Staff


Student Staff | Professional Staff | Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

JURIST is a public service project powered by more than 100 law students at 60+ law schools across six continents working under the guidance of professional staff and academic leadership based in Pittsburgh and Boston.

JURIST’s North American staff in the United States and Canada are law students at:

JURIST’s South American staff in Peru are law students at:

JURIST’s European staff are law students at:

JURIST’s African staff are law students at:

JURIST’s South Asian staff are law students at:

JURIST’s Australasian staff are law students at:

JURIST’s Chinese staff are law students at:

Student Leadership Team

JURIST’s Student Leadership Team is composed of experienced student staffers who take leading roles in managing and writing JURIST.

Deputy Executive Editor

Rebekah Yeager-MalkinJURIST’s Deputy Executive Editor is Rebekah Yeager-Malkin (she/they). Rebekah is currently a third-year law student at University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US) and has been on staff at JURIST for two years. They have worked across the JURIST service, writing and editing Commentary and News, previously serving as the Commentary Co-Managing Editor. She is passionate about Elder Law and Family Law and hopes to work with families to navigate the difficult legal waters that come up throughout their lives.

Managing Editors

Lauren BanJURIST’s News Managing Editor is Lauren Ban (she/her). Lauren is a current third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US). She first joined JURIST in the fall of 2021 as a News writer. Last year, Lauren served as US Bureau Chief before moving into her current role as News Managing Editor. After graduating from law school in the spring of 2024, Lauren hopes to pursue her interest in journalism.

Lou KetteringJURIST’s Deputy News Managing Editor is Lou Kettering (he/him). Lou is currently a third-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US) and has been on staff at JURIST for over a year. At JURIST, Lou had been writing and editing for News before being appointed Deputy News Managing Editor. Lou is interested in tax law and hopes to work in estate planning after graduation.

Hayley BehalJURIST’s Commentary Managing Editor is Hayley Behal (she/her). Hayley is a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US). She has been on staff at JURIST for two years and is beginning her second year as Commentary Managing Editor. Prior to entering law school, she worked in journalism and publishing and hopes to return to those industries soon, practicing at the intersection of media, intellectual property, and First Amendment law.

Jaimee FrancisJURIST’s Features Managing Editor is Jaimee Francis (she/her/hers). Jaimee is currently a third-year student at Boston University School of Law (US). She has been on the Features team since joining JURIST in 2022. She formerly served as the Features Editor of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s student newspaper. She would like to start an art blog.

Samar VeerJURIST’s Dispatches Managing Editor is Samar Veer (he/him). Samar is a third-year student at National Law University, Delhi (IN). He has been a part of JURIST since July 2022 and had a brief stint in News writing before joining Dispatches as a Correspondent. He was promoted to Dispatches Managing Editor in 2023. Samar is interested in corporate law, and plans to work as a corporate dispute resolution attorney upon graduating.

Samantha SmithJURIST’s Social Media Managing Editor is Samantha Smith. Samantha is currently a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US). She has been on JURIST staff for two years, initially working as a News writer before transitioning to the Social Media team. Samantha has always had a passion for music and the arts, and hopes that through both corporate and nonprofit work, she can help provide stability and protection to music and arts organizations.

James JosephJURIST’s Interviews Managing Editor is James Joseph (he/him). James has just completed his Master’s in politics and international law from Keele University School of Law in the UK and has been a staff correspondent for JURIST for one year. James also provides secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hazara in the UK Parliament and will start his PhD in the fall.

Pitasanna ShanmugathasJURIST’s Deputy Interviews Managing Editor is Pitasanna Shanmugathas. Pitasanna is a 2L at Vermont Law & Graduate School and a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

Bureau Chiefs

Natasha KahungiJURIST’s Africa Bureau Chief is Natasha Kahungi. She is a third-year student at the University of Nairobi School of Law (KE).

Sophia RichardsJURIST’s Australia/New Zealand Bureau Chief is Sophia Richards. She is a fourth-year student at the University of Newcastle Law School (AU). Sophia joined JURIST in October 2022 as a News writer before becoming an editor and Bureau Chief. She has a passion for Constitutional Law, Rule of Law advocacy, and judicial independence.

Nolan ZhuJURIST’s Mainland China Bureau Chief is Nolan Zhu. Nolan is an LLM student at Northwestern Pritzker Law School (US). His professional forte lies in compliance, focusing on national security, economic sanctions, export control and human rights. Previously, he served as legal counsel for a top e-commerce company in China and practiced as a lawyer in Beijing. He has a passion for cross-issues within international politics, compliance and business.

