Class of 2023 Honors Attorneys
From left: Sofia Baneth, Corenza Jean, Katherine DePaolis, Devon Fray, Matthew Yanez
Sofia Baneth graduated as valedictorian from the Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. She received her B.A. in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from American University. During law school, Sofia served as a Publication Editor for the Campbell Law Review, a Lead Article Editor for the ABA's Antitrust Law Journal, and a Constitutional Law Teaching Scholar. She also interned with the U.S. Department of Labor, a public interest environmental law firm, and the N.C. Department of Justice.
Katherine DePaolis graduated from the George Washington University Law School with high honors and as a member of the Order of the Coif. She received a B.A. in Government, Law, and Spanish from Lafayette College. In law school, she was a member of the George Washington Law Review, and worked as a Writing Fellow. During law school, she also gained legal experience at the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and in the U.S. Department of Justice's Professional Responsibility Advisory Office. After graduating from law school, she clerked at the Alexandria Circuit Court in Virginia.
Devon Fray graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law with a certificate in Human Rights. She received a B.A. in Spanish and International Studies concentrating in Latin America and the Caribbean from the College of Charleston. After law school, she clerked for the Connecticut Superior Court. Her legal experience also includes working for UConn Law’s Asylum and Human Rights Clinic, the Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Corenza Jean graduated from Howard University School of Law. She received a B.S. in Political Science from Kennesaw State University. During law school, she gained legal experience as an intern for the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Legal Action Center, and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Matthew Yanez graduated from Syracuse University College of Law with a concentration in Disability Law and Policy. He also received a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship. He received a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Communications Studies from California State University – Northridge. Matthew’s legal experience includes working at the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Disability Rights California, and a California-based Law Firm.