Julia Tecotzky
Julia grew up in NYC and graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at Barnard, Julia interned at The Children’s Defense Fund, Brooklyn Defender Services, and the Center for Appellate Litigation. She also worked on
campus in Barnard’s career office as a Peer Career Advisor and taught comprehensive sex education classes to high schoolers throughout NYC as a Senior Health Educator with Peer Health Exchange.
After graduating from Barnard, she worked as a paralegal at a public defenders office in Manhattan. There, she furthered her passion for decarceration and client-centered indigent defense work. Recognizing a severe lack of support for former clients coming home from prison,
she spearheaded the office’s grant-writing project to secure federal funding for comprehensive re-entry services. She also collaborated with the National Police Data Coalition to provide research and grant-writing support for their nation-wide police accountability database.
Inspired by her organizing work with Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Julia began working at a progressive synagogue as the congregation’s program manager for social justice. In this role, she coordinated programming and legislative advocacy focused on criminal
law reform, re-entry services, refugee resettlement, climate justice, and food insecurity. Alongside colleagues, directly-impacted advocates, and interfaith partners across NYC, Julia worked to build an equitable and thriving NYC for all.
Julia is currently a Legal Intern with the National Council for Incarcerated Women, where she works alongside lawyers and directly-impacted leaders to advocate for compassionate release. At Georgetown, she looks forward to exploring the intersections of decarceration, indigent
defense, and gender justice through an abolitionist framework. Outside of law school, Julia loves to bike, try out new recipes, and spend time with loved ones.