National Jurist magazine has named 3L Fatima Agosto as a finalist in its annual recognition of the “Law Student of the Year.”

Agosto, the first member of her family to attend college, is a native of Trenton, N.J. who has distinguished herself through her advocacy for those caught up in the criminal justice system as a result of poverty.

National Jurist identified Agosto among a list of 15 finalists and runners up named along with this year’s winner, a 3L at Georgetown University Law Center.

"Naming a Law School Student of the Year is among the National Jurist's greatest challenges, because there are so many smart, passionate, worthy students who could be honored,” the accompanying article says. “If you have any doubts about the next generation of lawyers, we can show you a stack of nominating letters describing students who have overcome a host of obstacles and are resolved to helping others."

The president of the Latin American Law Student Association and a member of Drexel Law Review’s editorial staff, Agosto earned accolades for the work she turned in at her co-op placement with the Federal Defender Habeas Unit.

She also exceeded the 50-hour requirement for providing pro bono service, working with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

A graduate of Rutgers University’s prestigious Douglass Residential College, Agosto says she gained insights about the failings of the criminal justice system by witnessing the experiences of members of her own community in New Jersey.

After completing her JD in just two years, Agosto will clerk for Judge Terrence Cook of the Superior Court of New Jersey’s Criminal Division.