Effective October 4, Renne Public Law Group (RPLG) welcomes three new associates—Michael Cohen, Jake Freitas and Garvey Vincent—all of whom are alumni of RPLG’s Public Law Fellowship Program, a two-week session designed to introduce law students to public law.
Michael, previously a law clerk for RPLG and a legal fellow for the UCLA Voting Rights Project, holds a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, an M.A. in Legal and Political Theory from University College London and a B.A. in Philosophy and English Literature from the University of Colorado. At UCLA, he served as associate editor of the UCLA Law Review and chief production editor of the UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, and was co-president of both the American Constitution Society and Voting Rights and Political Law Society as well as class president of the Student Bar Association.
“Local government is where the rubber hits the road in terms of public policy and essential service provision,” said Michael. “Through years working in nonprofits on voting rights, access to public benefits, and other matters, I learned that even the best intentioned local governments need help serving their residents as well as they can. RPLG is at the cutting edge of that work.”
During Jake’s time at the University of California Hastings School of Law, he held positions with the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He also served as Managing Editor of the Hastings Journal of Crime and Punishment.
RPLG’s strong ethos of public service and the team’s combined decades of experience supporting California’s public agencies compelled Jake to return to the firm in a full time capacity: “Public interest law provides an opportunity to work on the most interesting and impactful issues affecting people today,” he said. “It also offers the chance to work with some of California’s most interesting and impactful people. RPLG was the obvious choice for me.”
Garvey, another Hastings graduate, comes to RPLG with a strong passion for advocating in the public interest: “Being born and raised in Berkeley, California, I am no stranger to the need to fight injustice or combat inequality,” he noted. “I always knew I was going to use my law degree for the betterment of the community, and I’m pleased to have the opportunity to do just that through the practice of public law.”
An alumnus of Santa Clara University, Garvey’s background includes experience as a summer clerk for the University of California Office of the President, the Law Offices of Vernon C. Goins and Aleshire & Wynder LLP.
“RPLG’s Public Law Fellowship Program was developed to help attract the next generation of lawyers to the field of public law,” said Founding Partner Art Hartinger. “We are proud to welcome our former fellows as full-time professionals.”
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RPLG practices throughout California, advising and advocating for public agencies, nonprofit entities, individuals and private entities in need of effective, responsive and creative legal solutions.