Class of 2007-08 Law Office of C. Thomas, Chartered 403 & 405 8th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Email: nchabrier@officecthomas.com

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Nadine graduated from UC-Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology and minor in Women’s Studies.  She then worked as a social worker for homeless families and as a researcher for a study on HIV/AIDS before earning her J.D. at UCLA.  In law school, Nadine co-chaired the Public Interest Law Fund Auction, served on the boards of the Black Law Students Association and La Raza Students Association, and participated in the Chicano/Latino Law Review.  Nadine was also enrolled in the Program in Public Interest Law and Policy and in the Critical Race Studies Concentration.  She also worked with the Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender, the Los Angeles County Children’s Court, and with UCLA professors on projects in LGBT identity and gender discrimination.

During her fellowship year, Nadine worked with The Women’s Collective (TWC), a local non-profit organization that provides HIV care, management and prevention services to women and families in Washington, DC.  Nadine was awarded a prestigious Frederick Abramson Fellowship, for which she was featured in the Washington Lawyer magazine.  One of her primary projects with TWC concerned microbicides, which are methods currently under development for use by women to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.  For example, Nadine conducted research on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy concerning microbicides and the latest clinic trials that she has developed into a multifaceted training called Microbicides 101 including a detailed curriculum, handouts and power point presentation.  She used this training to educate the public and possible supporters about the benefits of microbicides. For example, she presented the training for TWC clients and staff, as well as at the Whitman Walker Clinic’s HIV-positive women’s group.  Nadine also prepared and led a workshop and power point presentation on wills, advance health care directives and planning for incapacity.  Additionally, she helped organize a conference on microbicides last fall that was attended by participants from across the United States.  In conjunction with this event, Nadine developed educational materials on microbicides,   coordinated visits to Congressional offices, drafted model letters to Members of Congress informing them about microbicides, and followed up with participants concerning their subsequent outreach activities. Nadine also spearheaded groundbreaking efforts to ensure the participation of positive women in policy-making venues, such as meetings with the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council and the Director of Washington, DC’s HIV/AIDS Administration.  In addition, she was a active member of TWC’s Intergenerational Program Advisory Board.

Since completing her Fellowship, Nadine has done contract work for various firms and pro bono projects in the Washington, DC area. For example, she worked with University Legal Services to write a grievance for a patient alleging some improper conduct by staff in a psychiatric facility. Nadine recently joined the team at the Office of C. Thomas, Chartered, a community-based DC firm specializing in bankruptcy, foreclosure, and other real estate-related matters.