Alexia Roberts ’25 is the recipient of the 2025 Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Award. Contributing over 3,000 pro bono hours during her time in law school, Roberts has exemplified effective client-centered service, empathetic leadership, and a commitment to the pursuit of justice.
The Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Award is granted each year in honor of Professor Andrew Kaufman ’54, who spearheaded the creation of the Pro Bono Program at Harvard Law School. The award is given to a J.D. student in the graduating class who exemplifies the pro bono public spirit and an extraordinary commitment to improving and delivering high quality volunteer legal services to disadvantaged communities.
“It’s difficult to fully articulate what this award means to me,” Roberts said. “What comes to mind most are the people who have been alongside me throughout this journey. I think of my partner, Dylan; my parents and siblings; the friendships I’ve formed through this work. What makes pro bono programming so meaningful is knowing that everyone involved is there by choice, driven by a shared commitment to the mission, and a belief that there is nothing more worthwhile than helping someone in their moment of need. This award, to me, reflects the collective effort of those who have supported me and challenged me to become the best version of myself.”
Roberts is the outgoing president of Harvard Defenders, a student practice organization that since 1949 has represented low-income people in Massachusetts pro bono in criminal show-cause hearings. Harvard Defenders student attorneys work on an entirely voluntary basis and do not receive academic credit for their work. Her commitment to the organization was a true labor of love.
Since her first year of law school, Roberts has been a dedicated member of Defenders, taking on an exceptionally high number of cases on top of her coursework and other activities. This year alone, Roberts was first- or second-chair for 26 cases — more than six times the average Defenders caseload of four cases per year.
In each of her many cases, Roberts spent countless hours building relationships and cultivating trust with clients, ensuring they not only received top-quality representation, but that they felt listened to, and confident that they had an unwavering advocate ready to fight for them. Her tireless work ethic, leaving no stone unturned, led Roberts to win dozens of show-cause hearings for her clients.
“Lexi has the sort of dedication to clients which can only come from her innate empathy for their predicaments,” said John Salsberg, Defenders senior clinical instructor. “She’s the sort of person that anybody would love to have as their advocate.”
Roberts not only showed up for her clients, but for her peers as well. Understanding the importance of fostering a strong sense of culture and community, Roberts was a model leader in Defenders, making time to attend countless mock hearings and serving as second chair on many of her peers’ cases. As president, she implemented a comprehensive training program to equip student advocates with both technical legal skills and cultural competency, understanding that effective representation requires both. Roberts consistently made herself available as a resource, mentor, and friend to her fellow Defenders, counseling them through challenging cases and offering emotional support during difficult times.
Roberts says her Defenders work stands at the front and center of so many memories from her law school years: “It’s the many quiet, everyday moments that stand out: hearing amazing ideas during a mock hearing, driving around with my peers to try to locate a client, running into friends in the office late at night, exchanging a knowing glance because we all understood the grind. I also think of the extraordinary milestones: winning a case alongside one of my closest friends; prepping a case during my brother’s wedding.”
In addition to her work in Defenders, Roberts continued to develop her direct client representation and oral advocacy skills through clinical work in housing and criminal defense. She has spent summers working at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office in North Carolina.
“Before law school, I was an engineering student who couldn’t envision becoming a lawyer — let alone a trial attorney,” said Roberts. “My work in Defenders and in my clinics helped me find my voice, and they pushed me to grow both personally and professionally. I am especially grateful to my friends, my clients, and my supervisors for giving me the space to grow into my role while encouraging me to be the best advocate I can be.”
“While I knew early on that I wanted to pursue public interest work, it was my clinical and SPO experiences that solidified that decision and helped me discover a deep passion for criminal defense,” Roberts said. After graduation, she plans to continue her client advocacy work as a public defender in Washington, D.C.
View full coverage from the festivities of the 2025 Class Day and Commencement Ceremonies at Harvard Law School
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