Alumni Spotlight
Christina Seda
TEAK Class: 2
High School: Convent of the Sacred Heart
College: Trinity College
Graduate School: Yale University
Profession: Litigation Lawyer
Christina recently finished her federal judicial clerkship with the Hon. Nelson S. Roman of the Southern District of New York and is now a fourth year litigation associate at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. The Firm recently awarded her with Patterson Belknap’s Diversity Fellowship for Judicial Clerks and donated $5,000 to TEAK in Christina’s honor. TEAK is very proud of Christina for her achievements and honored to receive this grant!
From the Patterson Belknap Diversity Fellowship letter:
“Christina describes TEAK as an organization that has played a tremendous role in her life. Beyond providing stellar academic and professional support, TEAK has served as a beacon of light, a fierce advocate and an extended community to Christina and her family. Christina attributes much of her academic and professional success to the support she received from TEAK, and to the special individuals that have dedicated so much of their time, devotion and energy to mentoring and inspiring the recipients of the fellowship. As a beneficiary of the TEAK Fellowship, Christina attests to the critical importance of the work TEAK does day in and out, and the depth of its influence in the lives of TEAK Fellows and their families. She is honored to choose TEAK as the recipient of the Patterson Belknap’s charitable contribution.”
Christina received her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she served as a Co-Director of the Advocacy for Children and Youth clinic. Her work with the clinic had her appear in Court on behalf of children regularly and it was a very rewarding experience. She also served as the Editor of the Yale Law and Policy Review. She currently sits on the Education and Law Committee for the NYC Bar Association, serves on the Education and Law Committee for the NYC Bar Association, and is an attorney mentor with the Legal Outreach Program. Prior to her clerkship, she was a litigation associate for two years at Paul Weiss.
Despite her busy schedule, she is regularly in touch with her TEAK mentee is Shaunjaney, Class 16, who is a junior at Episcopal High School and is on the Steering Committee of the TEAK Alumni Association.
Favorite Memory at TEAK: “Though very hard to choose, one of my favorite memory is of our broadway show outings with the Kovaks and other Fellows. I still reminisce about those evenings! Other general memories that warm my heart are of times spent developing friendships with other Fellows, especially those in my class.”
Advice for current TEAK Fellows: “Stay the course – I promise it is worth it! But know that sometimes breaks are necessary and helpful, and use that time off to recharge and find equilibrium. Know that all is not lost if you get off-path briefly; let it be a lesson rather than an impediment.”
Get in touch with Christina: “I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to me via email. I can be reached at: [email protected].”