Our Board

Carson Maconga

Co-President

Carson is a 2L from Wellesley, Massachusetts. He holds degrees from Princeton University and Sciences Po Paris. At HLS, Carson plays flag football, is a member of the Board of Student Advisors, and is on the board of the Environmental Law Society. Carson spent his 1L summer at the Environmental Defense Fund. 

Kevin Kurian

Co-President

Kevin is a 2L from Simsbury, Connecticut. Before law school, he helped manage Governor Ned Lamont’s re-election campaign, served as a bodyman for a Connecticut statewide elected official, and played a key role in advancing zoning reform in his home state. Kevin graduated from New York University in 2022.

Kaitlyn Baker

Vice President

Kaitlyn Baker is a 2L from Williamsburg, VA. She studied History of Law & Society at the University of Virginia. Prior to law school, Kaitlyn worked as an organizer for Planned Parenthood and a Coordinator of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law. In her free time, she enjoys crossword puzzles and reading. She will be spending her 2L summer at Skadden Arps in Boston.

Richard Sweeney

Chief of Staff

Richard is a 2L from Albany, New York. After attending Harvard College, he worked on economic policy at the Treasury Department and public opinion research at the White House and on the Biden-Harris campaign. Richard spent his 1L summer at the New York State Attorney General’s Office. When he’s not at the law school, you can usually find him hiking, biking, or running along the Charles.

Shawn Haq

Treasurer

Shawn is a 2L from Los Angeles. Prior to law school, Shawn served in the Biden-Harris White House on the National Security Council (NSC) and, before NSC, spent four years as a China analyst in government. He earned his Master’s Degree as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, his B.A. at Cornell University, and his A.A. at Moorpark Community College.

Andy Hatem

Secretary

Andy Hatem is a 2L from NYC, though he grew up in France. He studied Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Prior to law school, he spent four years working in political data. In his free time, Andy is a coffee hobbyist and a pub trivia devotee.

Jobim Steyermark

Speakers Chair

Jobim Steyermark is a 2L from NYC. He attended the State University of New York at Binghamton for undergrad, where he majored in Political Science and minored in History and Arabic. Before law school, he worked as a legislative aide to a New York State Senator and as a field organizer for Democrats running for local, state, and federal offices. Outside of school, he enjoys fencing, playing guitar, and climbing.

Kristen Busch

Social & Recruitment Chair

Kristen is a 2L originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She cares deeply about strengthening progressive movements in the Midwest and is excited to help grow the HLS Democrats community. Before law school, she advised on technology policy at the White House and Congressional Research Service. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, reading fiction, and consuming copious amounts of coffee. 

Michael Nevett

Campaign Co-Chair

Michael is a 2L from Bethesda, Maryland. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he was Research Director at Democracy Defenders Action, a nonprofit dedicated to upholding the rule of law. After 1L, he interned for the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Firearms Unit. In addition to Dems, he’s on the board of HLS’s Equal Democracy Project and plays in the flag football league.

Thomas Martin

Campaign Co-Chair

Thomas Martin is a 2L from Macon, Georgia. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 2021 and spent time prior to attending law school working at Paul, Weiss, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. At HLS, Thomas is an editor on the Harvard Law Review and a utility player for the HLS Softball team.

Courtney Chyrstal

Newsletter Coordinator

Sarah Lev

Social Media Manager

Sarah Lev is a 2L from Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Davidson College in 2021 with a double major in political science and mathematics. Prior to law school, Sarah worked for three years in the District Office of Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD). At HLS, she is on the Harvard Law Review and Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review. Sarah spent her 1L summer in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Department of Labor.

Sydney Nelson

Advising Chair

Sydney is a 2L from Duluth, Minnesota, and attended George Washington University for undergrad. She is passionate about leveraging legal design to close the access to justice gap. She spent her 1L summer in Budapest, working on rule of law with the Hungarian Helsinki Committee. Before law school, she worked in government consulting in Washington, DC, focused on gender equity and human-centered design.

Lucia Bolles

Member-at-Large

Lucia is a 1L from Yarmouth, Maine. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Planning and Policy from the University of Southern Maine in 2021. After graduating, Lucia worked in-house for three years as a paralegal. At HLS, she is a research assistant with the Environmental Energy Law Program, a member of the Women’s Law Association Firms and Fundraising Committee, and plays on the intermural volleyball team.

Aastha Sinha

Community Director

Aastha is a 1L from Jacksonville, FL. She graduated with a degree in criminology and geography from the University of Florida in 2023 (go gators!!). Before law school she worked at 7Sage, an LSAT prep company. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, reading fiction, and taking the train down to Rhode Island!