Meet our 2022 Summer Associates

June 29, 2022
2022 Summer Associates

Keller Rohrback welcomes our 2022 summer associates: David Schafer, Mickey Terlep and Natasha Suterwala.  Learn more about them below!

David Schafer

David Schafer

David is a rising 2L at Stanford Law School, where he is a co-leader of the Social Security Disability Pro Bono Project.

Prior to starting law school, David received his BA from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!).   He then spent the next three years working in the health sector as policy analyst for the NYC Mayor’s Office, and then in a series of business development roles at Evolent Health; a population health management company.   After some real-world experience, David decided to pursue a MA in Global Affairs from the Beijing, China-based Tsinghua University, where he studied as a Schwarzman Scholar. 

David is drawn to plaintiffs’ work and jumped at the opportunity to spend his summer internship this year at KR.  David views plaintiff’s-side law as extension of his foundational purpose: to help underserved people who have been harmed remedy injustice and seek redress for their injuries.  David’s interest in law first crystalized in high school when he took a Constitutional law and history class, and then further cemented during a summer internship with the New Jersey ACLU, where he had the opportunity to review letters from individuals alleging violations of their civil liberties.  These experiences showed him first-hand the impact of law and litigation in remedying basic injustice and improving peoples’ lives.  His ultimate hope is to one day work as a trial attorney where he will be able to employ his love of written advocacy and public speaking.

When not studying law, David enjoys international travel, reading fiction, trying new foods, and playing soccer.  He is looking forward to the opportunity to explore Seattle (it’s his first time in the city!) and to spend time at the beach in Santa Barbara. 

Mickey Terlep

As a rising 3L at the University of Michigan, Mickey has developed a hunger for plaintiffs’ complex litigation. He is an experienced writer who excels in distilling complex ideas into digestible pieces, fueling his ingenuity to make an attainable difference through litigation. With a background in public affairs, Mickey is well-versed in thought leadership and has excelled in raising awareness for a variety of issues while serving nationally recognized foundations, non-profits, and research universities.

The son of a trial lawyer, Mickey has long been intrigued by the adversarial nature of litigation, which he found both daunting and exhilarating.  His desire to promote justice, truth, and equity has also been a driving factor in his decision to pursue law as a career.

Mickey was initially drawn to Keller Rohrback’s nationally recognized plaintiff’s-side Complex Litigation Group after speaking with KR associate Adele Daniel about the team’s mission. He was energized by the prospect of using litigation to hold corporations accountable and make a meaningful difference in the lives of mass amounts of people. Mickey is especially intrigued by the new frontier of data privacy work, along with consumer protection and environmental justice advocacy. So far, he has spent time working on the firm’s Facebook privacy litigation and has been inspired by the PCB Monsanto litigation, both of which he has found fascinating.

On top of his regular coursework at the University of Michigan, Mickey participated in the Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic and has served on the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition Executive Board and the MLaw ACLU Executive Board. He also plays bass for the law school’s cover band.

As a Chicago native, Mickey is looking forward to exploring the PNW for the first time with his adventurous cat, Raymond, and spending his free time hiking, biking, and eating copious amounts of seafood.

Mickey Terlep

Natasha Suterwala

Natasha Suterwala

Natasha’s passion for advocacy fuels her desire to create positive change through litigation and give people the voice that they deserve. As a former consultant, Natasha realized that sometimes the most effective way to facilitate corporate responsibility and change was through litigation as a form of private governance. This realization led her to enroll at Berkeley Law so she could learn how to make a difference firsthand through legal action.

As a rising 2L at Berkeley, Natasha has joined Keller Rohrback in 2022 as a summer associate. Her interest in Keller Rohrback was ignited by the diverse and high-quality work in complex litigations produced by the firm. In particular, she was impressed by cases like Exxon Valdez, In re JUUL, and In re Opioids. These hard-fought class actions brought relief to the affected communities, which exemplifies the type of accountability and justice Natasha seeks to purse. 

In addition to her coursework, Natasha regularly engages in pro-bono work. Born to first generation immigrant parents who came to America to escape political violence, Natasha has been inspired to advocate for political refugees and asylum seekers who are often victims of personal and political violence. At Berkeley, Natasha assists with filing asylum applications and researches relevant immigrations laws under her supervising attorneys. She is also an editor for the Asian American Law Journal, Internal Social Chair for the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association, and is involved in the Womxn of Color Collective.

Outside of school and work Natasha enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. She is currently training to run in her first marathon and is looking forward to taking advantage of the natural beauty of the PNW with plenty of hiking and backpacking over the coming summer.