Each summer, Americans United for Life (AUL) welcomes a new class of law students and undergraduates into our Summer Fellowship Program. This unique opportunity pairs students with AUL attorneys and policy experts for hands-on work defending the human right to life at every stage. This year, our 2026 fellows brought the same energy, conviction, and curiosity that has defined this program for the past decade.
Over the course of the summer, our ten fellows worked alongside AUL’s legal team on litigation research, policy analysis, and legislative drafting, while also taking part in our in-person meetings, trainings, and Hill Days in Washington, D.C. — two weeks packed full of briefings, mentorship, advocacy, and for many, their first up-close and personal look at the working machinery of the pro-life movement.
AUL’s 2026 Fellows
- Sarah MacKay — Regent University School of Law
- Brooke Paz — Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
- Ian Pasterkiewicz — Ave Maria School of Law
- Alessia Capocelli — Roger Williams University School of Law
- Genevieve Rusnac — Willamette University College of Law
- Zachary Gallagher — Washington and Lee University School of Law
- Hayden Girard — University of Notre Dame Law School
- Elvie Eaton — Arizona State University
- Aubrey Prince — Auburn University
- Andrew Joseph — Rutgers University
This Summer, In Their Own Words
Rather than tell you what the summer meant to our fellows, we’ll let them tell you.
“This internship was a blessing from God. I always seek his guidance and hand in my career goals and opportunities, and this internship was something the Lord lovingly dropped in my lap. Not only has it been a blessing to have an internship for the summer, but I was able to connect with so many of the amazing attorneys and employees from AUL, and with the other interns. I also am really grateful for the learning experience in DC, as it deepened my desire to use my law degree to fight for the unborn and vulnerable in our culture.”
— Genevieve Rusnac, Willamette University College of Law ’27
“The opportunity to intern with AUL was a great honor and a defining moment in my young career. The internship was an incredible opportunity to learn about the pro-life movement, recent litigation efforts by AUL and other similar organizations, and gain practical experience researching and writing in the legal sphere.”
— Aubrey Prince, Auburn University ’27as
“To me, receiving this internship meant I was willing to make a credible commitment to the pro-life movement and publicly take a stand on the issue of abortion.”
— Elvie Eaton, Arizona State University ’28
“This fellowship was more than a summer internship. It was an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the cause that I’ve felt most called to over the last decade, while learning from attorneys and policy experts who have advanced the pro-life movement and helped bring about the end of Roe v. Wade. As a returning fellow, it was especially meaningful to be entrusted with greater responsibility and help foster the next generation of pro-life advocates. This experience affirmed that this is the kind of work I hope to pursue after graduation and strengthened my commitment to a career in public interest law and policy.”
— Brooke Paz, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law ’27
“The AUL institute across the two weeks in early July really impacted my perspective on a lot of different subjects and opened my eyes to the plentiful issues currently facing the pro-life movement. So much work still stands to be done, and so many more protections safeguarding life need to be put into place, but I feel optimistic after getting to know many of the people at AUL who bring us closer to a reality in which life is sacred.”
— Zachary Gallagher, Washington and Lee University School of Law ’27
“I now feel equipped to advance the pro-life cause, and I am eager to bring these insights back to Jus Vitae, our pro-life club at Notre Dame Law School.”
— Hayden Girard, University of Notre Dame Law School ’28
“I’ve learned a lot of useful skills I didn’t ever realize could be useful before. Learning about state administrative law and processes like FOIA requests and Health Board complaints was a great tool to learn about that I think all lawyers should have. Learning about alternative means of getting justice for people outside of the courtroom is a great way to reduce cost for clients while still doing good for the world.”
— Ian Pasterkiewicz, Ave Maria School of Law ’28
“It helps create a great opportunity for those in the legal, or particularly pro-life legal, world, better educates and familiarizes those seeking greater involvement, gives real-world experience to those who are uncertain on what type of law they should pursue (or if they even want to pursue law at all), and it is a great space to network with AUL staff and broader D.C. employees which will definitely be useful when the fellows graduate.”
— Andrew Joseph, Rutgers University ’28
Looking Ahead
Several of this year’s fellows, like Brooke Paz, a returning AUL alum, have already made clear this experience is shaping their path toward careers in public interest and pro-life law and policy. Others, like Hayden Girard, are taking what they learned straight back to their campus pro-life clubs. That ripple effect, from The United States Capitol to law schools across the country, is exactly what this program is built to do.
To our 2026 fellows, thank you for a summer of hard work and real commitment to the cause of life. We can’t wait to see where you go from here! If you are interested in becoming a future summer fellow with Americans United for Life, we encourage you to contact us today.
