“I saw co-op as a way to have completely different experiences.
Jillian Sadler ’13
Though she chose Northeastern, Jillian Sadler had no intention of staying in Boston. “I had been in the Peace Corps in Africa, so I was excited to travel,” says Jillian, a native of Los Angeles who trekked the globe on co-op. “Northeastern gave me the opportunity to both study and work abroad. I saw co-op as a way to have completely different experiences.””
Jillian imagined a career in international law, but a prestigious two-year Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship brought her to the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. She’s certain co-op helped her land the fellowship, which focused on helping homeless and at-risk veterans obtain government benefits. “They had 200 applications for two positions,” Jillian explains. “They told me what made me stand out was my commitment to public interest work as demonstrated by my co-ops.”
And she hasn’t completely ruled out going back overseas. “I feel like I can go anywhere and do anything,” says Jillian, who is now a policy supervisor with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Women’s Aid Organization, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
As a legal intern, Jillian conducted research and wrote policy reports for a nonprofit organization focused on violence against women issues.
- Black Law Students Association
- Human Rights Caucus
- National Lawyers Guild
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc., Orlando, Florida
Jillian interviewed clients, contacted both state and federal agencies to advocate on behalf of clients and attended administrative hearings.
Jillian completed coursework international law, human rights, global litigation and trade at the Washington College of Law in Istanbul, Turkey, and Cornell School of Law in Paris.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- International Criminal Law
- International Human Rights
- Refugee and Asylum Law
- Social Welfare Law
Lawyering Fellow
Jillian served as an upper-level lawyering fellow for a first-year “law office” team working with the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi, India
Jillian conducted interviews and field investigations related to the failings of maternal health care; the information that was used in legal petitions to the Supreme Court of India.
US Department of Justice, Washington, DC
For her final co-op, Jillian worked in the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, where she conducted research, wrote legal documents and edited legal monographs.