Em Feder Cooper has dedicated much of her legal and public interest career to advancing gender justice. She started by doing reproductive justice legislative work at the New York City Council Women’s Caucus. During law school, she volunteered with Sanctuary for Families to help women obtain uncontested divorces or temporary restraining orders. As a Law Clerk at the Equal Rights Advocates, Em focused on Title IX matters and prepared sexual assault survivors for their hearings. She also had the privilege of participating as a Student Advocate with New York Legal Aid Group’s Pro Se Clinic at the Southern District of New York courthouse and was able to leverage her Spanish skills when assisting clients.
Em’s legal research has focused on the legal implications of interstate distribution of medication abortion pills, intersectional sex- and race-based employment discrimination, and psychological trauma of workplace sexual harassment and the importance of expert witnesses. Thanks to her coursework on discrimination theory and law, Em is passionate about exposing unlawful harms perpetrated by cosmetics companies and amending the Federal Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938.