Nick Allen

Class of 2010
B.A., Government and Computer Science, University of Notre Dame
Equal Justice Works Fellow, Columbia Legal Services

While working for a King County Councilman before he went to law school, Nick Allen heard from people in the community that huge fines and penalties were preventing people convicted of crimes from successfully re-entering society.

Several years later, he is working with Columbia Legal Services on a project that addresses that problem. He was the only student in Washington to be named a 2010 Equal Justice Works Fellow. His two-year fellowship allows him to provide legal representation, community outreach and legislative advocacy for people convicted of crimes who have legal financial obligations.

Because of his deep commitment to social justice, Nick also received the law school's 2010 Dean's Medal, awarded to a student who has the greatest potential to achieve the legal profession's most noble aspiration for justice and ethics throughout his career. His law school experience, including an externship with Disability Rights Washington, an internship with Columbia Legal Services and a semester in Mental Health Court Clinic, prepared him for this role.

"We have to start from the bottom of the ladder if we want to make change," he said. "This project epitomizes that. This is why I came to law school. It's really been a blessing."

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