Kristen Popham

Kristen Popham is a 3L at Columbia Law School and an aspiring civil and human rights attorney. At law school, she was a member of Columbia’s Smith Family Human Rights Clinic, where she collaborates with NGOs in the Central African Republic, including groups advocating for women’s rights, to facilitate their participation in international legal mechanisms. She is also the Founder and President of Columbia Law School’s Disabled Law Students Association, the institution’s first affinity group for students with disabilities. Kristen has also been an active participant in the school’s pro bono activities, supporting an incarcerated client in his process of securing parole over the past year and representing multiple NYC public school students in their suspension hearings. Kristen has held summer internships at the ACLU National Disability Rights Section and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Before law school, Kristen served as a Fulbright Scholar to France where she taught English to high school students, led a debate club, and researched French suburban policing practices. She also collaborated with the U.S. Department of State to address barriers to disabled people’s participation in the international scholarship program. As an undergraduate, Kristen received the top academic award offered to graduating students. She is also a passionate admirer of dance, podcasts, and her two exceptional brothers.