Ciara DinnenyJURIST’s Europe Bureau Chief is Ciara Dinneny. She is a trainee at the Law Society of Ireland.

Derren ChanJURIST’s Hong Kong Bureau Chief is Derren Chan. Derren is a third-year student at the University of Hong Kong (HK).

Ashley WongJURIST’s Deputy Hong Kong Bureau Chief is Ashley Wong. Ashley is a second-year student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law (HK).

Vedant JhaJURIST’s South Asia Bureau Chief is Vedant Jha (he/him). Vedant is a second-year law student at the National Law University, Delhi (IN). He joined the JURIST family in December 2022 as part of the India internship program. He is passionate about constitutional law and criminal justice reform and also has a knack for mooting. He is committed to aiding underprivileged children in their learning process for qualifying law entrance tests. In his professional career, he aspires to be involved in policymaking and litigation.

Aimee WoodmassJURIST’s UK Bureau Chief is Aimee Woodmass (she/her). Aimee is currently a third-year law student at Newcastle University (GB) and has been on the staff at JURIST since September 2022. This year she is continuing her role as a News writer and UK Bureau Chief. In the future, Aimee hopes to pursue her interests in family law and employment law.

JP LeskovichJURIST’s US Bureau Chief is JP Leskovich (he/him). JP is a second-year student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US) and has been on JURIST’s staff for one year. JP has contributed to JURIST’s News, Dispatches, and Commentary content. As a Pennsylvania Correspondent during the 2022 US midterm elections, he reported on voting rights issues and testified to the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee about election reform. JP is passionate about democracy and human rights and hopes to pursue a career in public interest law.

Chiefs of Staff

Lana OseiJURIST’s Deputy Africa Chief of Staff is Lana Osei. Holding an LLB degree from the prestigious Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), she serves as the executive secretary to the Centre for African Diplomacy and Global Engagement (Afroglobals) in Accra, Ghana. Beyond these pursuits, Lana is a thought leader, fuelled by a desire to shape the future through insightful writing. For Lana, writing is not merely a skill, but a “manifesto to her future self,” a powerful tool to envision a better world and advocate for the actions needed to achieve it. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Lana takes the helm with humility and the distinct privilege of leading a team that shares her values. She is committed to empowering her colleagues, fostering collaboration, and amplifying their voices to bring about positive change across the African continent.

Melanie CantinJURIST’s Canada Chief of Staff is Mélanie Cantin (she/her). Mélanie is a third-year law student at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (CA) and has been with JURIST since February 2022. She has been on the Dispatches team from the start and ascended to the Chief Correspondent for Canada position in July 2022. She has also made contributions to JURIST’s Explainer and Interview content. Mélanie is passionate about criminal, constitutional, and family law.

Yuxin NieJURIST’s Mainland China Chief of Staff is Yuxin Nie. Yuxin is a first-year student at Wuhan University (CN).

Nova KruijningJURIST’s Europe Chief of Staff (Interim) is Nova Kruijning. Nova is a graduate of Maastricht University in The Netherlands, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in European & International law. After completing her undergraduate degree, she pursued the post-graduate Diploma of Law in the UK. She has a keen interest in international law and global affairs, and after completing her Masters’ degree in 2025, would like to work in the field of international law alongside continuing to pursue her interest in legal journalism.

Jingwen LiuJURIST’s Hong Kong Chief of Staff is Jingwen Liu. Jingwen is a PhD student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law (HK).

Ananya UpadhyaJURIST’s South Asia Chief of Staff is Ananya Upadhya (she/her). Ananya is a fourth-year law student of B.A. LL.B. (Honours) at the National Law University, Delhi (IN). She has a keen interest in constitutional law, tech law, legal history, feminism and legal journalism, and hopes to build a career as an academic. Outside of law, she is also interested in quizzing, modern history and exploring cuisines.

Elisabeth DriscollJURIST’s UK Chief of Staff is Elisabeth Driscoll. Elisabeth (Libs) is a second-year LLB student at the University of Bristol (GB). After joining the staff in December 2022, she became the UK Chief of Staff in May. She is passionate about a variety of legal sectors, particularly human rights law and the politics of lawmaking and enforcement. After her 2025 graduation, Libs would like to continue to pursue her interest in legal journalism alongside qualifying as a barrister.

