney in Rhode Island, focusing on civil rights and community outreach. Her earlier career spanned roles at Rhode Island Legal Services, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Rhode Island Family Court and the Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County. She was a Northeastern University Law and Policy Fellow in 2025–2026.