Class of 2026

Leah DeFreitas is a first year law student at Georgetown University Law Center, a Technology Law & Policy Scholar and a RISE Fellow. Alongside her dedication to advocacy, DeFreitas is a passionate communicator and storyteller. Her work in journalism and podcasting before law school explored topics like motorcycle gang violence and the ethics of the true crime genre. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of South Carolina Honors College, where she was an award-winning mock trial competitor and winner of the USC Outstanding Senior Award. As a vegan of 8+ years raised in a Brazilian-Jewish household, DeFreitas combines her ethics and her multiethnic background by recreating plant-based versions of cultural recipes in her free time.