President Mary Chandler Beam, ’22
Mary Chandler grew up in Atlanta, GA, and graduated from the University of Georgia where she studied Psychology and Spanish. Throughout undergrad, she volunteered with the local Spanish-speaking community and played tennis. She taught English in Spain for two years and then worked at a plaintiff’s firm suing pharmaceutical companies for two years prior to law school. For her 1L summer, Mary Chandler worked at the Georgia Justice Project (remotely) in Atlanta doing work on criminal justice topics such as expungement reform, criminal background pardons, and child support debt. In addition to the GPS Board, she is on the board for the Duke Immigrant and Refugee Project and on the Law & Contemporary Problems Journal. In her free time, she enjoys reading, eating pizza, attending Braves games, practicing tennis, playing piano, doing yoga/running, and traveling. She also just got a puppy named Wilmer!
Internal Vice President Holly Gwydir, ’22
Holly is from Sea Bright, New Jersey and attended Lehigh University for college. She graduated in 2019 with degrees in International Relations and Political Science. While in college, she worked for the Center for Gender Equity and Break the Silence, and spent a summer abroad in Tbilisi, Georgia. Before attending law school, Holly interned with a plaintiff employment law firm. During her 1L summer, Holly interned with the United States Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, N.C. At Duke, Holly is involved with the Government & Public Service Society, Guardian ad Litem, and the Journal of Law & Contemporary Problems. In her free time, Holly enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family!
External Vice President Jennalee Beazley, ’22
Jennalee is originally from Arizona but set off to Virginia Tech for college. She graduated in 2019 with degrees in International Studies, Economics, and Spanish. While in college, she was involved in volunteer efforts with refugee resettlement programs, worked as a Resident Advisor, and studied abroad in Oviedo, Spain. During her 1L summer, she interned with the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition and worked on several COVID-related immigration issues. Jennalee plans to pursue a career with a focus on serving others and building strong communities. At Duke, Jennalee is involved in the Goverment & Public Service Society and the Duke Immigrant and Refugee Project. In her spare time Jennalee likes to crochet, cross-stitch, hike, and spend time with her fiance and their dog, Riggs.
Treasurer Bere Clarke, ’22
Bere was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He attended Northwestern University, where he graduated with degrees in History and International Studies. As an undergraduate, he volunteered for an educational nonprofit, and interned for both an immigration firm in Chicago and a think tank in D.C. Tragically, Bere also decided to participate club water polo. His hopes high, he suited up for his first practice. Within minutes, he chipped a tooth and suffered a nosebleed. Confronted with a profound lack of coordination, his body in revolt, Bere came to the realization that he was not, and would never be, a water polo player. He hung his goggles up, and to this day has never returned to a swimming pool. At Duke, Bere has worked on projects with the Consumer Rights and Economic Justice Project and the Environmental Law Society. This past summer, he worked for Jones Day’s Chicago office. He likes to hike and watch baseball.
Events Coordinator Dominique Estes, ’22
Dominique from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Constitutional Studies. She spent a semester living in D.C. while working as an undergraduate intern at the Department of Justice and is hoping to return to the D.C. area (or at least a city with Shake Shack) after law school. She interned at the NC DOJ this summer in the Education (K-12) Section. At Duke, she is a LEAD Fellow and on the Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy; though the Duke Law Bowling League is on hiatus for now, she plans to eventually defend her team’s last place ranking. Dominique is interested in pursuing appellate and criminal defense work. She likes to watch bad movies and keeps a separate line in her budget spreadsheet reserved solely for pizza.
Events Coordinator Marco Paternoster, ’22
Marco is originally from New York. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2019 with a BS in Environmental Biology. His thesis research examined the potential ecosystem services created by planting trees on Baltimore’s vacant lots. He was also involved in his undergrad’s entrepreneurship initiatives and built a hydroponics lab to develop a new way to grow grapes. Marco worked at Earthjustice’s DC office on a Stanback Fellowship during 1L summer. At Duke, Marco is involved with Law and Contemporary Problems, the Environmental Law Society, Lawyer on the Line, and the Energy Law Society. In his spare time, Marco likes to play piano, run, hike, and read.
Director of Outreach Connor Leydecker, ’22
Connor is an alumnus of Goizueta Business School of Emory University. He worked in corporate strategy, pricing, and marketing at Delta Air Lines for 5 years before Duke. With arguably best timing of his short life, he left the airline industry and moved to Durham. For 1L summer, he served as a law clerk at the Federal Trade Commission focusing on consumer protection and economic justice issues. Connor plans to pursue a practice in antitrust and appellate litigation after graduation. . At Duke, he’s involved with the Duke Bar Association, the Government & Public Service Society, the Economic Justice Project, Outlaw, the Faculty Hiring Committee, and is an American Bar Association Antitrust Section Law Student Ambassador. In his spare time, he likes to cook, travel, ski, play trivia or board games, go dancing, run (slowly), and relax with his two cats, Meryl and Stanley.
Director of Mentorship Jess Kuesel, ’22
Jess is originally from Connecticut. She graduated from Duke University in 2017 with majors in Biology and Environmental Sciences and Policy, and a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Following graduation, she worked for two years in interstate fisheries management. At Duke, she is pursuing a dual degree with the Law School and the Nicholas School of the Environment, with a concentration in Coastal Environmental Management. Jess is also involved in the Environmental Law Society and the Duke Law Journal. This past summer, she interned with the DOJ ENRD Environmental Enforcement Section, focusing on enforcement of pollution laws. Jess hopes to pursue environmental law in a government or public interest setting after graduation. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and reading.
1L Representatives Applications coming soon!
