EDUCATION

2019-2022

Juris Doctorate

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar | Co-chair of the Disability Allied Law Students Association | Founder of the Government Benefits Assistance Project | Co-Founder of the Breaking Point Project | Member of the BeTogether Disability Inclusive Culture Committee

2013-2017

Bachelor of Arts

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Anthropology and Global Development Studies | Tuba Player in the Cavalier Marching Band | Dean's List Honoree | Vice President of Alternative Spring Break | Miller Arts Scholar for Music | Brother and Social Chair of Kappa Kappa Psi | Harrison Undergraduate Research Award

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

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PRESENT

Treasurer

NATIONAL DISABLED LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

Serves on the founding board of an organization dedicated to advocating for disabled law students across the country. Handles all financial matters, including tax filings, payments, and reimbursements. Spearheads fundraising efforts and coordination of independent contractors.

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

DISABILITY RIGHTS PROJECT

Conducted legal research to support ongoing litigation regarding communication access and COVID-19 safety for incarcerated people with disabilities. Drafted lines of questioning for depositions. Interviewed potential declarants regarding their experiences with communication access while on parole. Wrote a primer on the Americans with Disabilities Act for litigators.

JUNE – AUGUST 2020

Legal Intern

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT

Conducted legal research to support upcoming litigation related to COVID-19 and incarcerated or detained persons. Researched and drafted an appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council in partnership with the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, and Michael Brown, as well as over 650 rights groups from around the world. This resulted in a resolution to hold a historic Special Session to investigate police brutality and protest suppression.

2017 – PRESENT

Tutor, Editor, Writer

LUCY TRIESHMANN, LLC

Supports students ranging from elementary school to Master's programs as they strive to achieve their academic best. Specializes in research and writing, standardized test prep, Spanish, and proofreading. Also writes content for businesses' marketing materials and websites.

2017 – 2019

Director of Operations

BLUE TRUNK FOUNDATION

Managed a growing nonprofit focused on accessible travel for people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and age-related conditions. Produced content for the website, social media platforms, and marketing materials. Recruited and interviewed individuals for the blog. Attended networking events and gave informational presentations on accessibility in travel. Coordinated logistics related to operations, fundraising, marketing, web development, and community outreach. Handled the organization's finances, including account reconciliation, tax filings, and donation processing. 

2017

Access Consultant

UNIVERSITY TRANSIT SERVICE

Rewrote the rider's guide and driver training materials for the University of Virginia's paratransit service. Recommended improvements to the service based on institution-specific data and research of other institutions' programs. Connected with other students to incorporate their experiences. 

2014 – 2017

Safety Supervisor,

Trainer, Bus Driver

UNIVERSITY TRANSIT SERVICE

Promoted to Safety Supervisor in October 2016 due to performance as a bus driver (January 2014—December 2017) and trainer (January 2015—December 2017). Head of six-member Safety Committee responsible for assigning penalties for preventable accidents. Devised new measures to help the company exceed industry safety standards.

2015 – 2017

Student Researcher

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES

Performed cross-cultural, international research on barriers to chronic disease management in low resource communities with a team of other students. Focused primarily on the impact of social support structures on health outcomes. Received the 2016 Harrison Undergraduate Research Award. Presented research at both the 2016 and 2017 Human Development Conferences, as well as the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Meeting of the Minds. Wrote grants, conducted field research in South Africa, and co-designed research models with community partners.

INTERVIEWS, PUBLICATIONS, & PRESENTATIONS

FORTHCOMING SPRING 2021

Journal Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LAW REVIEW ONLINE

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The Breaking Point: A Critical Disability Analysis of Abolition

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Winner of the Volume 169 Public Interest Essay Competition

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Overview: Disability justice and abolition are inextricably intertwined. In Part I, we discuss the current state of the prison abolition movement. In Part II, we explore the abolitionist history of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, which serve as the foundation for a new vision of the Constitution as an anti-slavery document. In Part III, we examine forms of capital punishment and juvenile life without parole (“JLWOP”) sentences that violate the Eighth Amendment. In Part IV, we outline a new avenue of reconstructed Eighth Amendment argumentation that incarcerating disabled people constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. This involves considering the evolution of the public’s expectations for how the State treats disabled people and of how our understanding of the Eighth Amendment should evolve under an anti-slavery understanding of the Constitution. We also discuss the connection that ought to exist between the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Eighth Amendment. We conclude with our vision of BPP’s future and further areas for exploration of the intersection of disability justice and abolition. This paper demonstrates how storytelling may provide one pathway toward a more expansive civil rights interpretation of the Constitution to protect the rights of incarcerated disabled people. By humanizing the impact of jurisprudential theorizing, storytelling seeks to break through the sterile veneer of the law and expose its effects on peoples’ lived experiences.

