Jesse Rubin L’25

A native of the Philadelphia area, Jesse graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Psychology and Brain Sciences and minors in Writing and Organization & Strategic Management. As an undergraduate, Jesse assisted with research surrounding ingroup inflation biases in a Memory and Cognition Lab, played for the Washington University Women’s Soccer team, and volunteered as a coach for the Bear Cubs Running Club, a program geared towards providing youth on the autism spectrum with physical and social engagement that supports their unique neurological needs. While in St. Louis, Jesse tapped into her passion for public interest work as a Complaint Counselor in the Intake Unit of the ACLU of Missouri. Jesse’s legal research and client communication helped to connect members of the St. Louis community with legal support.

Jesse joins the Penn Carey Law community most recently from Pueblo, CO, where she served for two years as a Teach for America Corps Member. Jesse taught middle school Math and coached co-ed soccer at a Title I school, working closely with students, guardians, and community advocates to create an equitable learning environment for traditionally underserved students. Jesse’s experience with the barriers that impact education, highlighted by the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, motivated her decision to advocate for educational equity as a career.

At Penn Carey Law, Jesse is exploring a multidisciplinary approach to youth advocacy and education reform. She is pursuing a J.D./M.S.Ed. in Education Policy through the dual degree program with the Graduate School of Education. Jesse also does Pro Bono work through the Youth Education Project and If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, and has a leadership role in both the Student Public Interest Network and the Equal Justice Foundation. During the summer of 2023, she worked as a Legal Intern for Advocates for Children of New York, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of children who are at the greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.