Zoomin’ in on Tram Nguyen ’13

Breaking Down Barriers

State Representative Tram Nguyen ’13 represents the 18th Essex District, which includes parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover and Tewksbury. She is a first-generation Vietnamese American immigrant and was the first person in her family to attend college and law school. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law. From the start of her legal career until she took office, Nguyen worked at Greater Boston Legal Services as a legal aid attorney and advocated for domestic violence survivors, workers, seniors, veterans and children. She also engaged in legislative advocacy and worked with statewide coalitions, lawmakers and lawmaking bodies to push for laws that address issues of racial and economic justice and protect the rights of the most vulnerable populations. Nguyen was elected to office in November 2018 and is the first Vietnamese American woman to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature. Among her many honors are the Lawrence Bar Association Merit Award, the Vietnamese American Bar Association Public Service Award, the Reginald Heber Smith Award for innovation and excellence in legal advocacy and the United Auto Workers Social Justice Award.