Our Team

Paul W. Grimm is the David F. Levi Professor of the Practice of Law and Director of the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School. From December 2012 until his retirement in December 2022, he served as a district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, with chambers in Greenbelt, Maryland. From 1997 to 2012, he was a magistrate judge in the same court, serving as chief magistrate judge from 2006 through 2012. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute and has served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law and the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, where he taught courses on evidence and discovery. He also has written extensively and taught courses for lawyers and judges in the United States and around the world on topics relating to e-discovery, technology and law, and evidence. Judge Grimm served on the Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure from 2009 to 2015 and chaired its discovery subcommittee, which crafted, in part, the 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. He graduated with an A.B. (with highest honors) from the University of California–Davis in 1973. He received his J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the University of New Mexico in 1976, and an LL.M. (Master of Judicial Studies) from Duke University in 2016. Judge Grimm served both on active duty and in the Army Reserve as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer and retired in the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Melinda Myers Vaughn is the Bolch Judicial Institute’s deputy director and managing editor of Judicature, the Institute’s scholarly journal about judging and the administration of justice. She joined the Institute in 2015 to help launch Judicature after Duke took over the 100-year-old publication. She is experienced in strategic communications, content marketing, writing and publications development, web and multimedia initiatives, media relations, and event planning. She previously served as executive director of communications and events for Duke Law School (2007-2013); as senior editor and then senior manager for content marketing for Citrix’s software-as-a-service division (2013-2015); and as executive director of communications and events at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law (2003-2007). She has worked in development communications, public relations, and as an editor and journalist in Utah, California, and Ohio. She holds degrees in English Literature and Mass Communications from the University of Utah.

Cristobal (Cris) Diaz is assistant director for international programs at the Bolch Judicial Institute. Cris joined the Institute in 2023 after eight years with the CEELI Institute in Prague, Czech Republic, where he served as both Director of Outreach and Development and as a Program Manager. During that time, he ran international rule of law programs for a wide array of stakeholders from across Europe, MENA, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa and managed the CEELI Institute’s fundraising efforts. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs (GWU) in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Environmental Geography from UCLA. His previous experience includes several years working on academic programs and conferences for the Central Asia Program at GWU, as well as with the US State Department in Washington, DC, in the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, and at the US Embassy in Prague.

Amelia Ashton Thorn is assistant director for special projects at the Bolch Judicial Institute. In her role, she designs educational programming for state and federal judges and serves as the articles editor for Judicature, the Institute’s scholarly journal about the administration of justice. She was previously the inaugural Bolch Judicial Institute Fellow. Amelia clerked for Justice Don R. Willett of the Texas Supreme Court (now of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit) as well as for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She subsequently worked as an associate at Williams & Connolly and Crowell & Moring, as well as an assistant general counsel at the American Chemistry Council, one of the nation’s oldest and largest trade associations. She has substantial publishing experience, having worked as a writer and editor prior to law school, including acting as editor-in-chief for a magazine with a circulation of more than 70,000. She graduated magna cum laude from Duke Law, where she headed all student publication as the Senior Notes Editor of the Duke Law Journal and was a recipient of the Justin Miller Award. Amelia received her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University with university distinction and departmental honors. She has been published in law reviews, magazines, and poetry journals.

Kristin Triebel is the assistant director for programs and operations at the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School. After eight years as a litigation paralegal in Raleigh, she came to Duke Law School as an administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office in 2016. She joined the Institute in 2018.  She leads the planning and implementation of programming related to judicial education and training, scholarly conferences and symposia, awards programs, board meetings, and alumni gatherings.

Jack Knight is the Frederic Cleaveland Professor of Law and Political Science at Duke University. A renowned political scientist and legal theorist, he focuses his scholarship on modern social and political theory, law and legal theory, and political economy. He holds a joint appointment with Duke Law School and Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, where he teaches in the Politics, Philosophy and Economics Program. At the Law School, he teaches courses on social scientific approaches to law and courts, as well as courses on the political economy of social institutions.

Margaret H. Lemos is a scholar of constitutional law, legal institutions, and procedure. Her scholarship focuses on the institutions of law interpretation and enforcement and their effects on substantive rights. She writes in four related fields: federalism; administrative law, including the relationship between courts and agencies; statutory interpretation; and civil procedure. Her articles have been published in the Supreme Court Review as well as in the Harvard, New York University, Texas, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame law reviews.

David F. Levi is the James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean Emeritus of Law at Duke University and Director Emeritus of the Bolch Judicial Institute. From 2018-2022, he served as the founding director of the Bolch Judicial Institute, and from 2007-2018, he served as the James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean of the School of Law. Prior to this, he served as the Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California with chambers in Sacramento. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and currently serves as president of the American Law Institute (ALI). In 2021, Levi served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Marin K. Levy is a professor of law and academic director of the Bolch Judicial Institute. Her principal academic interests include judicial administration, civil procedure, remedies, and federal courts. Her work has been published in the Yale Law Journal, University of Chicago Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Cornell Law Review, and California Law Review, among other scholarly journals, and has been discussed in The New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, and other public outlets. Levy is also a co-author of Federal Standards of Review: Appellate Court Review of District Court Decisions and Agency Actions (2nd ed.) with Judge Harry T. Edwards and Linda A. Elliott, and Written and Unwritten: The Rules, Practices, and Internal Operations of the United States Courts of Appeals, with Judge Jon O. Newman (in progress).

