2022-23 Lambda board
charlie ferguson President
Pronouns: they/them
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Undergrad: University of Texas
Grad: CUNY Graduate Center
Philly Neighborhood: West Philly
Favorite Philly Hangout: Schuylkill River Trail
Hobbies: long-distance running, vegan baking, playing with my dog
1L Summer: Intern at Lambda Legal & Research Assistant to Dr. Dorothy Roberts
Tips for 1Ls: The law school stakes are not real, as much as we pretend they are—make sure to take some time away to gain perspective and be present in the rest of your life!
Email: clferg@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Charlie is an aspiring public-interest/impact litigation advocate coming from a background of community organizing, transformative justice, and radical compassion. They studied English and Art History at the University of Texas in 2016 and got their M.A. in Women and Gender Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2020. Prior to law school, they were the director of an LGBTQ+ youth community center and Vice President of Collegians for Gamma Rho Lambda, a national Greek organization for LGBTQ+ college students. During 1L, Charlie was a member of the Executive Board of the Nation Lawyers Guild, 1L rep for Lambda, and volunteer with the Trans Empowerment and Advocacy project. This year, Charlie is an Associate Editor for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and an at-large member of the LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Student Congress. They are also a dual-degree student obtaining their M.S. in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice.
joe stuever Political Director
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Wichita, KS
Undergrad: University of Kansas - Bachelor of Music Education
Philly Neighborhood: Rittenhouse
Favorite Philly Hangout: Rittenhouse Square, the Gayborhood
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Dunkin’ (I’m trash)
Hobbies: Symphony concerts, playing clarinet and piano, rock climbing, cooking, Stonewall Sports, Real Housewives
1L Summer: NYCLU Education Policy Center
Tips for 1Ls: You’re already very smart and accomplished if you made it to Penn Law. Don’t reinvent the wheel for law school: use the skills and strengths you already have and you’ll be successful!
Email: jstuever@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Joe grew up in Wichita, Kansas and graduated from KU (rock chalk Jayhawk!) with a degree in music education in 2013. He spent eight years teaching middle school and high school band in Kansas City before coming to Penn Law, where he's pursuing a dual degree in Education Policy. Joe is an Associate Editor for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. In addition to Lambda, he is the Executive Director of the Youth Education Project (YEP) and the Professional Development Chair for the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN).
olivia mania vice President
Pronouns: she/they
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Undergrad: University of Pittsburgh
Philly Neighborhood: West Philly
Favorite Philly Hangout: Clark Park Farmers Market
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Green Line Cafe
Hobbies: rock climbing, cooking
1L Summer: Lambda Legal
Tips for 1Ls: School isn’t everything. Make time for the people and things that are important to you whenever you can!
Email: omania@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Olivia grew up in Buffalo, New York and studied Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh prior to law school. At Penn, Olivia is a board member of Lambda, a Toll Public Interest Fellow, and a member of the Trans Empowerment and Advocacy project. Olivia spent her 1L summer interning with Lambda Legal and will be externing with Amara Legal Center this fall. In their free time, Olivia enjoys cooking, rock climbing, and exploring the city of Philadelphia.
rachel vacca alumni & professionalism chair
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Long Island, NY
Undergrad: Adelphi University
Philly Neighborhood: University City
Favorite Philly Hangout: Alchemy Coffee in Rittenhouse
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: I’m a sucker for Saxbys
Hobbies: graphic design, cooking, Greek mythology, trash TV
1L Summer: Judicial Intern on the Third Circuit
Tips for 1Ls: Always make time for yourself, even when it feels like there’s none to spare.
Email: rvacca@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Rachel grew up on Long Island, NY and studied English Literature and Translation Theory at Adelphi University. Before law school, she spent two years working in the legal division of a publishing company in NYC. At Penn, Rachel is a board member for Lambda and a member of First Generation Professionals, and the American Constitutional Society. She is also a team member of the International Refugee Project and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Constitutional Law.
sarah gordon advocacy chair
Pronouns: she/they
Hometown: Wynnewood, PA
Undergrad: Washington University in St. Louis
Philly Neighborhood: West Philly!
Favorite Philly Hangout: The Woodlands
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Alif Brew & Mini Mart
Hobbies: ceramics, hiking, camping, slow walks
1L Summer: Lambda Legal (NY office)
Tip for 1Ls: Be as silly as humanly possible and don’t let the law crush your creative spirit. Also, take naps, gets to know neighbors, hug a tree, and buy yourself a birthday cake at least once a week.
Email: srgordon@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Sarah was born and raised in Pennsylvania and returned to Philly to attend Penn Law after eight years of escaping the East Coast. She studied gender studies and international affairs at Washington University in St. Louis before moving to New Orleans, Louisiana to work at Voice of the Experienced (VOTE). VOTE is a grassroots organization fighting for the full restoration of rights to currently and formerly incarcerated people. During three years at VOTE, Sarah worked alongside community organizers, lawyers, and formerly incarcerated leaders who are reforming the criminal legal system in Louisiana. At Penn Law, Sarah is involved with Lambda, Environmental Law Project, NLG, and the Journal for Law and Social Change. Outside of school, Sarah loves to walk slowly around West Philly with her two dogs and make strange objects out of clay.
kaatje greenberg mentorship & academic director
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Bad Homberg, Germany
Undergrad: Columbia University
Philly Neighborhood: Center City/Gayborhood
Favorite Philly Hangout: Kelly Drive
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: ELIXR Coffee inside 3675 Market
Hobbies: cooking, running, hanging out with my cat
1L Summer: Mazzoni Center Legal Services
Tips for 1Ls: Spend time outside every day!
