Before she ever opened a casebook, Kerrick Edwards ’26 had already spent years learning how the law shapes people’s lives in practice.
A Massachusetts native and 2018 Brown University alumna with a degree in History, Edwards began her career focused on criminal legal reform. She joined The Bail Project straight out of college, working nationally to build a network of bail funds that helped people in county jails return home to fight their cases from outside of incarceration. The experience deepened her commitment to pretrial justice and led her to earn a Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice from Vermont Law School.
Then a visit to see friends in Minnesota during the spring of 2021 changed her plans entirely. Arriving in the Twin Cities during a period of unprecedented civic mobilization, Edwards found herself captivated by the region's deep-rooted community activism. “I was so inspired by the social movements that were unfolding during that time,” she recalls, “in particular the Minneapolis Uprisings and the fight against the Line 3 Tar Sands pipeline.” What began as a two-month visit quickly became a permanent move.
Once settled, Edwards coordinated youth restorative justice programs in Hennepin County and then shifted into labor advocacy, conducting strategic research for worker justice organizations across the Twin Cities. Each role deepened the same conviction. "It was the intersection of these interests—in state and corporate power and how it shapes our lives—that led to my pursuit of a law degree," she says. "I knew that a J.D. would be an effective tool in the social movement work I was engaged in, and I was eager to explore the new roles in movement work that those skills would open up."
Learning by Doing
Edwards chose Minnesota Law for its top-notch experiential learning programs and the breadth of opportunities to engage in hands-on public interest work throughout her legal education.
During her 2L year, she joined the Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic, advocating for youth and families navigating the justice system. Her dedication led to her appointment as Student Director in her 3L year. She also spent three semesters as a law clerk at the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis through the Public Interest Field Placement program.
One experience stands apart. Through an independent study project, Edwards co-designed and co-taught an accredited undergraduate legal studies course for twenty incarcerated students at a Minnesota state correctional facility, covering a wide range of curriculum from property to constitutional law. "Using the skills that I am learning in the classroom in practice has deepened my understanding of the law and my commitment to my own learning," she says.
Her summers brought equally formative experiences. As a Robina Public Interest Fellow, Edwards spent one summer clerking with the Civil Liberties Defense Center, where she worked on First Amendment and police misconduct cases, drafted motions, and supported civil rights litigation. The following summer, she worked with a hospitality services union local in Philadelphia, deepening her experience in labor advocacy and worker organizing. “The funding I received from that program made both of those opportunities possible,” she says, “and those experiences reinforced my commitment to creative public interest work.”
The Freedom to Forge a Unique Path
For Edwards, the ability to pursue that path without compromise comes down to one thing: scholarship support.
"The Dean's Elite Scholarship has been essential to my law school experience because it has given me the freedom to take a less traditional path during and after school," she says. "I'm enormously grateful for the flexibility it has provided in my pursuit of public interest work, especially in times when funding for that work is under threat. It's given me the opportunity to launch directly into the work that I'm passionate about, which is an immense privilege."
The Dean's Elite Mentorship Program added another dimension. Paired with the Honorable Edward Wilson ’74, Edwards found a steady source of guidance throughout her law school career. "He has been a sounding board and offered me critical advice at moments throughout my law school career, including direction about internships and classes," she says. "That mentorship has been invaluable."
Now a Minnesota Law graduate, Edwards is channeling both of her passions into practice—working for an organization supporting unions and worker justice organizations nationally, while continuing criminal defense work on a volunteer basis.
Edwards believes her journey reflects the transformative power of philanthropy—not only in shaping individual careers, but in strengthening an entire generation of future legal advocates and changemakers. "I want supporters of Minnesota Law to know that they are supporting a community of very creative, smart, committed people," she reflects. "I'm inspired all the time by the work that my fellow students are doing, and none of that would be possible without their support."