Chicago, IL

Jianing Xie will be working at Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) in Chicago, Illinois to establish a Family Defense Practice for the organization. CGLA’s mission is to provide wraparound services and advocacy for those affected by the criminal legal system. Jianing intends to help expand those services by representing parents who are at risk of having their children removed or parental rights terminated by the Department of Children and Family Services. After entering Harvard Law School (HLS) with a background in international human rights and racial justice, Jianing continued to pursue a career in public interest. While at HLS, she was the Executive Director of Harvard Defenders, a student attorney in the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau’s family practice, a board member of Queer Trans People of Color, and the Pan-Harvard Liaison for HLS Lambda. In recognition of her contributions to the HLS community, Jianing was awarded the Frank S. Righeimer, Jr. Prize for Student Citizenship and named a Harvard Presidential Scholar. Jianing interned at the Orleans Public Defender and the Federal Defender Program of Chicago during her summers at HLS, and hopes to continue working at the intersection of law and community activism.