By Anne Marie Gattari
Five Michigan State University College of Law students are spending their summer serving clients in some of the nation’s most underserved communities through the 2026 Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps program.
MSU Law has the highest participation of any law school in the country.
This year, the prestigious program selected 50 fellows from 40 law schools to work on issues ranging from housing and family law to tribal sovereignty, health care, and agricultural worker rights.
MSU Law students are spending the summer working in Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
“This year’s record number of EJW Rural Summer Legal Corps fellows is another example of how MSU Law students continue to distinguish themselves through their dedication to public service,” said Lavon Ammori, Assistant Director for Career Development.
“As with our past fellows, we are excited for our students to gain valuable hands-on experience while benefiting from the resources and national network provided by one of the country’s leading public interest legal programs.”
Levi Rinck, ’27, is serving at Michigan Indian Legal Services in Traverse City working on the Indian Country Housing and Barriers to Housing Project. Rinck, of Grand Rapids, came to law school after leaving a career in the insurance industry in search of work with greater social impact.
“I found that many of the participating organizations that are part of this program resonated with me and were aligned with my post-graduation plans,” Rinck said.
Encouraged by his career advisor, Kristina Bilowus, he applied for the fellowship and expects to gain experience in legal writing, research, and client advocacy while helping clients navigate complex legal issues.
Rinck, who is active in MSU Law’s Native American Law Students Association and the Student Ambassador program, hopes to gain practical experience in legal research, writing, and client advocacy, helping those facing housing challenges navigate legal solutions.
Antonio Rios, ’27, a first-generation law student from Chicago, is spending the summer with the Michigan Advocacy Program in Kalamazoo as part of the Farmworker Legal Services Fellowship, supporting legal services for agricultural workers and their families.
Rios said he applied to the Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps because he wanted to broaden his understanding of the legal challenges facing communities different from the one in which he grew up.
“Growing up in Chicago, I developed a strong understanding of the issues affecting urban communities,” he said. “However, I had limited exposure to the legal challenges faced by farmworkers and rural communities. I saw this opportunity as a chance to broaden my perspective and become a more well-rounded advocate.”
Rios, who has viewed law school as a lifelong goal, hopes the experience will help him better understand how legal advocacy protects vulnerable populations while equipping him to serve clients from a wide range of backgrounds.
“I hope to help people see possibilities where they may have only seen obstacles and recognize that their circumstances do not define their future,” he said.
Emerson Silvernail, ’28, is a joint JD-MBA student from Grand Rapids. He is working with Dakota Plains Legal Services in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Through the fellowship, he is representing clients as a tribal advocate and helped individuals navigate tribal governmental and legal systems.
Before entering law school, Silvernail earned his bachelor’s degree from Calvin University and worked in the Michigan Legislature. He later earned an associate’s degree in Native American Studies: History and Law from Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, where he studied tribal governance and Anishinaabemowin.
He chose MSU Law in part because of its well-regarded Indigenous Law and Policy Center.
“I came to law school because I realized that if I was serious about building an effective career in Indian Country, interest and policy experience were not enough,” Silvernail said.
“This summer has affirmed to me that I am moving in the right direction professionally,” he said. “I care deeply about the work and the communities being served.”
For Jayden Webb, ’28, the fellowship offered an opportunity to give back to the region where she grew up. Webb, who is from Jackson, Ohio, is spending the summer with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio in Chillicothe.
“I applied to the Equal Justice Works Rural program because it partnered with an office that helped my hometown,” Webb said. “When I saw that I could work with my community, I knew that I had to get the fellowship.”
Inspired in part by Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, Webb entered law school with a commitment to public service and hopes the experience will help her identify the areas of law she wants to pursue.
“It has already been so special working there and helping members of my community in any way that I can,” she said.
Nathaniel Webster, ’28, a first-generation law student from Kalamazoo, is serving with Legal Aid of Wyoming in Afton, where he is helping expand access to justice for rural and tribal communities in central Wyoming.
A former Division I tennis player, Webster said he came to law school because he wanted to make a meaningful difference while channeling his competitive drive into a profession centered on service.
“I wanted an opportunity to make a real impact, and I thought that a small community would be a great place to make that happen,” Webster said.
Through the Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps, Webster is working on a project aimed at expanding access to justice for rural and tribal communities in central Wyoming.
He says he was drawn to the fellowship by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a small community while gaining hands-on legal experience.
Equal Justice Works and the Legal Services Corporation created the Rural Summer Legal Corps in 2016 to strengthen access to justice in communities that often face attorney shortages and limited legal resources. Since, some 400 law students from around the country have gone through the program.
Fellows spend eight to 10 weeks at legal aid organizations, conducting legal research, interviewing clients and witnesses, participating in community outreach, and helping build the capacity of their host organizations.
