Suffolk Law Honors Class of 2024 Service Leaders with Fenton Award
Suffolk Law congratulates the Class of 2024 John E. Fenton, Jr. Public Service Award winners (in photo, from left) Sarah Mason, Ashley Michel, Timothy Scalona, Tailayah Leché Macklin, and Veronica Santos Puim. The Fenton Awards are given to graduating students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service and are pursuing public interest careers. The awards are the highest paid public service honors given by Suffolk Law.
About the honorees
Tailayah Leché Macklin
Macklin has worked as victim witness advocate in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office since 2018 and also served as a student attorney in that office. She demonstrates a very real understanding of the criminal justice system and has expressed a powerful commitment to community and to bridging gaps between those impacted by the criminal justice system and the system itself. She has accepted a position as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County.
Sarah Mason
Mason has shown a sustained commitment to animal law, creating community and opportunity for other students interested in this career path. She took initiative to find legal internships and clerkships with relevant organizations including the Humane Society, MSPCA, and the Animal Defense Fund. Following graduation Sarah plans to work in animal law, or in government service to gain public policy experience.
Ashley Michel
Michel is committed to housing access and equity, and has pursued this work through her work with Suffolk Law’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program and Accelerator Practice. She has accepted a post-graduation staff attorney position with the nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), where she will aid in the development of affordable housing projects and manage litigation-related matters to protect POAH's initiatives against legal challenges.
Veronica Santos Puim
Santos Puim served in Suffolk Law’s Defenders Clinic and as a judicial intern to Judge Thomas S. Kaplanes, bringing thoughtful insights on the complexities of legal representation, the importance of respect for clients, and her own family's experience as immigrants. She was listed on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Pro Bono Honor Roll. She has accepted a position as a public defender with the Committee for Public Counsel Services.
Timothy Scalona
Scalona has a long-standing commitment to the rights and dignity of the unhoused, including work with the Boston Office of Housing Stability, Mass Law Reform Institute, and the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. He serves as a national voice for housing and homelessness law reform in op-eds for The Boston Globe and The Washington Post and was named a Law Student of the Year by National Jurist. Following graduation, Scalona plans to work in tenants’ rights and housing advocacy.