Law and Policy Fellows Roundtable

Thanks to the generosity of Raymond B. Ludwiszewski, NU ’81, the Policy School held convene a day-long convening of the Northeastern University’s Law and Policy Fellows, a program created jointly with the Law School that brings together leaders with experience in government service to build community and contribute to academic life at Northeastern. The event, held on Jan. 30, 2026 at the Policy School’s Arlington campus, featured a roundtable discussion with students on “Resilience, Career Transitions & Continued Impact.”

Prof. Sharmila Murthy moderated the roundtable and Policy School Director Maria Ivanova and Prof. Etai Mizrav kicked off the roundtable with opening remarks. Prof. Marcia Mundt, Associate Director of Student Services and Recruitment Sharlene Juste, and Associate Director of Student Experience Michele Rosenthal also joined the event. 
 

In a full room overlooking Washington DC, the nine Fellows reflected on their time as career civil servants working across a range of institutions, including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Labor, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and within the White House and Executive Office of the President.

Their remarks emphasized the importance of institutional knowledge, of communication and open dialogue with and between career staff and political leaders, and of staying connected to the agency’s core mission. The Fellows also offered advice to the students, encouraging them to develop effective writing and communication skills, to develop relationships across organizations and agencies, and to gain experience working across teams and resolving conflict. In turn, the Northeastern graduate students posed insightful questions, leading to a robust exchange of ideas about the future of public service.