NOVEMBER 2020

Journal Publication

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL INFORMATICS ASSOCIATION

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"Ensuring full participation of people with disabilities in an era of telehealth"

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Abstract: The widespread use of telehealth resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to further exacerbate inequities faced by people with disabilities. Although, for some members of the disability community, the option to engage with telehealth may result in reduced barriers to care, for others, inadequate attention to the design, implementation, and policy dimensions may be detrimental. Addressing such considerations is imperative to mitigate health inequities faced by the disability community.

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Link

OCTOBER 2020

Interview

NEWSY

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"What It's Like to Vote With a Disability During the Pandemic"

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Link

JUNE 2020

Interview

DISTOPIA PODCAST by DISART

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"Episode 41: Lucy Trieshmann"

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Preface: In conversation with Jill and Chris, I reflected on my identity as a Disabled person and my choice to pursue transformative disability justice through the law. I also spoke to the short- and long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for disabled people. 

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Link

APRIL 2020

Journal Publication

N.Y.U. JOURNAL OF LEGISLATION AND PUBLIC POLICY

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"Open Letter to Yale Law Journal Denouncing Ableism and Eugenics"

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Preface: Members of the Disability Allied Law Students Association at New York University School of Law authored this letter in response to concerns about a forthcoming article regarding medical triaging in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the time of publication, it has been signed by multiple organizations and 150 students and individuals representing more than twenty-five law schools across the country.

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Link

FEBRUARY 2017

Conference Presentation

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE and ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEETING OF THE MINDS

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"The Social Nature of Pain: Health, Community, and Ubuntu"

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Abstract: Drawn from established theory and qualitative research data collected in an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, a township located outside of Cape Town, South Africa, this paper explores how a particular community of practice deconstructs and/or builds itself around pain and shared experiences of illness. We collected our data using participatory action research methods such as photo elicitation, transect walks, interviews, and focus groups with a local women’s group. We coded our data using grounded theory qualitative analysis methods. We present evidence that Ubuntu, a spirit of unconditional human compassion, is integral to the ideology of many members of the community and directly influences their lived experiences of pain. As a result of this shared belief, individuals often embody the suffering of others despite, or perhaps because of, the possibility of harmful repercussions in their own lives. Specifically, our data demonstrate the women’s feeling of a collective responsibility for the health and safety of the youth, a sentiment articulated through the language of stress. However, this belief is not universal: our data demonstrate generational differences in value placed on Ubuntu. We also noted differences based on individual lived experiences within the community of practice. We conclude with a call for more community-based research practices, and a closure of the gap between affect and health science.

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Link

VOLUNTEER WORK

GOVERNMENT BENEFITS ASSISTANCE PROJECT

Founded a new student group to support people applying for government disability benefits. Coordinates with nonprofit partner Mobilization for Justice to train student volunteers and facilitate student-client relationships.

2018 - PRESENT

Interpreter

FORTHRIGHT LEGAL

Interviews Spanish-speaking clients to complete paperwork and secure appropriate documentation to file for legal status in the United States. Translates documents between English and Spanish for use in immigration proceedings.

MARCH - MAY 2020

Volunteer

SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

Collected and analyzed data about the provision of education in the 67 school districts in Florida with a focus on action taken to provide services to students with disabilities, students who need behavioral and mental health services, and families without access to needed technology or other resources. Identified gaps within the state and assessed how we might be able to encourage the sharing of resources and influence the dissemination of federal aid to ensure its equitable distribution such that the most vulnerable children can have their needs met. 

APRIL 2020

Volunteer

CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY

Researched states' voting laws to assess preparedness to hold equal, accessible elections in 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.