Email: kaatje@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Kaatje grew up near Frankfurt in Germany and studied Political Science at Columbia University. Before law school, she was a legal assistant at a law firm in New York and then, when she realized New York was not the place for her, she moved to Miami and worked in customer support at a tech company. AT Penn, Kaatje is a board member for Lambda and If/When/How and an Associate Editor for the Journal for Law and Social Change. Kaatje is also pursuing a Master of Bioethics degree alongside her law degree.
Di’vennci lucas social co-chair
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Athens, GA
Undergrad: Stanford University, B.A.H.
Philly Neighborhood: West Philadelphia
Favorite Philly Hangout: Wherever there are friends
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Green Line Cafe
Hobbies: writing/water painting
1L Summer: Console Mattiacci Law
Tips for 1Ls: Prepare questions you have about readings/the law for office hours to be confident
Email: lucasdk@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Di'Vennci grew up in Georgia and majored in African & African American Studies at Stanford University. While at Stanford, he studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. Before law school, Di'Vennci spent four years at Facebook (pre-Meta) in the Austin, TX office. At Penn, Di'Vennci is a board member for Lambda and the Black Law Student Association as well as Co-Director of the Community Legal Services Hotline for the Penn Housing Rights Project. He is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Law and Social Change.
shiyuan wang social co-chair
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Austin, TX
Undergrad: The Ohio State University
Philly Neighborhood: Fitler Square/Rittenhouse Square
Favorite Philly Hangout: Kelly Drive for a walk, Italian Market for good food, Schuylkill River for the views
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Not a coffee drinker, but Bluestone Lane is cute!
Hobbies: Reading fictional novels for fun, cooking Asian recipes, binging Korean and American zombie and thriller movies
1L Summer: Judicial Internship
Tips for 1Ls: Focus on good work-life balance and don’t let law school take over every aspect of your life
Email: shiwang@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Shiyuan grew up in Ohio before her family recently moved to Austin, TX (yeehaw!). She studied Political Science and History with a minor in French at The Ohio State University. Before law school, she spent a year volunteering for an immigrant and nonprofit agency right here in Philadelphia called HIAS Pennsylvania. At Penn, Shiyuan is a board member for Lambda and APALSA and an Associate Editor for The Journal of Law & Public Affairs.
carol wu admissions Director
Pronouns: she/they
Hometown: West Vancouver + Qingdao
Undergrad: Williams College
Philly Neighborhood: Center City
Favorite Philly Hangout: Used bookstores
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: lmao I don’t drink coffee
Hobbies: reading, writing, wandering around art museums like a lost ghost
1L Summer: Judicial Intern at EDPA
Tips for 1Ls: Chill out, you’ll get big law
Email: wucarol@pennlaw.upenn.edu
Carol grew up in Qingdao, China and West Vancouver, Canada. She majored in Comparative Literature at Williams College and was working as an education consultant helping Chinese Canadians get into American colleges before deciding on a career change and coming to Penn Law. At Penn, Carol is a board member with Lambda, a Morris Fellow, and an Associate Editor at Asian Law Review. She is excited to be returning to Massachusetts after graduation.
ben kilano 1l representative
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Undergrad: University of Notre Dame
Philly Neighborhood: South Philly
Favorite Philly Hangout: Main Street in Manayunk
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: United by Blue
Hobbies: cooking, photography, hiking, video games, killing houseplants
Email: bkilano@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Ben grew up in Phoenix, AZ and studied Economics and the Program of Liberal Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Before law school, he spent three years in economic consulting working on commercial litigation and regulatory matters. At Penn, he is also a 1L Rep for the Penn Law Antitrust Association (PLAA).
ari goldstein 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Undergrad: Georgetown University
Philly Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Favorite Philly Hangout: Famous 4th Street Delicatessen
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Saxby’s!
Hobbies: podcasts, editing Wikipedia, running along the Schuylkill River
Email: arigold@upenn.edu
Ari grew up in San Francisco and studied Political Science and Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University. Prior to law school, Ari spent four years living in New York, where he worked at a Holocaust museum and a Jewish charitable foundation. At Penn, Ari is a 1L Rep for Lambda and JLSA.
