Legal Aid DC welcomed the inaugural group of early career attorneys hired as part of a new cohort-based model. The group of six attorneys started at Legal Aid on Sept. 15.

The new attorneys are:  

• Nketiah "Ink" Berko, Staff Attorney, Yale Law School
• Renée Cordio, Staff Attorney, Georgetown University Law Center
• Sofia Ferber, Bernard and Anne Spitzer Fellow & Staff Attorney, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
• Tiffany Jackson, Skadden Fellow, Howard University School of Law
• Rachael Seaward, Staff Attorney, Georgetown University Law Center
• Anne Winfrey, Penn Carey Law Fellow, The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

“We’re excited to welcome this talented group to Legal Aid DC and to kick off our new hiring model for attorneys early in their careers who are interested in using their legal skills to help our neighbors,” said Legal Aid DC Executive Director Vikram Swaruup. “I am very grateful to the individual donors, law firms, universities, and organizations that helped make these positions possible.”

The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Fellowship was created by Emily Spitzer, former executive director of the National Health Law Program, who also served as director of the DC Bar Foundation and helped establish the DC Access to Justice Commission.  

“I'm thrilled to support efforts to expand access to legal services in the District of Columbia, especially through a program that allows new lawyers to start their careers at an organization like Legal Aid,” Ms. Spitzer said. “I look forward to seeing all that these new lawyers accomplish in their careers advancing the public interest.”

A second position was funded in part by Stephen Cohen, a partner at Sidley, and Alison Barnes.

"We are proud to support Legal Aid DC’s efforts to make the pathway for new public interest lawyers easier while expanding services for our neighbors facing increased legal need,” Stephen and Alison said. “We hope the new cohort will be able to help thousands of people over long careers and create positive and enduring change in the District."

Positions are also supported by the Skadden Foundation, Penn Carey Law, and Georgetown Law. Following a four-week training period, the attorneys will be placed across the organization, including in Legal Aid’s Immigration Law, Public Benefits Law, Consumer Law, and Family Law and Domestic Violence units.  

Applications for the next cohort, to begin in September 2026, will open in January 2026. Visit Legal Aid’s Careers page for more information.