Two attorneys from Cleveland Legal Aid selected for DEI Fellowship

Legal Aid attorneys Julie Reed and Karen Wu were both selected to take part in the inaugural class of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Racial Equity Institute – Diversity Equity & Inclusion Fellowship (NLADA REI-DEI Fellows).

This Fellowship aims to bring together a diverse group of participants to foster collaboration to accelerate racial equity within the law. As REI-DEI Fellows, Julie and Karen receive training in a variety of topics and gain core competencies on racial equity strategies required to launch and implement DEI initiatives within their organizations and beyond.

Influenced by both their professional legal backgrounds and personal lived experiences – both Julie and Karen expressed interest in learning how to apply DEI and anti-racist strategies in their work, and a desire to deepen their understanding of systemic racism.

Julie Reed is a supervising attorney in Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Program and Intake Practice Group, where she supervises the Intake Group; assists in providing advice and brief service to clients; and works with volunteer lawyers to serve clients. Prior to joining Cleveland Legal Aid, Julie worked at Community Legal Aid Services in Akron. She obtained her law degree from Ohio Northern University and her bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University.

Karen Wu is a senior attorney in Legal Aid’s Housing Practice Group, where she handles housing cases in both Lorain and Cuyahoga counties. Active in her community and profession, Karen participates in the United Community Assistance Network (UCAN) and previously served on the Ohio Task Force on Access to Justice. She obtained her law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is committed to promoting justice, and values of fairness and equity guide our work. We applaud Julie and Karen for participating in this program and look forward to the deeper understanding of DEI they will bring to their work.

Learn more about the National Legal Aid & Defender Association.