Yiyang Wu L’12

Yiyang currently works as a civil rights associate at Relman, Dane, and Colfax PLLC, a civil rights firm in Washington, D.C. Her practice is primarily fair housing and fair lending litigation. Prior to joining Relman, Yiyang clerked for the Honorable Andre M. Davis on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and for the Honorable Mary A. McLaughlin in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

Yiyang first began to focus on civil rights litigation during her law school summers with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. While a district court clerk, Yiyang had the opportunity to witness the effective advocacy of several young plaintiffs’ attorneys on important civil rights issues, which drew her attention to plaintiffs’ side impact litigation as a potential career path. In her relatively short time at Relman, Yiyang has worked on several noteworthy cases, including the first reverse redlining trial (and subsequent verdict) against a bank and mortgage company in the summer of 2016. 

During law school, Yiyang was active in the Custody and Support Assistance Clinic (CASAC) and volunteered with the Criminal Records Expungement Program. Yiyang is also a former Auction Chair of the Equal Justice Foundation, and is a current committee member on the Class of 2012 Reunion Committee. Yiyang is happy to discuss public interest career strategy with any Penn students, especially those interested in civil rights litigation.