Alumni

Get Involved

LSJ alumni continue to have an impact on communities beyond UW. They are engaged, passionate, and service oriented. Our alumni are well connected to the department and continue to support current LSJ students in various ways. If you'd like to stay connected with the Law, Societies, and Justice program, join our LinkedIn group, like our Facebook page, follow us on Instagram, or join our Mailing List.

If you’re an LSJ alumni looking to get involved, contact us at lsjadv@uw.edu to be a part of any of the opportunities below:  

Learning from Failure

This is a two-credit course focused on learning from failure. Each session consists of a presentation by LSJ alumni, each of whom describe their career trajectory, with a special focus on those key moments when failure became the foundation for a positive shift in mindset and opportunity. Through those presentations and class discussions, students will learn how to persevere in the face of obstacles, and how to develop the resilience necessary for long-term success in any career field.

LSJ Career Nights 

LSJ Alumni discuss their career trajectory, the rewards and challenges, and how they prepared for it in a panel discussion with current students. 

LSJ Gap Year Panel

LSJ alumni discuss how and why they decided to take a gap year(s) in between undergrad and grad school and how that decision impacted their future career trajectory in a panel discussion with current students. 

LSJ Day of Service 

LSJ Day of Service provides an annual opportunity for local alumni and current students to give back to the Downtown Emergency Service Center. The Day of Services occurs each year in February.

Friends of LSJ

Friends of LSJ is an alumni board focused on building a strong alumni network and providing a supportive community for students. The board provides advice to the Chair on how to better interact with alums, and how more generally to improve the Department. Additionally, the board will assist in philanthropic efforts to help provide the financial resources needed to support for LSJ students.

Recent Alumni News

Arial view of the UW quad with blooming cherry blossom trees

Learn How Your Support Helps Our Mission - Friends of LSJ 

The Law, Societies, and Justice (LSJ) Department at the University of Washington is committed to providing students with an interdisciplinary education focused on the complex roles that law and legal institutions play in structuring social life. As one of the fastest growing departments by students at the University of Washington, the generosity of the Friends of LSJ plays a pivotal role in enriching the student experience.  LSJ prides itself on hands-on learning experiences that… Read more
Department Chair Jamie Mayerfeld

Spring Chair's Letter from Jamie Mayerfeld

Dear Friends, We are enjoying the tantalizing arrival of spring. By the time you read this, students will have started the new term, and graduation ceremonies will be around the corner. Warm greetings to everyone in the LSJ community – students, staff, faculty, alums, supporters, and friends. Many of us are preoccupied with new realities. These are difficult times, and universities are among the institutions facing serious challenges. I want to acknowledge that the rights of many in our… Read more
Paulo Pontemayor outside the White House, with the AIDS Memorial Quilt spread out on the lawn behind him.

Advocating for Better Healthcare

As director of government relations for the Catholic Health Association, Paulo G. Pontemayor (BA, 2005) is dedicated to increasing equity and access to healthcare in the United States. Continue reading on UW College of Arts & Sciences News 
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Letter From the Chair, Katherine Beckett

Dear Friends of LSJ ~ Warm greetings from LSJ! I am delighted to report that our efforts to revive our experiential learning opportunities are gaining traction, with several new initiatives underway. This summer we offered two study abroad courses with two new quarter-long study abroad programs in development. Philanthropy Lab (led by Professor) Stephen Meyers had another successful run last spring. Professor Ann Frost has revived our book clubs, which will commence in two King County work… Read more
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LSJ to Focus on the Edward Sam Garcia Fund for Husky Giving Day in 2023

This year, the Law, Societies and Justice Department will focus its Husky Giving Day efforts on the newest of its endowed funds, the Edward Sam Garcia Fund for Undergraduate Support. This fund helps LSJ majors find and benefit from internships and work experiences, especially in justice-related areas. These opportunities are a crucial means by which our students… Read more
Portrait of Katherine Beckett with a maroon collared shirt standing in front of a tree with flowers.

Letter From the Chair, Katherine Beckett

Dear Friends ~ Greetings from LSJ! There has been an exciting buzz in the air as students have returned to the classroom and we work to get our experiential learning opportunities fully operational once again. I have enjoyed working once again with our students, faculty, staff, and alums on a variety of initiatives since I returned to the role in June after a short medical leave. Of course, these initiatives include our immersive, experiential learning opportunities. LSJ will be offering four… Read more
Photo of Zoe with a black shirt and blond hair

LSJ After Graduation: An Interview with Zoe Fielden

Written by: Kaitlyn Laibe From occupying student government offices, to contributing to international human rights law development, to representing incarcerated folks, LSJ students at UW have a far-reaching impact. In talking with Zoe Fielden, a 2019 UW graduate, I learned that LSJ alums are no different. When Zoe Fielden graduated, she had already worked with the Seattle Clemency Project (SCP), a local non-profit dedicated to providing relief for incarcerated individuals who are serving… Read more
Headshot of Hamdi Mohamed

LSJ alum Hamdi Mohamed centers community in new role as Port Commissioner 

Hamdi Mohamed made history last November when she became the first Somali woman elected to public office in Washington State and the first Black woman elected to the Port of Seattle Commission. Before becoming a port commissioner, Mohamed graduated from the Law, Societies & Justice (LSJ) department at the University of Washington in 2015. She describes her time in the LSJ department as a transformative experience. “I always felt like I was taught by professors at the cutting edge of their… Read more
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LSJ Alum Paul Heer wins Outstanding Young Lawyer awards in recognition of his excellence in legal and pro bono service

By Niv Joshi Law, Societies & Justice (LSJ) alum Paul Heer graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in English and LSJ. Now an attorney at Foster Garvey, Heer has had quite a few opportunities to put his LSJ experience toward great causes. For example, he is Co-Chair of the “Opportunity and Progress Council,” which is Foster Garvey’s initiative to support national Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. According to their website… Read more
Katherine Beckett smiling

Letter from Katherine Beckett, LSJ Chair

Dear LSJ Alumni Community: As you can imagine, the 2020-21 academic year did not look much like anything that has come before – and we fervently hope that it will not be repeated! Still, I am delighted to report that many wonderful events and activities transpired despite all the challenges that our students, staff, alumni and faculty faced. Most importantly, our students continued to show up, lean in, and think hard about the challenges that we present to them in the classroom. Although the… Read more
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