March 7, 2017 – Public Advocates and the Charles Houston Bar Association (CHBA) are proud to announce our second Arc of Justice Summer Fellow, Erin Lapeyrolerie. Awarded to law students who are committed to advancing the legal and policy priorities of low-income African American communities in the Bay Area, the fellowship is a collaboration between Public Advocates and CHBA to help increase the number of law students of color who pursue careers in public interest law. As the Arc of Justice fellow, Erin will spend her 2017 summer clerking at Public Advocates on the Metropolitan Equity Team, with dedicated support from CHBA.
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Erin determined at a young age that she wanted to be an instrument in the struggle for greater socioeconomic mobility for racial minorities. After witnessing disparate treatment of black and brown students in high school (e.g. unequal access to AP, honors and college prep courses), Erin sought to understand the role of schools in perpetuating societal socioeconomic inequities. Erin studied economics at New College of Florida and took many opportunities to focus on the economics of education. After graduating, Erin worked to improve her research skills and gain exposure to different avenues to improve socioeconomic opportunities for marginalized 
populations.
During that time, Erin discovered the world of City Planning and became hooked on this pursuit as a method of social change. She started a Masters of City Planning program at UC Berkeley where her focus is in housing, community, and economic development. During the first year of her Masters program, Erin realized there was one more thing that would help her become an effective advocate for minority communities: a mastery of the law. Now, in addition to her MCP, Erin is also earning her JD at UC Hastings. Erin wants to be a civil rights lawyer and has a strong interest in housing and employment.
Public Advocates and CHBA are thrilled to work with Erin this summer and hope that in the years to come, this program can support more students to advocate on behalf of communities of color in the Bay Area.
For more about Public Advocates, visit www.publicadvocates.org. For more about CHBA, visit www.charleshoustonbar.org.
Public Advocates is a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization dedicated to challenging the systemic causes of poverty and discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing, and transit equity. Public Advocates focuses on strategic policy reform, collaboration with grassroots groups representing people with low income, people of color and immigrants, communication, and litigation, “making rights real” across California since 1971.
CHBA is a nonprofit organization comprised of lawyers, judges and law students throughout Northern California, and operates as an affiliate member of the National Bar Association and the California Association of Black Lawyers. CHBA is committed to working within the African American community to facilitate access to the justice system and to promote equal protection under the law, since 1955.
