Prior to joining the Firm, Melissa was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Mark A. Kearney of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. During her clerkship, she researched legal issues in civil and criminal matters, and drafted various documents including legal memoranda and opinions. She previously was a Certified Legal Intern in the Affirmative and General Litigation Unit for the City of Philadelphia Law Department where she performed legal research, participated in case management meetings, and drafted motions and responses. In law school, she served as an editor for the Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Journal and was inducted to the Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society for her dedication to public service. 

Before law school, Melissa worked at the ACLU where she was responsible for conducting interviews through the ACLU help-line, summarizing complaints received in writing and over the phone, reviewing complaints with the legal staff, researching and making recommendations about complaints, filing and maintaining intake documents, and drafting correspondence and memoranda related to civil rights issues.

Melissa received her J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and received her B.A. from Saint Joseph’s University.