Joanna Hernández

Joanna Xóchitl Hernández hopes to make our legal system more fair and accessible for all people. Joanna spent the first half of her childhood in Mexico City before moving to Virginia with her family. In college, she found that academia could help her understand her own experiences as a brown woman in America, and she graduated with degrees in Sociology and Hispanic Studies from William & Mary. Joanna then worked with the Pittsburgh Public Schools as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs before returning to her alma mater to be an Assistant Dean in the Office of Undergraduate Admission. She later moved to Washington D.C. to be an Aide to the Chambers of Justice Sotomayor at the Supreme Court of the United States. There, she realized a career in the law would allow her to mix the personal advocacy she loved about her job in college admissions with her passion to improve social systems.

Joanna is currently a student at Columbia Law School and a part of the class of 2024. Last summer, she worked as a Fellow for Legal Outreach teaching rising 9th graders criminal law and helping them gain writing, critical thinking, and self advocacy skills through legal analysis. Joanna spends most of her time outside of class involved in LaLSA, coaching the Frederick Douglass Moot Court team, and serving as a Student Ambassador for prospective students. In her free time, she enjoys Mexican folkloric dance, outdoor adventures, and causing mischief with her pup-niece, Lincoln.