AG Racine Welcomes 2022 Class of Recent Area Law School Graduates to Office as Charles F.C. Ruff Fellows

OAG Encourages Students from Local Law Schools to Apply for the Upcoming Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine welcomed 16 recent graduates from local law schools joining the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for the 2022 Charles F.C. Ruff Fellowship.  
 
In 2012, OAG established the year-long fellowship to promote public interest legal work and give recent law school graduates the opportunity to practice law as Assistant Attorneys General for the District of Columbia. The fellowships are jointly funded by OAG and the graduates’ respective law schools. Many previous fellows have gone on to become full-time attorneys at OAG or at other prestigious public service institutions after their fellowships. 

“On the 10th anniversary of the Ruff Fellows program, it’s a reminder of how far this program has come and the many talented law school graduates who have come through it, learned from and contributed to our office, and supported District residents. Some of the top attorneys at my office started as Ruff Fellows, and others have gone on to have exceptional careers in public service building on their experience as fellows,” said AG Racine. “To those who are participating in this year’s program: thank you for answering the call to uplift District residents. I know you will have a huge impact during your time here. And to those who are eligible, I encourage you to apply to be a part of next year’s class.” 

OAG awards these fellowships to stand-out applicants following a highly competitive selection process. The 2022 class includes graduates from Georgetown University Law Center, George Washington University Law School, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. 

The Ruff Fellowship program is named in memory of Charles F.C. Ruff, who was the District of Columbia’s Corporation Counsel—the position now known as Attorney General—from 1995 to 1997. Ruff served as White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton after his service as Corporation Counsel, and Attorney General Racine worked under him as an Associate White House Counsel. Ruff also served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and taught at area law schools. He passed away in 2000. 

The new Fellows and their assignments are: 

  • Jordan Chemtob, Georgetown University, Public Safety Division, Criminal Section  
  • Geoffrey Comber, George Washington University, Public Advocacy Division, Public Integrity Section  
  • Jessica Feinberg, University of Virginia, Public Advocacy Division, Civil Rights Section
  • Grace Fuscoe, Georgetown University, Office of the Solicitor General  
  • Rachel Gale, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division, Section II  
  • Tyler Gerstein, Georgetown University, Civil Litigation Division, Section IV  
  • Liam Harrell, George Mason University, Public Safety Division, Juvenile Section
  • Michaelette Haywood, Georgetown University, Public Advocacy Division, Workers’ Rights and Antifraud Section
  • Nicholas Hopkins, George Washington University, Commercial Division  
  • Kevin Lutes, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division, Civil Enforcement Section
  • Thomas Pennington, George Mason University, Legal Counsel Division  
  • Andrea Ramirez, George Washington University, Public Safety Division, Juvenile Section  
  • Adam Sadick, University of the District of Columbia, Public Safety Division, Criminal Section
  • Spencer Scoville, Georgetown University, Public Advocacy Division, Consumer Protection
  • Rachel Sims, George Washington University, Family Services Division  
  • James Wiley, Georgetown University, Civil Litigation Division, Section III 

To learn more about the Ruff Fellowship program, visit this page.