By Amanda Le
If/When/How’s Quick Question series highlights the work of our Reproductive Justice Fellows, introducing our network to the incredible advocates who are dedicating their lives to the movement to lawyer for reproductive justice. We’re so proud of the work they’re doing at placement organizations across the country to ensure that everyone can safely decide if, when, and how to create and sustain their families and actualize sexual and reproductive well-being on their own terms.
Since college, Amanda Le (University of California, Irvine School of Law ’22) has been involved in the reproductive freedom movement and has worked professionally and personally on reproductive justice issues both on a local and statewide level. As a law student, Amanda was one of three Public Service Scholars in her graduating class contributing over 300 hours of pro bono work during her law school career. She also served as a student leader for Orange County’s Clean Slate Expungement Clinic and UCI Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. Prior to law school, Amanda worked for four years as a policy associate at the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties (ACLU-SDIC), where she advocated for policy change relating to civil rights and civil liberties. She has served as the chair of the board of directors for the San Diego Coalition for Reproductive Justice and was an active member of her law school’s If/When/How chapter.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego. She was proudly raised in Visalia, California, within the Central Valley.
We asked Amanda to tell us a little about herself as she prepares to begin her Reproductive Justice Fellowship year at Positive Women’s Network-USA this fall.
If/When/How: Who are you?
Amanda Le: Amanda Le (she/her/hers)
If/When/How: Where are you from?
AL: Visalia, CA
If/When/How: Where are you going ( literally or existentially)?
AL: I am working toward becoming a more skilled and thoughtful advocate for vulnerable communities. I am looking forward to building upon the skills I have gained so far and using them to advocate alongside folks at PWN-US and work to solve the issues most impacting women living with HIV.
Geographically, I’ll be moving back to and working remotely from San Diego, CA. I am looking forward to returning to the city where I went to school and worked in before law school. It’s where my family and close friends are, and I’m excited to return shortly after law school!
If/When/How: What drew you to reproductive justice work?
AL: I was drawn to reproductive justice work in college. I appreciate the intersectional nature of reproductive justice work, incorporating all the different issues relevant to personal integrity, bodily autonomy, and building a healthy family. We do not live single-issue lives, and I think the reproductive justice movement acknowledges this by seeking to advocate on a more holistic and intersectional level. I am particularly interested in the intersection of gender justice and criminal law, which is why I am thrilled to be joining PWN-US, an organization dedicated to using a racial justice and gender justice lens to change policy, practice, and culture for women living with HIV.
If/When/How: When you are not lawyering, what do you get up to?
AL: I enjoy playing tennis, listening to podcasts, trying out new food recipes, and traveling around the U.S. and internationally when possible.
If you’re as excited as we are to see Amanda succeed, donate $10 to help If/When/How support new lawyers like her.