Fellow Profile: Jessica Johnson

  • by

Dear TLF Donors:

With the utmost and deepest gratitude, I thank you for your generous donation to Texas Law Fellowships. Your generosity has allowed me the ability to clerk for Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP), an organization dedicated to protecting civil rights for a variety of underserved classes such as minorities and people with disabilities.

As a clerk, I worked with the organization to provide direct legal assistance to spark impact litigation in order to effect systemic change. In other words, by helping one, TCRP aims to help many who have or will be similarly wronged. I had the privilege of drafting pleadings, writing memos, drafting discovery documents, preparing for a hearing, conducting fact investigations, and doing intakes. I had the privilege of interacting with clients and potential clients, and listening to their stories about alleged civil rights violations was incredibly eye opening. Additionally, I delved into such subjects as disability rights, free speech, and discrimination. I learned so much about subjects I had never previously encountered, and I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of TCRP for the summer. Receiving a Texas Law Fellowship provided me with the financial support I needed in order to pursue a host of incredibly worthy causes with a noble organization for which I have much respect, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Through the work of its attorneys and staff, Texas Civil Rights Project demonstrates a truly inspiring fortitude and courage by speaking out for those whose cries typically go unheard. In the relatively short amount of time in which I’ve served as a clerk, I’ve learned an incredible amount about myself, about this work, and about the courageous individuals who refuse to sit back and let their civil rights be violated. I truly believe the skills and knowledge I gained this summer will be pivotal in my future public interest career. Moreover, I look forward to putting these skills to future use by continuing to assist underserved communities. Thank you for the part that you’ve played in the development of my legal skills and to the beginning of what I hope will be a long and fruitful career in public service. Finally, thank you for being a truly unforgettable example of the importance of giving back to UT Law and to public interest in general. I plan to one day be in the position to perpetuate this act of generosity and pass it on to future generations of lawyers.

With Deepest Gratitude,

Jessica Johnson

Leave a Reply