The American Bar Foundation (ABF) has chosen five outstanding undergraduate students from across the nation to take part in the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. These young scholars were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants for their exceptional work in their undergraduate careers and their interest in the mission of the ABF. The 2025 SURF fellows are Leila Diallo, Blair Peng, Brooke Qiao, Ava Roots, and Xinyuan “Sophie” Zhang.
The SURF Program allows students from underrepresented backgrounds considering careers in law or social science to gain hands-on learning experience with an ABF researcher over eight weeks. SURF fellows also gain unparalleled insight into careers as practicing lawyers or as academics through site visits to local law firms, legal aid clinics, law schools, and advocacy groups.
The 2025 fellows will join a community of alumni who have made and are making significant contributions in law and social science. Many SURF alumni have built careers in academia, government, and in the private sector; many are professors, legal practitioners, or leaders of colleges or universities. Notable alumni include Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, former California Supreme Court Associate Justice and President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1992); Erika George, Associate Dean for Equity, Justice, and Engagement, Professor of Law, and Ernest Haddad Faculty Scholar at Boston University School of Law (1992); Danielle Holley-Walker, President of Mount Holyoke College (1995); and Grey Mateo-Harris, Partner at Fox Rothschild LLP (2004).
“The SURF program is a vital way the ABF supports the future of legal practice and empirical sociolegal research,” said ABF Executive Director Mark C. Suchman. “We’re excited to welcome this year’s Fellows to the ABF community, and we’re looking forward to working with them as they build a strong foundation for their future studies and careers. We’re also deeply grateful to the generous sponsors who’ve made this program possible.”
The SURF Program has received generous support from the Kenneth F. and Harle G. Montgomery Foundation, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), Walmart, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Heckler Fink LLP, AT&T, and several individual donors.
This summer, the ABF will also welcome Isaac Yoo as the summer 2025 Communications Intern. Yoo, who is a rising senior at the University of Chicago, will assist with the creation of digital and print communications content.
Meet the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows:
Leila Diallo (she/her) is a rising junior at Howard University, where she is pursuing a BA in Economics with a minor in Journalism. She will work with ABF Research Professor Ajay K. Mehrotra on his VAT Laggard Project, contributing to his research on value-added tax systems and comparative fiscal policy.
Blair Peng is a rising junior at the University of Chicago, where she is pursuing dual degrees in Sociology and in Law, Letters, and Society. She will be working with MacCrate Research Chair in the Legal Profession Robert L. Nelson on the After the JD Project.
Brooke Qiao (she/her) is a rising third-year at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is pursuing a BA in Psychology, a minor in Social Work, and a certificate in Core Texts and Ideas. She will work with ABF Research Professor William H.J. Hubbard on a project exploring how market forces intersect with litigation to advance economic equality.
Ava Roots is a rising senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she is double majoring in History and Sociology of Law, Criminology, & Justice. She will be working with ABF Research Professor Laura Beth Nielsen on her projects concerning True Crime podcasts and Title IX on college campuses.
Xinyuan “Sophie” Zhang (she/her) is a rising senior at Northwestern University, where she majors in History and International Studies and minors in Psychology. She will be working with Research Professor Jothie Rajah on her project examining President Trump’s Day One Executive Orders as law, text, and event.
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About the American Bar Foundation
The American Bar Foundation (ABF) is the world’s leading research institute for the empirical and interdisciplinary study of law. The ABF seeks to expand knowledge and advance justice through innovative, interdisciplinary, and rigorous empirical research on law, legal processes, and legal institutions. To further this mission the ABF will produce timely, cutting-edge research of the highest quality to inform and guide the legal profession, the academy, and society in the United States and internationally. The ABF’s primary funding is provided by the American Bar Endowment and the Fellows of The American Bar Foundation.