By Meera Rajput
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. But we can’t support them without you: Please donate $10 to help us give aspiring and new lawyers the resources they need to thrive. And if you can’t give — share!
Meera Rajput graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, summa cum laude, with a B.S. in Psychology in 2018. During her junior year summer, she interned at the Women’s Law Project, a nonprofit organization working to defend and advance the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond. This is where her dedication and passion for becoming a reproductive justice advocate blossomed. After graduation, she completed a year-long service-leadership program called Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE). During this year, she served at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, a nonprofit dedicated to exonerating those convicted of serious crimes they did not commit.
After her service year, Meera attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. During law school, Meera engaged in several activities. She served as a Pitt Law Student Ambassador, a 1L representative, and Secretary and social media Director of Pitt Legal Income Share Foundation (PLISF), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing law students’ careers in public interest. She also served as the Social Media Director of the Prisoner Legal Support Project (PLSP) and was a Legal Analysis and Writing Teaching Assistant. She interned both at the Women’s Law Project, where she prepared advocacy presentations and research on the new Title IX regulations in 2020, and the Education Law Center, where she helped research and write recommendations for school expulsion and SLIFE students.
Most recently, Meera interned at the National Women’s Law Center in D.C., where she worked on reproductive health and rights issues in colleges and universities, and SCOTUS abortion tracking. She also interned at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC’s) corporate legal department, where she updated guidance for COVID-19 vaccine mandates and worked on statutory interpretation issues. She was also a Truxall Scholarship Recipient and Dean’s Scholarship Recipient for all three years of law school and was awarded the Health Law Certificate and Pro Bono Service Recognition.
We asked Meera to tell us a little about herself as she prepares to begin her Reproductive Justice Fellowship year at Physicians for Reproductive Health this fall.
If/When/How: Who are you?
Meera Rajput: My name is Meera Rajput, (she/her/hers).
If/When/How: Where are you from?
MR: I am from a small suburb outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, called Huntingdon Valley.
If/When/How: Where are you going?
MR: I am heading to the D.C. area, and I hope to be there for some time, pursuing opportunities in health policy. I also hope to head towards a world with more people who listen to each other and exercise empathy.
If/When/How: What does reproductive justice mean to you?
MR: Reproductive justice means multiple things to me. The “justice” component means the ability to meaningfully influence public opinion, whether that be through publications, policy, or laws. The ability to shape laws that have a direct impact on people’s ability to control their own reproductive health is very important. Shaping public policy must be a collaborative endeavor. There needs to be a continued, growing effort to cross-collaborate on complex reproductive health issues. This includes focusing on policy initiatives and legislation that includes multiple stakeholders from healthcare, law, and policy fields alike.
If/When/How: When you are not lawyering, what do you get up to?
MR: When I am not lawyering, I am reading young adult fiction, enjoying TV/movies, going on walks and hiking, and hanging out with friends. I also love to travel.
If you’re as excited as we are to see Meera succeed, donate $10 to help If/When/How support new lawyers like her.