2007 Fellowship Recipients

Silvia Diaz is a student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she is a Public/International Fellowship recipient and Vice President of Community Affairs for the Latin American Law Students Association. Silvia has an accomplished record of leadership in public service and academic achievement. Though she spoke only Spanish until the third grade, Silvia was awarded the Williams Prize for Excellence in Writing at Lehigh University, where she later obtained a Master’s Degree in English. Silvia also holds a Master’s in Education from Pace University. Silvia left an impressive legacy at a Harlem middle school where she taught English and Social Studies as part of the Teach for America organization. While there, she was elected Lead Teacher, organized a professional development program for new teachers, and created a weekend tutoring program called “Beat the Test: Saturday Prep Academy.” Silvia was a 2007 Summer Associate in Goodwin Procter’s New York office.   

Irfan Murtuza has excelled academically at Georgetown Law School, where he was in the top 10% of his first-year class. In addition to his academic success, Irfan has energetically pursued several leadership roles in law school and in the community at large. He was selected as a Legal Research and Writing Fellow at Georgetown, teaching a year-long legal research and writing course to first-year students, and is a member of the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. He has also worked as a research assistant to renowned civil liberties scholar Professor David Cole. Irfan has represented the Muslim community both at Georgetown and in the community at large. He is a board member of the Muslim Law Students Association, and served as Program Director for an American Learning Institute for Muslims program in Washington, D.C., leading a team of volunteers to host a program of over one hundred participants. Irfan was a 2007 Summer Associate in Goodwin Procter’s Washington, D.C. office. 

Katiuscia Potier of the University of Virginia School of Law, a Boston native and first-generation American, brings a rich background of experience to the firm. A varsity lacrosse player at Columbia University, where she made the Dean’s List, Katiuscia went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Health Science and Health Policy from The Johns Hopkins University. At UVA, Katiuscia has continued to challenge herself, serving as the Editorial & Articles Editor of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law and as the Professional Development Chair of the Virginia Women of Color. In this latter role, Katiuscia organized an interviewing strategy session for women of color and has made strides in uniting the ethnic and racial affiliate groups on campus through other campus events. Katiuscia was a 2007 Summer Associate in the Boston office. 

Arivee Vargas attends Boston College Law School and graduated magna cum laude from Boston College. Throughout her academic career, she has focused on representing the Latino community and raising political consciousness in the community regarding Latinos. She is Co-Chair of the Latin American Law Students Association Professional Development Committee at Boston College as well as Co-Chair of the Public Interest Law Foundation’s off-campus outreach. Arivee’s work on behalf of the Latin American community began in her undergraduate years, when she served as President of the Organization of Latin American Affairs at Boston College. During her presidency, she organized the first annual Latino Family Weekend at the school and was appointed to the college’s Academic Affairs Committee. She was also honored with the Romero Scholarship, which is awarded to a Boston College junior who demonstrates academic excellence and a strong commitment to social justice. Arivee was a 2007 Summer Associate in Goodwin Procter’s Boston office. 

Minming Wu is a George R. August Fellow at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Minming has an impressive background in international endeavors. She is fluent in French and Chinese, and holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Local Development from the Institute d’Études Politiques de Paris. Before law school she worked first as the commercial development director for a housing developer in Virginia and then was invited to work as a land banking project negotiator for the French Ministry of Infrastructure, which required her to master French land law and the French real estate development system. Minming was a Political & Social Thought major at the University of Virginia, where she received her B.A. with distinction. Minming was a 2007 Summer Associate in Goodwin Procter’s San Francisco office.