Elizabeth HaighJURIST’s US Chief of Staff is Elizabeth Haigh (she/her). Elizabeth is currently a second-year student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Law (US) and has been working with JURIST for a year. She has worked with JURIST primarily as a News Associate Editor and has done a select few Features pieces as well. Elizabeth’s main goal is to work in criminal law in order to address deficiencies and enact change within the American criminal legal system.

Aynsley GengaJURIST’s Chief of Staff for Correspondents is Aynsley Genga. She is a third-year student at the University of Nairobi School of Law (KE).

Vedika ChawlaJURIST’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Correspondents is Vedika Chawla (she/her). Vedika is currently a third-year student at National Law University, Delhi (IN) and has been a member of the JURIST staff for about a year. She started off on the News team and soon shifted to Dispatches before becoming the Deputy Chief of Staff for Correspondents. Vedika takes interest in a wide range of subjects including criminal law, intellectual property and dispute resolution, and plans to explore various areas of law as a student.

Senior Editors

Marissa ZupancicJURIST’s Senior Editor (US) is Marissa Zupancic. Marissa is a 3L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US), where she was awarded for excellence in administrative law. Prior to law school, Marissa graduated from American University in Washington, DC, where she studied literature and political science with a concentration in policy. She is also a summer legal intern for Woods Law Offices where she will complete legal research and writing pertaining to the Pennsylvania Post Conviction Relief Act.

Community Engagement Coordinator

Naveera PereraJURIST’s Community Engagement Coordinator is Naveera Perera. Naveera is an LLB (Hons) graduate from the University of London, currently writing for her bar exams in Sri Lanka. She has been with JURIST for almost a year, starting as a Correspondent and then becoming a Senior Correspondent. She aspires to one day become a lawyer or researcher in the fields of Human Rights, Criminal law or International law, hoping to actively work on helping individuals be treated fairly under the legal system.

 

Correspondents

JURIST Staff Correspondents file exclusive first-hand reports from locations around the world.

Afghanistan

JURIST has a number of law student correspondents filing regularly from Afghanistan. Due to security concerns under the Taliban government we cannot reveal their names or their law school affiliations.

Belarus

Ulyana Belaya is a student at the European Humanities University (LT).

Katsiaryna Vasilionak is a law student at the European Humanities University (LT).

Canada

Mélanie Cantin is a 2L at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.

European Union

Oksana Bidnenko is a student at Riga Graduate School of Law (LV).

Jacky-Long Mouthuy is a student at Maastricht University Faculty of Law (NL).

Mykyta Vorobiov is a political science student at Bard College, Berlin.

Ghana

Lana Osei is a recent graduate of the GIMPA (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration) Faculty of Law.

India

Soumyabrata Chakraborty is a student at Gujarat National Law University.

Vedika Chawla is a second-year student at Jindal Global Law School.

Nakul Rai Khurana is a second-year student at Jindal Global Law School.

Apoorv Vats is a second-year student at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.

Samar Veer is a third-year student at National Law University, Delhi.

Iran

Sharareh Abdolhoseinzadeh is a law student and a PhD in Political Sociology in Tehran.

Israel

Sharon Basch is a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

Yael Iosilevich is a student at Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law.

Mayan Lawent is a student at Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law.

Kazakhstan

Aidana Tastanova is a 4th year law student attending the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (RU).

Kenya

Senior Correspondent Aynsley Genga is a 2023 graduate of the University of Nairobi School of Law.

Griffins Ogada is a student at the University of Nairobi School of Law.

Kosovo

Ernesa Shala is a JURIST staff correspondent in Kosovo and a recent graduate of the University of Pristina Faculty of Law.

Myanmar

JURIST has a number of law student correspondents filing regularly from Myanmar. Due to security concerns during the military coup, we cannot reveal their names or their law school affiliations.

Nepal

Jony Mainaly

Pakistan

Chief Correspondent Rabia Shuja holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from Griffith College, Dublin.

Peroozi Asif Durrani is a law student following the University of London LLB external degree program at the Institute for Legal Studies (TILS).

Abu Bakar Khan is a final year law student at University Law College, University of the Punjab.

Izhar Ahmed Khan is a 2022 LL.B. graduate of the Pakistan College of Law (University of London International Program).

Mashal Asim Khan is an LLB student in the University of London External Programme at The Institute of Legal Studies (TILS).

Peru

Samanta Berenice Chavez Quispe is a law student in the Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Políticas, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco.

Sri Lanka

Senior Correspondent Naveera Peerera is a graduate of the University of London External Programme at CfPS Law School.

Türkiye

Hasan Yacı is a senior law student at Galatasaray University Law School in Istanbul.

