Third-year CUNY School of Law student Jessica “JP” Perry has been awarded a Skadden Fellowship for 2018.
The Skadden Fellowships founded in 1988 by the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in honor of the firm’s 40th anniversary, are intended to fund a small group of law graduates nationally in full-time work for legal and other advocacy organizations, and encourage them to build public service careers. Described as “a legal Peace Corps” Skadden Fellowships are awarded for two years to law students committed to public interest work, as they embark upon specific projects at sponsoring organizations.
JP Perry
Perry will work with the New York Civil Liberties Union to represent immigrant and young English Language Learners and their families who are facing discrimination and harassment in public schools on Long Island, NY. In collaboration with grassroots organizers, she will investigate instances of discrimination, conduct outreach, create know-your-rights materials and develop impact litigation in an effort to make high-quality education accessible to all young people.
“I am thrilled that one of our graduates will provide critically needed representation to immigrant communities on Long Island, as a Skadden Fellow, said CUNY Law Dean Mary Lu Bilek. “The Skadden Fellowship Program is invaluable because makes it possible for creative, new lawyers, such as JP to chip away at emerging and urgent legal needs and pursue law in the service of human needs.”
Perry is one 29 graduates selected this year for the fellowship. Since the program’s inception, 14 CUNY Law graduates have served as Skadden Fellows. 2017 graduates Annemarie Caruso and Maggie Gribben are currently serving as Skadden Fellows. Caruso is tackling educational inequity and Gribben is empowering low wage workers.