Eight members of the Class of 2016 have been selected as Leadership Fellows at Elon University School of Law. Two members of the Class of 2015 have joined the Fellows program as well, bringing the total number of student and alumni Leadership Fellows to 46.
The Leadership Fellows program at Elon Law was established in fall 2009. Students invited into the program have demonstrated exceptional leadership through community, collegiate, military or other leadership experiences, as well as academic achievement. They identify, through an essay in the Fellows application process, how the leadership skills they have acquired could be further developed at Elon, in the practice of law and in their communities.
Throughout the school year, Leadership Fellows meet in small groups with visiting scholars and speakers at the law school. They also have formed committees on service and community engagement, curricular development, and leadership programs and lectures. In 2011, they established the online Journal of Leadership in the Law. The Leadership Fellows section of the Elon Law website includes reports on Fellows’ summer employment experiences and third-year capstone projects.
Leadership Fellows of the Class of 2016
Blakeney C. Brown
Brown attended Wake Forest University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees, where she majored in political science and completed a master’s degree in law. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Brown was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha academic honor society, a member and assistant coach of the Wake Forest Dance Team, officer of the Black Student Alliance, officer of Wake Forest University Gospel Choir, and Master Studies of Law Program Representative of the Wake Forest Student Bar Association.
Brittney A. Burch
Burch majored in politics and international affairs and minored in Spanish at Wake Forest University. Burch was an active member of the student group PREPARE, which helped raise awareness about sexual assaults on campus and provided a sexual assault hotline for Wake Forest students. Burch also served in the Protégé Mentor Program, which provides an avenue for disadvantaged Americans to achieve entrepreneurial success; and Project Launch, a program designed to improve services for young children. Burch has also worked as a tutor for high school students in Anson County, NC, and as a research assistant for the Politics and International Affairs Office at Wake Forest.
Morgan L. Furman
Furman graduated from the College of William and Mary with a double major in Hispanic studies and sociology. Since graduating in 2011, Furman has worked as a paralegal in two firms in Richmond, Virginia, and serves as a Spanish tutor for high school students. Furman studied abroad in Seville, Spain, at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide where she volunteered helping autistic teenagers with rehabilitative athletic activities. At William and Mary, Furman was a member of the Student Council, the Undergraduate Honor Council and Building Tomorrow, an organization dedicated to proving educational resources to children in east Africa. Furman has served as a Troop Leader for Girl Scouts of the USA.
Camille E. Hill
Hill completed her undergraduate education at Elon University where she majored in strategic communications and played varsity softball. Hill served as Treasurer of the National Pan-Hellenic Council Executive Board for the Greek community at Elon. Hill served as a New Student Orientation Leader and was a member of the Admissions Student Staff. Hill joined the 2012-13 Senior Class Gift Giving Committee as the Student Gifts Coordinator, interned for PETA and participated in the Bateman Case Study Competition, a nation case study competition for public relations students.
Daniel J. Lawall
Lawall completed a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Clemson University in 1996 and master’s degree in computer science from George Washington University in 2007. Lawall served in the U.S. Army for more than eight years and worked for the U.S. government as a research scientist in both the pre- and post-9/11 eras. Lawall served as director of the applied research and innovation team within a federal agency, receiving honors and recognition for his service in the U.S. government. He has been a volunteer with several Cub Scout packs.
Diane K. Pappayliou
Pappayliou graduated from Davidson College where she majored in anthropology and served as the President of Davidson’s Pre-Law Society. While at Davidson, Pappayliou was the Candidate Relations Officer for Davidson’s Student Government Association. Pappayliou is a recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award from the West Point Society of New Jersey. Pappayliou brings service experience to Elon through her involvement with the Rusk Eating House, a social and philanthropic organization aimed at empowering women in service and leadership opportunities, where she served as the President for over a year and organized many events for the group.
Anisha C. Patel
Patel graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2011 with a master’s degree in nutrition after receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Austin College. In 2012, Patel coauthored an article called “The Role of Polyphenols on Cartilage Health” in the Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research journal. Currently, Patel holds membership in the American Society for Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Patel participated in several funded research projects while at Texas Women’s University. Patel has held both the Historian and Secretary positions in Circle K International’s corporate board and has most recently worked for US Airways as the Chairman’s Preferred & Capitol Desk Liaison.
Jessica D. Richardson
Richardson graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. While at Chapel Hill, Richardson was recognized as a Pogue Scholar and was inducted into the National Biology Honor Society. Richardson is the founder and director of Assets for Sustainability, where she helps domestic violence survivors and homeless families gain economic independence and economic sustainability. Richardson served as an intern for GlaxoSmithKline and was recognized as a GlaxoSmithKline Woman in Science Scholar. She has volunteered in Greensboro as Guardian Ad Litem, a volunteer advocate for abused and neglected children; and in Chapel Hill as a program co-counselor for the Communiversity After-School Program, an organization that provides academic and cultural programs for local children.
Janean L. Bryant
A 2012 cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Bryant earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and sociology. She is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honor society, and Alpha Kappa Delta, an international sociology honor society. At Elon Law, Bryant is an Acorn Scholar and the president of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) for the 2013-14 academic year. Prior to being elected president, she was elected as the first-year law student representative of BLSA. Bryant has interned at Morton Law Office and has worked as a summer associate for The Fresh Market, Inc.’s Legal Department in Greensboro. She has volunteered with various Triad community organizations including: Positive Direction for Youth and Families, Youth Taking Charge and Greensboro Urban Ministries. Bryant is a certified volunteer mediator through One Step Further, Inc., and a 2012 voter protection poll observer volunteer, a position in which she answered voters’ questions about North Carolina election laws.
Ian Phillips
Phillips is an Executive Lieutenant Governor for the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division 4th Circuit, Vice-President of Elon Law’s Student Bar Association and an Eagle Scout. Phillips attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in business administration in 2010. He is serving as an extern for Superior Court Judge James Hardin of Durham County this summer. Phillips has volunteered for local organizations including: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, Fox 8 Gifts for Kids and the Alamance County Homeless Shelter. He was a member of the UNCG baseball team.