Tzedek DC is thrilled to announce the selection and hiring of third-year University of the District of Columbia Law student Rockaya Ndoye as part of the launch of our brand-new Open Horizon Fellowship program. Rockaya will begin her Fellowship in the Fall of 2026.
The program has two parallel goals: first, to expand the pipeline of DC public interest attorneys from historically marginalized communities who are well-prepared to assume future leadership roles; and second, to contribute meaningfully to Tzedek DC’s ongoing direct legal services, policy work, community outreach, and management work.
Rockaya will join Tzedek DC in the Fall of 2026 following her graduation from UDC David A. Clarke School of Law. While in law school, Rockaya was a Student Clinical Attorney and served as a legal intern at the Office of Consumer Protection in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, the Consumer Federation of America, and the Federal Trade Commission.
The innovative Open Horizon Fellowship at Tzedek DC is intentionally longer than most—three years—giving post-law school Fellows a breadth and depth of experience in direct services, systemic reform, and nonprofit management and leadership. Each year of the fellowship focuses on these three areas, and during the third year, mentoring the next Open Horizon Fellow at Tzedek DC.
“We are grateful for this social impact investment by Open Horizon and are excited to begin this Fellowship,” said Tzedek DC’s Director, Ariel Levinson-Waldman. “Our full team looks forward to working closely with Rockaya to put her on the path towards future leadership.”
“I am excited to join Tzedek DC and to begin my legal career building hands-on experience in consumer protection law and representing individuals in individual debt collection and consumer rights litigation before DC courts, federal agencies, and other tribunals, and also helping make systemic change,” said Rockaya.
About Open Horizon
Open Horizon is a family foundation based in Alexandria, VA, established in 2019. Open Horizon collaborates with nonprofit partners to co-create opportunities that advance racial and social justice through support in Economic Justice, Education Justice, and Health Justice. Serving the Greater Washington DC area, the US South, and beyond, Open Horizon is committed to catalyzing positive change by funding, building capacity, convening communities, and amplifying voices. Through relational and values-driven philanthropy, they invest in transformative leaders and community-rooted strategies for lasting impact.
About Tzedek DC
Tzedek DC’s name is drawn from the ancient Jewish teaching “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” or “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” Headquartered at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and with offices also in Ward 8, Tzedek DC’s mission is to safeguard the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with lower incomes facing the often-devastating consequences of debt collection and credit-related obstacles. This mission is carried out as anti-racism work in response to the massive wealth gaps tracking race in DC and nationwide. Tzedek DC seeks to serve and empower our client base, which is comprised of 90% Black people, 60% women, and 25% disabled community members. Our strategic approach combines three synergistic activities: (i) free direct services—legal representation and advice and financial counseling; (ii) working in coalition to make systemic change; and (iii) providing bilingual community legal education on debt collection, identity theft, and credit management. Since launching in 2017, Tzedek DC has served over 6,500 households and catalyzed systemic change benefiting hundreds of thousands of DC community members.