Four Fowler Law Students Selected for Summer Internships in Cambodia

March 31, 2014

Four Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law students have been selected to intern this summer at human rights and legal non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Cambodia. The students are Anna Caludac
(JD ’16)
, Elaine Pearl Ponce Dick
(JD ’16)
, Chanel Kim
(JD ’16)
and Hamza Siddiqui
(JD ’15)
. They are all dedicated to legal careers in human rights and social justice.

The internships are a direct result of
Fowler Professor John Hall’s efforts to travel to Cambodia and meet with leaders of numerous NGOs
, solidifying the positions for Fowler School of Law students. The opportunities include the Cambodian Bar Association, Legal Aid of Cambodia, Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, Legal Support for Children and Women, Equitable Cambodia and Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC). The legal projects cover land rights, forced evictions, sex and labor trafficking, as well as a wide variety of human rights and social justice issues.

Anna Caludac is a Fowler first year student on a merit-based scholarship. She has a B.A. in French from the University of Southern California. Anna is a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association at Fowler. She has worked as a Program Leader at THINK Together in Santa Ana, where she served at-risk middle-school students in a low-income, high-crime community.

“I am interested in interning in Cambodia because I want to gain more exposure in the field of international human rights, as well as gain work experience with an NGO overseas. I am passionate about advocacy for marginalized communities, most especially in developing countries. I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen for the program, and looking forward to a challenging and exciting summer.” – Anna Caludac

Elaine Pearl Ponce Dick is also a first year law student at Fowler. She has a B.A. in politics and environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a member of Phi Alpha Si and co-secretary of the Family Law Society at Fowler. She interned at the Environmental Protection Agency and Gabriel’s Promise, which included serving as a camp counselor for Haitian youth. Elaine was the Director of the UC Haiti Initiative. Elaine has also volunteered with several organizations.

“I am honored to have been chosen for this opportunity to work in Cambodia for the summer. International humanitarian work is my passion and I cannot thank Dr. Hall enough for the opportunity to be a legal intern for an NGO abroad working in this area. I am excited to explore a new continent while helping out.” – Elaine Pearl Ponce Dick

Chanel Kim is also a first year student at Fowler on a merit-based scholarship. She has a B.A. in English literature from University of California, Los Angeles. She has worked as vice president of the Ezekiel House of Prayer in Los Angeles and treasurer of the Korea Campus Crusade for Christ. She has volunteer experience with several organizations and has dedicated herself to a career of service to victims of trafficking.

“When I heard about this opportunity to serve overseas in a social justice setting, I immediately jumped on board. Fighting human trafficking in Southeast Asia is a deep passion for me, so to have the chance to learn and apply my legal education in such a way is really exciting. I feel very blessed and honored to have been given this opportunity, and will work hard to serve to my fullest capacity.” – Chanel Kim

Hamza Siddiqui is the only second year law student that will intern in Cambodia this summer and he also has a merit-based scholarship. He has a B.A. in political science from University of California, Irvine. He has served as teaching assistant in Civil Procedure and currently works as a national security and immigrant rights clerk at the American Civil Liberties Union in Los Angeles. He was a judicial intern with the Federal District Court in Riverside and a student attorney with the Immigration and Domestic Violence Clinic in Anaheim. He has also served as a civil rights intern at the Council on American Islamic Relations in Anaheim.

“As a law student wanting to practice refugee law upon graduation, it is a dream opportunity to work abroad and help individuals secure their most basic human rights. The law school’s initiative to find these opportunities and to support participating students with scholarships demonstrates the school’s commitment to these basic human rights and to its own students. I am deeply appreciative of this opportunity and honored to represent Fowler School of Law in Cambodia. Our work there will hopefully speak to the high quality of students that come out of our law school.” – Hamza Siddiqui