Katherine D., Class of 2024, will be working on behalf of victims of deepfake pornography and cyber-sex abuse as an 2024 Equal Justice Works Fellow with the Texas Advocacy Project.
Texas Advocacy Project’s mission is to end dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Texas. Texas Advocacy Project empowers survivors through free legal services and access to the justice system, and advances prevention through public outreach and education.
“This fellowship aligns perfectly with my career interests and goals,” said Katherine. “I hope to continue working in victim’s advocacy throughout my career.”
Each year, Equal Justice Works selects a class of passionate public interest leaders who have designed unique projects in partnership with nonprofit organizations. These projects are funded by law firms, corporations, foundations, and individual supporters. Fellows, in collaboration with a nonprofit organization, design a two-year project to address unmet legal needs of the community they will serve.
During law school, Katherine externed with the Texas Advocacy Project and interned in the mental health division of the Dallas County Public Defender’s office. “The experiences provided me so much valuable experience with direct client representation, diversion programs, and the criminal justice system in general,” she explained. “There is often some overlap between civil/family and criminal law matters in the work I’ll be doing, so I think having a good understanding of both systems is crucial.”
She also took the Public Policy Practicum with Beth Cruz ’10, Assistant Dean for Public Interest, working on voting rights issues with the ACLU. “I gained important knowledge about not only the legislative body, but also how the strategies with which to approach policy writing differ from the things we’re typically taught in law school,” Katherine said.