Uganda

Lawrence Alado is a third-year student at the Makerere University School of Law (UG).

Ukraine

Senior Correspondent Justin Esiobu is an LLM student at Ukrainian Catholic University.

United States

Justin Lindsay is a 3L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Uzbekistan

Farzona Kayumova is a law student at Tashkent State University of Law.

 

Associate Editors

JURIST’s Associate Editors are experienced anchors, editors, researchers and technical specialists.

Loice Adwera is a second-year student at Strathmore Law School (KE).

Sharon Basch is a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

Sean Beeghly is a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

Alexis Boddy is a second-year student at City University London (GB).

Sarah Ferguson is a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

Malaika Grafe is a third-year student at Maastricht University Faculty of Law (NL).

Sean Nolan is a 2L at Southwestern Law School (US).

Jonnette Oakes is a 2L at Washburn University School of Law (US).

Sonja Rzepski is a 2L at Vermont Law and Graduate School (US).

Bryn Andrew Singers is a third-year student at the University of Waikato Faculty of Law (NZ).

Joshua Villanueva is a 2L at UC Law San Francisco (US).

Caitlin Williams is a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

 

Assistant Editors

JURIST’s Assistant Editors are new anchors, editors, researchers and technical specialists.

Harkirt Singh Anand is a second-year student at Jindal Global Law School (IN).

Salma Ben Souissi is a third-year student at The University of Law (GB).

Millie Billingham is a first-year student at Newcastle University (GB).

Polina Dvornikova is a third-year student at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (UA).

Hannah Fang is a first-year student at the University of Hong Kong (HK).

Cooper Feiner is a 1L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

Srishti Gaur is a first-year student at National Law University, Delhi (IN).

Ojjaswini Gupta is a third-year student at National Law University, Sonipat (IN).

Rahel Helmhart is a third-year student at the University of Groningen Faculty of Law (NE).

Chi Wai Hu is a fifth-year student at the University of Hong Kong (HK).

Mahjabeen Khan is a 2L at Vermont Law & Graduate School (US).

Yevheniia Khoroshun is a first-year student at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University School of Law (UA).

Jiahang Li is a third-year student at the Beijing Institute of Technology (CN).

Tyler Li is a 1L at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (CA).

Sheila Macharia is a third-year student at the University of Nairobi School of Law (KE).

Kate Marley is a second-year student at Newcastle University (GB).

Nwe Mon Mon Oo is a student at Chulalongkorn University (TH).

Jabes Ojwang is a second-year student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (KE).

Shashank Pandey is a second-year student at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (IN).

Gabrielle Pasternak is a 1L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

Qurrat Ul Ain Rehman is an LLM student at Brunel University Law School (GB).

Ruby Richards is a third-year student at Newcastle University (GB).

María Paz Rodríguez Galiano is a fifth-year student at the Facultad de Derecho PUCP (PE).

Tiffany Rojas is a second-year student at the Facultad de Derecho PUCP (PE).

Chris Rufo is a 2L at New England Law | Boston (US).

Anam Sadaf is a second-year student at National Law University, Odisha (IN).

Ritisha Sinha is a third-year student at National Law University, Delhi (IN).

Prakhya Tamraparni is a second-year student at National Law University, Delhi (IN).

Helena Tian is a final-year student at Nankai University (CN).

Fiona Tsamny is a 2L at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (CA).

Jeffrey Wang is a 1L at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law (CA).

Madeline Yingling is a 1L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US).

 

Professional Staff

Jaclyn Belczyk is JURIST’s Executive Editor and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. Jaclyn is a 2008 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, from which she holds a JD and a Certificate in Latin American Studies. She also holds a BA in Anthropology and Philosophy and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ingrid Burke Friedman is JURIST’s Editorial Director. A 2011 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, she served as Managing Editor during her 3L year. After graduation, she moved into full-time journalism for several years, and then served with the US Department of State as a Consular Officer. She now divides her time between JURIST and a research fellowship at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian & Eurasian Studies.
William Hibbitts is JURIST’s Deputy Editorial Director. He graduated from Bates College Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude in 2021 with a degree in politics and sociology. William began volunteering for JURIST in 2014 and joined the professional staff in 2023.

 

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Bernard Hibbitts is JURIST’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief and a Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. A Canadian Rhodes Scholar born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he studied law at Oxford University, Dalhousie Law School, the University of Toronto, and finally Harvard Law School (LLM 1988). He is a former law clerk to Justice Gerald LeDain of the Supreme Court of Canada. He created the site that became JURIST in 1996.