Holly Spainhower is an Adjunct Professor of Law and co-facilitates a fieldwork practicum course, Prosecuting Sexual Violence: Applying Research to Practice. Professor Spainhower has worked to amplify the voices of women and survivors of gender-based violence since the beginning of her legal career. As a Senior Associate Attorney Advisor at AEquitas, she helps manage major initiatives aimed at enhancing the criminal justice response to violent crime, including Innovative Prosecution Solutions and the Sexual Assault Justice Initiative. Professor Spainhower manages the development and delivery of all AEquitas resources, authors publications, and conducts research and analyses on a wide variety of criminal legal issues to elevate the practices of prosecutors in the field.

Prior to her work at AEquitas, Professor Spainhower served as a Hillary Rodham Clinton Law Fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, where she conducted international field research and co-authored major studies on women’s inclusion in peacebuilding and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict settings. She has previous legal and policy experience working as a student intern for the Center for Applied Legal Studies, the American Immigration Council, Human Rights First, the Humane Society of the United States, DC SAFE, and the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Professor Spainhower graduated with her Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center after receiving both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Public Policy from Lehigh University, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland and is based in Northern Virginia.