Erica Rodarte L’22

Erica grew up in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez border region and she came to Penn Law to pursue a career where she can provide legal assistance to immigrant families and homeless individuals. She is also intent on pursuing opportunities where she can serve the families of feminicide victims as perpetrators continue to face impunity.

Prior to Penn Law, Erica worked for a statewide senatorial campaign and a housing authority, where she explored her interests in elections and direct client assistance to tenants.

During her 1L summer, Erica interned with Judge Wendy Beetlestone (EDPA) where she conducted legal research on pharmaceutical litigation. Erica also had the opportunity to intern with Al Otro Lado, assisting clients currently awaiting their asylum claims at the Mexico border, researching transnational organizations to grow Al Otro Lado’s partnerships, and leading a team of volunteers in drafting a comment to a proposed federal regulation that further seeks to restrict asylum by using public health as a pretext.

As a 2L, Erica is now externing with the ACLU of Pennsylvania’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. Here, Erica has had the great opportunity to explore impact litigation that seeks to enforce immigrants’ constitutional protections. Working with the ACLU of Pennsylvania has increased her interest in working with impact litigation and she continues to look for ways to serve the Philadelphia community through the Penn Law Immigrants’ Rights Project and the Penn Housing Rights Project.