I am currently a Justice Catalyst Fellow at the Legal Action Center (LAC), an organization that combats discrimination, builds health equity, and restores opportunities for people with arrest and conviction records, substance use disorders, and HIV or AIDS. My project aligns closely with LAC’s mission and builds on their legacy of advocacy for people who use or have used drugs. Funded by the Justice Catalyst Fellowship, which supports innovative, high-impact social justice projects, I am leading a project aimed at dismantling discriminatory barriers to healthcare for people who use or have used drugs. The primary objective of this initiative is to broaden healthcare access by enforcing anti-discrimination protections through a multi-faceted approach that includes educational trainings, policy development, direct legal services, and litigation. Temple Law played a pivotal role in equipping me with the legal skills and expertise necessary to achieve my goal of advocating in the public interest field.

As a Fellow, I’m working on multiple aspects of my project simultaneously. I’m developing community partnerships to identify individuals recently denied health care due to discrimination and providing opportunities to train both individuals and medical providers on anti-discrimination protections for people who use(d) drugs. When care has been denied or continues to be withheld, I determine how best to legally advocate for the client to ensure access. If the denial occurred in the past, I assess whether litigation can provide redress and contribute to broader systemic change to prevent future discrimination. Additionally, I’m exploring policy development to promote health equity for people who use(d) drugs across the healthcare system. Although I’m tackling a lot at once, I feel well-prepared, thanks to the comprehensive training and support I received from Temple Law, which shaped me into a strong, adaptable public interest advocate and litigator.

Further, the skills I bring to this project were cultivated through the unwavering support and encouragement I received from Temple Law, which empowered me to forge my own path in public interest. I was able to design independent practicums to build a strong foundation in the areas I wanted to pursue, specifically disability rights enforcement and public health advocacy. Faculty mentors provided invaluable guidance on internships and coursework, while my relationships with classmates who shared similar goals helped me navigate the vast public interest field. I also had the opportunity to create social justice projects that aligned with my community work before law school, with constant encouragement from the public interest staff to continue these efforts throughout my studies. No idea or passion of mine was ever dismissed, and I always felt supported in achieving my goals. This encouragement ultimately inspired me to pursue a post-graduate fellowship, and I am grateful to the public interest faculty for pushing me to follow my passions.

To learn more about public interest opportunities at Temple Law, visit https://law.temple.edu/academics/areas-of-study/public-interest/