errel peli llm REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Jersualem, Israel
Undergrad: LL.B in Law and B.A. in Amrim Interdisciplinary Honors Program in the Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Philly Neighborhood: West Philly
Favorite Philly Hangout: Barnes Foundation
Hobbies: poetry, trivia, basketball, and cooking (Jewish foods)
Email: errel@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Errel grew up in Jerusalem and Sydney and studied Law and humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was senior editor of the Hebrew University "Israel Law Review" and co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Law Club at the University. He was also involved in the Multiculturalism Legal Clinic, working on promoting access of trans people to healthcare, and served as committee co-chair of the Gender, Religion, Intersectionality and Prejudice committee at the 2017 Muslim-Jewish Conference. Before coming to Penn, he worked as an associate at the corporate and M&A department in a leading law firm in Israel. As pro-bono work, he worked on an amicus brief to the Israeli Supreme Court regarding a petition relating to rights of same-sex parents. At Penn, Errel is a board member for Lambda, vice-president of the 2023 LLM class, and an International Associate Editor for the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law.
rae fanella 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: they/them
Hometown: Moorpark, CA
Undergrad: University of Southern California
Philly Neighborhood: Fitler
Favorite Philly Hangout: Schuylkill River Trail
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Avril 50
Hobbies: going to the movies (for the popcorn), exploring new restaurants, knitting, thrifting
Email: rfanella@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Rae grew up in Moorpark, CA, and studied Critical Studies in Film & Television at the University Of Southern California. Before law school, Rae danced professionally in Boston then pivoted to working as a legal assistant and volunteering with local LGBTQIA+ community organizations. At Penn, Rae is involved in the Trans Empowerment and Advocacy Project, If/When/How, and the Student Public Interest Network.
simone downs 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Richboro, PA
Undergrad: Princeton University
Philly Neighborhood: West Philly
Favorite Philly Hangout: Cira Green
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Don’t drink coffee but I do love a Goldie’s tahini shake when I need a boost
Hobbies: cooking, doing the NYT crossword, going to museums, tending to my plants, hanging out with my cat
Email: simdowns@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Simone is excited to be back in Philadelphia, having grown up in the suburbs. She spent the past two years working in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a community development specialist focused on housing justice and economic development. Prior to working, she studied Public & International Affairs at Princeton University, focusing her research on gender and judicial decision making. At law school, she is involved with the Student Public Interest Network, Penn Housing Rights Project, and Custody & Support Assistance Clinic in addition to Lambda.
juliet patterson 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Undergrad: University of Florida, Bachelor’s in Business Administration
Philly Neighborhood: University City
Favorite Philly Hangout: Reading Terminal Market
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: (not coffee) Woosa Bubble Tea
Hobbies: drawing, painting, anime, karaoke, olympic weightlifting
Email: julietcp@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Juliet was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and studied Business Administration at the University of Florida where she also spent a semester studying abroad at Korea University in Seoul. After graduation, Juliet spent a year working at a local college as the Youth Development Coordinator, curating leadership and career development programs for young people in the area. At Penn, Juliet is a board member for Lambda, LALSA, and the American Constitution Society. She also does Pro Bono with If/When/How. She is looking to become a corporate transactional lawyer with a specialization in East Asia.
andra metcalfe 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Denver, CO
Undergrad: Colorado College
Philly Neighborhood: Center City West
Favorite Philly Hangout: Rittenhouse Square
Hobbies: weightlifting, hiking, piano, snowboarding
Email: andramet@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Andra grew up in the Denver area and went to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, where she got her degree in Sociology. During undergrad, Andra worked at a number of law and policy organizations, including the ACLU of Colorado, Colorado Center on Law and Policy, and a tenant advocacy nonprofit in Minnesota called HOME Line. In addition to Lambda, Andra is a 1L rep for DALSA, SPIN, and NLG, and a team member on the Fair Housing Commission pro bono project.
preston chang-sundin 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Fairmont, WV
Undergrad: Oberlin College
Grad: National Taiwan University
Philly Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Favorite Philly Hangout: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Graduate Student Center (the coffee is free and the company is priceless)
Hobbies: running, reading, sewing, raising my cat
Email: pcsun@penncareylaw.upenn.edu
Preston grew up in West Virginia and studied History and Comparative Literature at Oberlin College. After college, he lived in Taiwan for four years while completing a master's degree in Chinese Literature. Back in the US, he taught Mandarin and History at an all-girls boarding high school in Upstate New York before transitioning to new roles in the school as International Student Coordinator and then International Admissions Manager. At Penn, he is a 1L representative for Lambda, the Penn Law Immigrants' Rights Project, and the Penn Law Antitrust Association.
ali zane 1L REPRESENTATIVE
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Dearborn, MI
Undergrad: University of Michigan
Philly Neighborhood: West Philly
Favorite Philly Hangout: Penn Museum
Favorite Coffee Shop by the Law School: Green Line
Hobbies: reading, exploring Philly, and laughing when my cats do something dumb (which is often)
Ali grew up outside of Detroit and studied Public Health at the University of Michigan. Before law school, he worked for three years at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank in Washington, DC focused on tax, health care, and economic security policies to help low income families and individuals. At CBPP, Ali worked on such policy areas as housing, Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). At Penn, Ali is a 1L Representative for Lambda, If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, and the Disabled and Allied Law Student Association (DALSA). He is involved with the direct services project of Trans Empowerment and Advocacy (TEA), a member of the National Lawyers Guild and the Health Law and Policy Project (HeLPP), and is an undergraduate mentor for the Penn Undergraduate Law Journal.