Faculty & Staff

Aderson Francois is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Civil Rights clinic, and the Voting Rights Institute. Prior to joining the Georgetown faculty, Professor Francois directed the Civil Rights Clinic at Howard University School of Law, where he also taught Constitutional Law, Federal Civil Rights, and Supreme Court Jurisprudence. His scholarly interests include voting rights, education law, and the history of slavery and Reconstruction. His practice experience encompasses federal trial and appellate litigation concerning equal protection in education, employment discrimination, voting rights, marriage equality, and the right to a fair criminal trial. Professor Francois received his J.D. from New York University School and clerked for the late Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In 2008, the Transition Team of President Barack Obama appointed Professor Francois Lead Agency Reviewer for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He has provided pro bono death penalty representation to inmates before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, served as a Special Assistant in with the United States Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, D.C., and practiced commercial litigation in the New York Offices of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton &Garrison. He has testified before Congress on civil rights issues and drafted numerous briefs to the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of California, the Supreme Court of Iowa, and Maryland’s highest court. Before joining Howard’s faculty, Professor François was the Assistant Director of the Lawyering Program at New York University School of Law.

Alexander Afnán is a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow in the Civil Rights Clinic. Prior to joining the Clinic, Alexander spent three years as an associate in Hughes Hubbard & Reed, working in their litigation and arbitration practice groups. He was actively involved in the firm’s pro bono practice and was recognized by the 2022 & 2023 Capital Pro Bono High Honor Roll. Alexander is also a former member of Georgetown’s Civil Rights Clinic, where he litigated and negotiated cases related to disability employment discrimination and the rights of incarcerated clients.

Alexander holds a B.A. with honors from the University of Edinburgh and received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. While a student at Georgetown, Alexander was an active member of Georgetown’s Trial Advocacy team, where he won the 2021 Capitol City Challenge and managed two competitions as the Tournament Co-Director.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Alexander is a devoted follower of Chelsea Football Club (often to his detriment). He enjoys playing soccer, reading fiction, playing board and card games, and eating Persian food.

Allison Black is a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow in the Civil Rights Clinic.  Before joining the Clinic, Allison clerked for two years at the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.  There, she advised the Chief Judge on civil and criminal matters, including in federal civil rights cases and federal jury trials.  Allison is a former student of the Civil Rights Clinic, where she advocated for the rights of transgender students, incarcerated individuals, students with disabilities, and victims of government surveillance.

After graduating with her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Allison went on to teach English in Slovakia as a Fulbright Awardee.  She then attended Georgetown Law, where she received her J.D. with honors.  While a student at Georgetown, Allison served as a law fellow in the Legal Practice & Writing curriculum and completed hundreds of hours of pro bono legal work assisting with cases related to privacy, freedom of speech, and international law.

Allison is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, and is an avid supporter of Husker Volleyball.  She enjoys running, tennis, baking, movies, and spending time with her cats.

Nicole M. Rheault is a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow in the Civil Rights Clinic. Before joining the Clinic, Nicole was a staff attorney at the D.C. Affordable Law Firm, where she litigated family law and immigration cases on behalf of D.C.’s moderate and low-income residents. Nicole is a former student of the Civil Rights Clinic, where she challenged the improper treatment of incarcerated clients, discriminatory employment practices within the federal government, and defended against a retaliatory defamation suit.

 Nicole holds a B.A. from Elon University and received her J.D., with honors, as well as a LLM in Advocacy from Georgetown Law. She is barred in the District of Columbia.