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VITA
Pursuing Swift Justice for All

Singh

Anisha Singh '12, named one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” in Law and Policy for 2016, began her career in public interest law while she was a student working for the Immigration Law Clinic. She served as sole counsel in a case involving female clients seeking legal status under the Violence Against Women Act, and won a victory that garnered national media attention.

Soon after completing her studies at the Law School, Singh relocated to Washington, D.C., to work as manager and policy attorney for the United Sikhs. There, she advocated for human and civil rights for minorities, focusing on discriminatory practices that swelled after Sept. 11. In cooperation with the White House Anti-Bullying Initiative and the U.S. Department of Education, Singh founded the United Sikh’s National Anti-Bullying Campaign.

“Over 60 percent of Sikh youth are bullied at some point,” Singh said. “What wakes me up and gets me going every morning is that there are people who don’t have power and are voiceless, but worry about being a victim of the system or a hate crime. This means that we’re not doing something right.”

As counsel for the United Sikhs, Singh won a historic case against the U.S. Army in which she represented a young man who wanted to join the ROTC but was rejected because of the articles of faith he wore, including his turban and beard.

In 2015, Singh left United Sikhs to become campaign manager for the Legal Progress project at the Center for American Progress. In this role, she works diligently on grassroots campaigns to raise awareness about the need to fill judicial vacancies nationwide.

“Right now we’re seeing the worst obstruction in Senate confirmations since 1960,” Singh said. “This means that American citizens are being denied their right to a speedy trial, current judges are being overworked and some are having to delay retirement. The crisis has very real consequences in court­rooms across the nation.”

—Mary Rekosh

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