Julianne Steele

Julianne graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 2021 with a B.A. in History and a minor in Disability Studies. While at UCLA, Julianne completed a semester in D.C. through the UCDC program. During this time, she interned at the National Down Syndrome Society and had the opportunity to participate in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings and witness firsthand how to conduct collaborative, person-first advocacy on behalf of an individual with a disability.

Julianne first became interested in learning foreign languages and international human rights after studying abroad in Rome during her sophomore year. While there, she studied Roman law and completed an Italian-language seminar. Motivated by her desire to continue her international education, Julianne moved to Germany after graduation where she became fluent in German and worked as a preschool teacher. Simultaneously, during her first year in Germany, Julianne also completed a year-long Disability law fellowship through the Coehlo Center at Loyola Marymount University. As part of her final project, Julianne wrote a comparative law analysis discussing the legal rights of students with disabilities pursuing higher education in the U.S. and in Germany. Since living in Munich for the past four years, Julianne has volunteered weekly at a women’s refugee center where she translated immigration documents, provided German-language tutoring, and had the privilege of building a community of women from all over the globe.

At Georgetown Law, Julianne is eager to deepen her understanding of international human rights, disability rights, and immigration law. She is fluent in German, proficient in Italian and Spanish, and is attempting to add French to this list. In her free time, Julianne can be found crocheting, playing piano, hiking, and maintaining her Duolingo streak.