Dawn Dudley ’26 is originally from League City, Texas, about halfway between Houston and the ocean. She completed her undergraduate degree at University College London where she earned a BA in History. Her dissertation was on Native American interactions with local courts in the Dakota Territory. This summer, she worked at the Transgender Law Center (TLC) as an intern on their impact litigation team. TLC is the largest trans-specific, trans-led organization in the United States, and helps to protect and advance the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people across the country. Dawn shared that this job appealed to her because “of my identity as a transgender woman, the experiences that I’ve had, and a desire to help advance transgender liberation.”
How did you find this summer opportunity?
I found this opportunity through Minnesota Law’s Symplicity platform, and it was one of the first positions I had applied for. I knew that it was an organization whose mission I was deeply aligned with and passionate about and wanted to be a part of. I worked closely with my career counselor, Ruth Isaacson, to craft the perfect application for the position and was fortunate to receive an offer. I couldn’t have done it without her!
How does your experience connect with what you currently envision doing with your law degree?
Hopefully quite a bit! I knew going into law school that I was committed to working on the public interest track, but I didn’t quite know where that would lead me to. I had always hoped to be able to work in litigation for LGBTQ+, and especially transgender, rights but I also knew it was a niche field and spent time pursuing other interests like immigration and employment law. Now that I have had this experience at TLC, my desire to use my legal education to help trans people has only redoubled, and I hope to continue this path for my career!
Please describe a “typical” workday on the job.
A typical workday for me involves a lot of research. The litigation that TLC pursues touches on a plethora of interconnected issues, and my work helps to synthesize those issues and create a case that touches on all manners of discrimination. Additionally, TLC’s work is very intersectional, and involves working with clients who are people of color, immigrants, sex workers, incarcerated, or disabled (especially HIV+) individuals. This helps TLC serve communities that are traditionally legally unserved or underserved but requires additional effort to responsibly tackle the issues that members of those community’s face in addition to their transgender identity.
What is something you learned or experienced that was surprising or particularly compelling during this summer position?
I was surprised to learn about the variety of organizations that TLC works with during litigation. This extends to other legal organizations, both public interest and law firms, but also non-legal activist organizations who provide critical support that is often more down to earth than litigation. TLC’s litigation team is only one part of the organization, and we rely on our policy, community outreach, and education teams to cover areas that litigation can’t help with.
What are some key takeaways from the experience so far?
The legal community around transgender rights is full of phenomenal people. From the other interns to co-workers and co-counsel, it is just wonderful to be working with so many people who share a common goal to help others. The field feels less lonely than I thought it would be, and I think that comfort and community is a critical part of ensuring both success and avoiding burnout!
How has your summer experience compared with your expectations?
It has definitely met my expectations, but it’s also different in some ways. This position has been much less client-focused than say legal aid, and I don’t often see the inside of a courtroom. Impact litigation is much slower and more methodical as we keep a lot of our focus on what kind of precedent we can achieve through these cases in addition to serving our clients. There are times when it feels a bit disconnected, but whenever there is a success that suddenly ushers in help for many people beyond just our clients, I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
What advice would you offer another law student thinking about working in a similar position next summer?
I’d advise that student to really think about what the role entails. Not all public interest organizations work in the same way, and you must carefully consider what works best for you when selecting where to work. At a place like TLC which focuses on impact litigation, the work will be more research heavy and focus on developing new legal strategies for broad-scale changes, whereas other legal work will have a more practical approach to helping people through the legal system as individuals. Reflect on your skillset and see what avenues would be best for you to pursue! Additionally, I recommend that everybody think of this type of work as harm reduction, and not as an environment of revolutionary change. That will help keep you grounded through the many highs and lows of the position.
How are you spending your free time this summer?
Since my position is remote and I’ve been mostly working from my apartment in the Twin Cities, I’ve spent a lot of my free time trying to get outside and visiting the many parks in the area! My partner works in the theatre scene here, so I’ve also gotten my fair share of free Shakespeare with the Gray Mallard Theatre Company!
What are you most looking forward to in returning to Minnesota Law this fall?
I’m looking forward to seeing everybody and catching up on everyone’s summers! The community at the Law School is second to none and I can’t wait to see everyone again. I’m also so, sooo excited to not be working from my tiny apartment every day!