She is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and New York Law School. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a legal assistant in Litigation at Shearman and Sterling, LLP, and during law school was a research assistant to Professor Nadine Strossen, the first female president of the American Civil Liberties Union. Her academic career has been motivated by a love of language, community-building, social theory, constitutional law, and musical theater.