Sixteen Dean’s Fellows to mentor first-year students for 2023-2024

LAWRENCE – Sixteen students from the University of Kansas School of Law have been chosen to be Dean’s Fellows for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The Dean’s Fellows are a group of second- and third-year law students selected to mentor first-year peers. Fellows offer academic support and guidance, serving as resources for students navigating the transition to law school. Fellows are selected through an application and interview process that considers their academic performance, rapport with classmates and campus and community involvement.

“We are so excited to see the impact this year’s group of Dean’s Fellows will have on the KU School of Law and its community,” said Jackie Jeschke, co-head Dean’s Fellow. “The most important part of the Dean’s Fellow’s role is to be a friendly face and trusted resource for our first-year students – especially as they adjust to the challenges of law school.”

Andy McLandsborough, co-head Dean’s Fellow adds, “we are confident that this year’s incredible group of Dean’s Fellows will play an important part in shaping the uniquely positive culture that defines Green Hall.”

The 2023-2024 Dean’s Fellows are listed below.

Elm Beck is a third-year law student from Olathe. They attended the University of Kansas where they studied Spanish and women, gender and sexuality studies. Beck is the executive staff articles editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and the 3L advisor for the Trans Law Student Association (TLSA). In their first year, they were a board member for OUTLaws & Allies and served as the sergeant at arms for the American Civil Liberties Union of KU.

Liam Bigbee is a second-year law student from Seattle, Washington. He attended Texas Christian University where he studied business administration. Other than Dean’s Fellows, he is involved in Traffic Court and Sports Law Society. This year he will compete in the Moot Court Competition and Transactional Law Competition.

Neelie Browne is a second-year law student from Olathe. She attended the University of Kansas where she studied Spanish and psychology. In addition to Dean’s Fellows, she is the founder of Balance and Well-Being, a staff editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and a member of the Public Interest Law Society and Women in Law. Last summer she interned at the California Appellate Project on the habeas capital punishment team. This school year she is an intern for a magistrate judge in Kansas City.

Chrissy Crowell is a second-year law student from Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. She attended Rockhurst University where she studied political science and criminal justice. Outside of Dean’s Fellows, she is the vice president of Balance and Well-Being. She is a member of the Public Interest Law Society, VITA Tax Clinic and Women in Law. She spent the past summer interning at the Missouri State Public Defender Systems in their Appellate/Post-Convictions Relief division in Kansas City.

Sam Crowley is a third-year law student from Hays, Kansas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and minored in national security studies and criminal justice as a member of the University Honors Program. Outside of Dean’s Fellows, he is an articles editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and the president of the Kansas Law Military and Veterans’ Law Society. He has been involved in the Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies, the Federalist Society and the KU Court of Parking Appeals. He works as a certified intern prosecutor for the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. Crowley was recently commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps and will serve on active duty following graduation and the bar exam.

Kaitlin Hamilton is a third-year law student from Pittsburg, Kansas. She attended the University of Kansas where she studied political science and business. In addition to Dean’s Fellows, she is a member of Women in Law, OUTLaws and Allies, and Balance and Well-Being. She is also the American Bar Association Class Representative for the 3L class. Last year, she interned for KU Law’s Paul E. Wilson’s Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies. Next semester, Hamilton will be a virtual intern for Equal Justice Under Law, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. focused on wealth-based inequalities in the criminal justice system. Outside of law school, she is a law clerk for a local plaintiff’s personal injury law firm.

Sydney Hoffman is a second-year law student from Overland Park. Before law school, she attended the University of Kansas where she studied political science. Along with Dean’s Fellows, she is a member of the LEAD (Legal Education Accelerated Degree) Program, a Lawyering Skills TA and assisted the Transactional Law Competition Team this past spring. This summer she worked as a compliance assistant at OneDigital Retirement + Wealth and is looking forward to focusing on more contract law next summer.

Skylee James is a second-year law student from San Diego, California. She attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where she studied biology. Prior to law school, she worked as a paralegal handling business immigration matters. In addition to Dean’s Fellows, she is a member of OUTLaws & Allies, Women in Law and Energy & Environmental Law Society. During her 1L summer, Skylee was a summer associate and LCLD Diversity Scholar at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in Kansas City She is interested in litigating or practicing corporate law in the renewable energy and natural resources sector after graduation.

Jackie Jeschke is a third-year law student from Lawrence. Before law school, she attended the University of Kansas and studied biology. She went on to receive a master’s in health services administration from the University of Kansas Medical Center. Jeschke is co-head Dean’s Fellow, editor-in-chief of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, a member of Women in Law and will compete in the Transactional Law Competition this upcoming spring. Outside of school, Jeschke serves as a board member for the Kansas Association of Health Care Executives. Following graduation, she has accepted an associate attorney position with Polsinelli in Kansas City as a corporate M&A attorney.

Jade Kearney is a third-year law student from Kansas City, Missouri. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from the University of Kansas. Before entering law school, she held leadership positions in several student-led organizations such as KU Undergraduate Mock Trial and the Black Student Union. She serves as Vice President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and is a member of the Moot Court Council and Mock Trial.

Andy McLandsborough is a third-year law student from Olathe. He has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Kansas State University. He also worked for an industrial automation company for a few years before coming back to law school. In addition to being co-head Dean’s Fellow, he is a staff articles editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and a member of the Student Intellectual Property Law Association.

Ethan Richardson is a second-year law student from Leavenworth. Prior to attending law school, he attended the University of Kansas where he studied marketing. During his 1L summer, he worked at the Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office. This year he is involved in the Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies.

Yuvia Serna is a second-year law student from Carol Stream, Illinois. She attended the University of Kansas where she studied political science and Spanish. Aside from Dean’s Fellows, she is the 2L representative for the Hispanic American Law Student Association (HALSA) and a member of Women in Law and Balance and Well-Being. She is also involved in the Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies. During her 1L summer, she interned at the National Immigrant Justice Center, under the Immigrant Legal Defense Project in Chicago.

Leah Stein is a second-year law student from Dodge City. Prior to attending law school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Kansas. She serves as a staff editor on the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and will participate in the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Advocacy Program. She is a member of Women in Law and the Federal Student Bar Association.

Rachel Vande Kieft is a second-year law student from Rochester, Minnesota. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wichita State University. In addition to Dean’s Fellows, she is a staff editor for the Kansas Law Review, a member of Women in Law and involved with the Kansas Young Democrats. She spent her 1L summer working as a summer associate with Martin Pringle in Wichita.

Connor Works is a third-year law student from Lenexa. He attended the University of Kansas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. In his first year at KU Law, he participated in the Moot Court Program and was the only first-year law student on the team.