Melissa Cortina

Biography

Melissa Cortina earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2026.  During law school, she served as an Articles Editor for the UCLA Law Review and worked as a research assistant at the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy and for election law scholar Richard Hasen.  In the spring of 2025, she externed for the Honorable Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.  The following summer, she interned with the California Department of Justice in the Appeals, Writs and Trials Section, where she successfully argued a case before the California Court of Appeal.

Outside of work, Melissa trains for ultramarathons and recently completed her first 100K race.  She also enjoys reading and spending time with her family.