Learning to Advocate for Underserved Communities

February 2019

Law student Brianna Rosier interned this summer with the general counsel’s office of the NAACP, assisting in nonprofit advocacy for underrepresented communities.

“One of my cases was against the Census Bureau regarding potential undercounting in the 2020 census,” says Rosier. “Past lawsuits have been dismissed because they were filed after the census, so this was a novel case in which the suit was filed ahead of time.” Rosier says the lawsuit was about giving people a voice and access to resources, and participating on the case helped her increase her understanding of the U.S. Constitution and civil procedure.

That new understanding, as well as her experiences working with attorneys on other cases, influenced Rosier’s plans, which now include environmental law. “Some of the cases I researched showed me just how important issues like access to clean water are, even in a developed country like ours,” she says.

Rosier arrived at BYU dedicated to a future in public interest; she now enters her final year at law school with an idea of what her future holds.