Erika Lopez ’24 is a proud Brooklyn native who graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Psychology in 2019. Eager to gain more exposure to the field of criminal law, upon graduation she worked at the U.S Attorney’s in the Eastern District of New York in the office’s National Security and Cybercrime unit. Erika’s experience working for the government has enhanced her understanding of the ways in which the U.S. criminal justice system is fundamentally broken. She is passionate about reimagining the existing criminal justice system and addressing related issues such as mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, and reentry. After graduation, Erika plans on being a public defender. At CLS, Erika is Public Interest/Public Service Fellow, a staff editor for the Journal of Race and Law, and a 1L Rep for the Suspension and Representation Project. In her spare time, Erika enjoys biking, thrifting, and watching live music.
