Rae Fanella L’25

Rae attended the University of Southern California (USC) and double-majored in Critical Studies in Film and Television (BA) and Dramatic Arts (BA). After graduating, Rae moved to Boston to pursue a professional dance career where they performed for the Boston Celtics.

They went on to work as a legal assistant to the general counsel of a real estate investment firm where they founded their company’s first LGBTQIA+ employee resource group. Outside of work, they volunteered for community LGBTQIA+ organizations in Boston and The Trevor Project, a national mental health crisis line for LGBTQIA+ youth. These experiences amidst astronomical numbers of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills inspired them to transform their volunteer work into legal advocacy.

This past summer, Rae interned with Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), a legal aid organization that provides free direct legal services to low-income individuals and engages in impact litigation informed by community partnerships.

At Penn Carey Law, Rae is the co-chair of If/When/How, the Advocacy and Mentorship Director for Lambda, and the Research Chair for the Trans Empowerment and Advocacy Project (TEA). This fall, they are interning at the AIDS Law Project of PA, a public interest law firm dedicated to justice for people living with HIV and AIDS. Outside of law school, Rae continues to dance at studios across Philadelphia and is an avid moviegoer.