PLAN created the Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship Program in 2004. In partnership with a sponsoring regional or specialty program, law school graduates and attorneys who are new to practice are hired as full-time staff attorneys for a two-year fellowship.

Fellows are assigned mentors and supervised by experienced attorneys. Salary and benefits are determined by the host program. Additionally, loan repayment assistance is available during the first two years of employment.

Third year and recent law school graduates may indicate their interest in the MLK Fellowship program by submitting an application, electronically via email, to Dr. Tevis Bryant, including a letter expressing interest; a resume; a writing sample; an official transcript; and three (3) professional references to:

Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. 
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging & HR Operations 
MLKPrograms@palegalaid.net

Meet our current Fellows:  

Anita Krishnan

Program: Summit Legal Aid
Education: University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Fellowship Term: 2024 – 2026

Biography:

Anita is a Staff Attorney and PLAN Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow working at Summit Legal Aid in Washington, Pennsylvania. Her work primarily includes parent advocacy in dependency and custody cases, as well as plaintiff advocacy in Protection From Abuse (PFA) matters. With her educational background in Sociology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Anita has long been interested in promoting social justice for historically disadvantaged populations.

Her desire to strengthen and empower these communities led Anita to work at Summit Legal Aid during her final year of law school at the University of Pittsburgh; she is thrilled to be returning as a Staff Attorney thanks to PLAN and the MLK Jr. Program. During law school, Anita also worked with the Name Change Project and Disability Rights Pennsylvania. Anita hopes to continue her work of strengthening community resources and amplifying the voices of the unheard for the duration of her legal career. In her free time, Anita enjoys watching A24 movies, singing karaoke with her sister, and playing billiards.
 

Amanda March

Program: Neighborhood Legal Services
Education: University of Pittsburgh
Fellowship Term: 2024 – 2026

Biography:

Amanda is a Staff Attorney and PLAN Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow working at Neighborhood Legal Services in their Lawyer of the Day (LOTD) program, which provides in-person legal representation and resource navigation in four of the twelve Magisterial District Courts in the City of Pittsburgh. Having launched in October 2022, the LOTD program has already had a significantly positive impact on the outcomes of eviction hearings. Amanda is excited to learn from and to work alongside the experienced attorneys, staff, and resource navigators who have contributed to the success of this program, which helps to keep Pittsburgh tenants in their homes. 

Before joining NLS, Amanda earned a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a B.A. in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. While in law school, Amanda held an internship with both Community Justice Project and the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and worked in the University of Pittsburgh’s Sikov Elder Law Clinic for two semesters. 

As a lifelong Pittsburgh native, Amanda knew she wanted to have a career in public interest and serve the Pittsburgh community, of which she is proud to be a member. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys attending local bar trivia with her fiancé and friends, watching scary movies while knitting or cuddling with her two cats, and rekindling her love of reading fiction novels.
 

Esteban Rodriguez

Program: Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS)
Education: Temple University Beasley School of Law (2022)
Fellowship Term: 2023 – 2025

Biography:  

Esteban is a Staff Attorney and PLAN Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow working on the development and preservation of affordable housing and other community development efforts.

Prior to joining RHLS, Esteban was an Assistant City Solicitor in the Philadelphia Law Department’s Labor and Employment Unit, representing the city and its departments in various types of litigation. While in law school, he held an internship with Community Legal Services’ housing unit, worked in the chambers of U.S. Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge as part of Temple’s Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program, and served as a staff editor of Temple Law Review.

Esteban holds a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a B.A. in both Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester. Prior to law school, he worked in higher education development for a national top 10 university and in zoo volunteer management.  

Esteban lives in East Germantown with his spouse, two very demanding cats, and one easygoing bearded dragon. Outside of work, you can find him knitting/crocheting, reading something nerdy, or looking up new restaurants to check out.

Mallory Turner

Program: MidPenn Legal Services 
Education: Penn State Dickinson Law
Fellowship Term: 2024 – 2026

Biography:

Mallory is a Bogue Chitto, Mississippi native that moved to Pennsylvania for law school. The best places to eat back home are usually the restaurants within gas stations and local grocery stores. Mallory enjoys going to museums, traveling, making desserts, learning about history, thrifting, reading multiple genres of books, participating in water activities, and attending live musical performances.  

Prior to law school, she taught and counseled GED students who inspired me to achieve my long-term career goal of becoming a lawyer. She also knew that she wanted to incorporate public interest into her post law school career due to enjoying working with students.