Prep Alum Lawyers Pay It Forward
Since the first Prep alums earned their law degrees in the early 1990s, they have used their legal skills to impact communities and give back at both the local and national level. Among nearly 300 Prep alumni with JDs, four alum lawyers were recently recognized for their commitment to public service with prestigious fellowships and community service awards.
“A disproportionate number of minority families are prosecuted in court. As a Black female attorney, I feel the effects of this disparity very deeply. It is not only my obligation as a lawyer to my clients but to also find ways to challenge the framework of the system, to change it on a larger scale.” -- Gigi Parris (XVI)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Kadeem Cooper (XXII/Poly Prep '06, UVA '10) JD, NYU '14 is a 2016-2017 Legal Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Criminal Justice Policy Program, where he is piloting a training program for assistant district attorneys at the school’s law clinic. Previously, while working as a lawyer on antitrust and patent law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison LLP, he provided pro bono counsel to the indigent on a variety of criminal matters, including helping significantly reduce the lifetime sentence of a juvenile convicted under a mandatory sentencing law.
Kadeem Cooper (XXII/Poly Prep '06, UVA '10) JD, NYU '14 is a 2016-2017 Legal Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Criminal Justice Policy Program, where he is piloting a training program for assistant district attorneys at the school’s law clinic. Previously, while working as a lawyer on antitrust and patent law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison LLP, he provided pro bono counsel to the indigent on a variety of criminal matters, including helping significantly reduce the lifetime sentence of a juvenile convicted under a mandatory sentencing law.
CLIMATE CHANGE
An expert in the law and policy of climate change, Maxine Burkett (X/Spence '94, Williams '98) JD, UC Berkeley '02 is a Professor of Law at the University of Hawai’i. She is a 2017 Woodrow Wilson Global Fellow in the Environmental Change and Security Program. The two year fellowship supports her research on the international implications of climate change with a focus on adaptation and resilience, particularly as it relates to the concerns of small island states and other vulnerable communities.
An expert in the law and policy of climate change, Maxine Burkett (X/Spence '94, Williams '98) JD, UC Berkeley '02 is a Professor of Law at the University of Hawai’i. She is a 2017 Woodrow Wilson Global Fellow in the Environmental Change and Security Program. The two year fellowship supports her research on the international implications of climate change with a focus on adaptation and resilience, particularly as it relates to the concerns of small island states and other vulnerable communities.
FAMILY LAW
Gigi Parris (XVI/Fay '96, Deerfield '99, Harvard '03) JD, UVA '06 is a Supervising Attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem. She specializes in family law and was honored with the 2017 Ms. JD Woman of Inspiration Award for her work representing families entangled in the child welfare system.
Gigi Parris (XVI/Fay '96, Deerfield '99, Harvard '03) JD, UVA '06 is a Supervising Attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem. She specializes in family law and was honored with the 2017 Ms. JD Woman of Inspiration Award for her work representing families entangled in the child welfare system.
CIVIL LAW
The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project names Sheila Adams (P9 X/Choate '01, Harvard '05) JD, Columbia '11 one of their 2017 Champion of Justice Award recipients. The VLP makes the legal system accessible to low-income, special needs, or other disadvantaged Brooklyn residents through pro bono volunteer lawyers, with primary referral areas in family, consumer, foreclosure intervention, and elder law. Sheila is a litigation associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
ADMISSIONS &
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
163 West 91st Street
New York, NY 10024
P: 212.579.1470
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
163 West 91st Street
New York, NY 10024
P: 212.579.1470
LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS &
ADMINISTRATION
328 West 71st Street
New York, NY 10023
P: 212.579.1390
ADMINISTRATION
328 West 71st Street
New York, NY 10023
P: 212.579.1390
We envision a nation guided by ethical and effective leaders that reflect our diverse society.
Prep for Prep's mission is to develop future leaders by creating access for young people of color to first-rate educational, leadership development and professional opportunities.
Prep for Prep's mission is to develop future leaders by creating access for young people of color to first-rate educational, leadership development and professional opportunities.