Ann Yandian is the programming director at the Bolch Judicial Institute. She came to Duke Law in 2012 to administer the Master of Judicial Studies Program and oversees other events and programs for the Institute. She previously worked at the Maine State Legislature in the nonpartisan fiscal office, staffing the Appropriations Committee (2006-2012), and the University of Maine System (1992-2006). She holds a degree in Public Administration.

Lora Beth Farmer is a program coordinator at the Bolch Judicial Institute. She joined Duke Law in 2016. A North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal with over 20 years of experience in litigation, Lora Beth also holds a degree in business and accounting and manages finances for the Institute’s various programs.

Stacey Young is a program coordinator at the Bolch Judicial Institute. Prior to joining the Institute in 2023, Stacey worked for 7 years as staff assistant in the Office of Ministerial Formation at Duke Divinity School. Before coming to Duke, she served as the camp office administrator and registrar for 9 years at Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Ministries. A native North Carolinian, she enjoys the outdoors, fishing, and “farm-ish” life.

Eric Surber is a communications manager at the Bolch Judicial Institute. In his current role, he is primarily responsible for maintaining the institute’s digital presence, including social media, newsletters, and press releases. Eric is a 2016 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism, and has held marketing leadership and content creation roles at lifestyle magazine and digital media companies. He has a particular interest in applying UX/UI principles and inbound marketing methodologies to expand audiences. Outside of the law school, Eric enjoys music and was the 2015-2016 organ scholar at Duke University Chapel.

Andrew Cunningham is an LLM candidate at Duke Law and a Student Editor for Judicature International. He also serves as a judicial extern to Judge Jeffery Carpenter of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Prior to Duke, Andrew completed his LL.B. at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), where he graduated first in his class and was the recipient of the Henry Hamilton Hunter Memorial Prize.

Eddy Fernandez (JD/MPP ’25) is a Student Editor for Judicature. At Duke, he also serves on leadership for Outlaw and First Class and is a member of LALSA. During his 1L summer, he worked as a law clerk for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 3 Office of Regional Counsel in Philadelphia. Prior to law school, Eddy worked as a health policy research analyst in DC and studied Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thomas Gallinar (Duke Law JD’25) is a Student Editor for Judicature and the Bolch Judicial Institute. At Duke, he also serves as a Staff Editor for Law & Contemporary Problems and a member of the Florida Club Executive Board. During his 1L summer, he worked as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Adalberto Jordan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Miami and at a firm practicing land use and zoning law. Prior to law school, Thomas studied Classics and Art History as a Trustee’s Scholar at the University of Southern California.

Ashwin Iyer (Duke Law JD ’25) is a student editor for Judicature. At Duke, he serves as the Deputy Director of the Duke Law Innocence Project, as a research assistant for Professor Margaret Lemos, and as a contributing editor for the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum. Ashwin is also a member of the Mock Trial, Moot Court, and Transactional Law Society Boards. Prior to law school, Ashwin worked as an international tax consultant in San Francisco and studied Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

Zhixing Liu (SJD ’26) is a first-year Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) student at Duke Law, specializing in socio-legal studies. His research primarily focuses on empirically analyzing the Chinese court system and judicial reform. Prior to Duke, he completed his LL.M. at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 2022 and obtained his bachelor’s degree in law from China University of Political Sciences and Law in 2021. During the 2022-2023 academic year, he was a visiting scholar at the U.S.-Asia Law Institute of NYU School of Law.

James Mullen (Duke Law JD’25) is a student editor for Judicature. He also serves as a staff editor on the Duke Law Journal and is the president of the Intellectual Property Law Society. James studied Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, and Portuguese at Utah State University (go aggies!) and intends to practice patent litigation after graduating from Duke. In his free time, James enjoys fly fishing, skiing, disc golfing, and watching college sports.

Maya Schaer (JD ’25) is a student editor for Judicature and the Bolch Judicial Institute. She also serves as a Research Assistant to Professor Margaret H. Lemos and as a member of the If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and Coalition Against Gendered Violence executive boards. During her 1L summer, Maya was a legal intern for the Duke Civil Justice Clinic and a Research Assistant for Professor Lemos. Prior to law school, Maya attended Washington University in St. Louis and served as a law clerk for a small business law firm in Pittsburgh, PA, her home town.

Oria Wilson-Iguade (Duke Law JD’25) is a Student Editor for Judicature and the Bolch Judicial Institute. At Duke, she also serves as External Vice President on the Texas Club Executive Board. During her 1L summer, she worked as a Summer Associate for Norton Rose Fulbright in their Dallas, Texas office. There, she worked on matters both in the Mergers & Acquisition and Restructuring groups. Prior to law school, Oria earned her degree in both Psychology and Political Science from Rice University. Some of her most valuable experiences at Rice was doing policy research on different topics for organizations like the Houston Education Research Consortium and as a participant in the Houston Policy Challenge.

Sophia Correderas is an undergraduate at Duke University, majoring in Political Science and Psychology. On Duke’s campus, she is involved with several immigration advocacy organizations. She also works in a lab that studies the influence of culture, where she primarily focuses on Latin American cultures. In summer 2024, she interned at the Public Defender’s Office in her home city, which inspired her to go into law. She hopes to attend law school once she graduates.