WHERE THEY’RE HEADED: Allison Wise ’20

The recent grad has taken all the tools she acquired during her Haverford years with her to Northeastern School of Law, where she is studying to become a public interest lawyer.

Allison Wise ‘20 is continuing to learn, achieve, and make a difference in her first year out of Haverford. After graduating with a degree in religion, she is now studying at Northeastern School of Law, where she plans to concentrate in labor, work, and income.

“I was drawn to Northeastern’s commitment to public interest work and experiential learning, and felt the school would uniquely prepare me for a career as an attorney committed to restorative justice and public service,” she said. 

At Haverford, in addition to majoring in religion, Wise minored in sociology at Bryn Mawr, and concentrated in gender and sexuality studies. Classes with professors Molly Farneth, who advised her senior thesis, and Brett Krutzsch, who inspired her major course of study, roused her interest in the intersection between the legal system and inequality in the United States. 

“I’m especially grateful for the mentorship of Professor Farneth, particularly for her kindness and patience during the thesis project,” she said.

Her project was about the 1924 Leopold and Loeb Trial. “My thesis examined the ways that anti-Semitic and homophobic stereotypes played into the testimony and media representation of the case,” she said. The project embodied a clear connection between her interests, merging legal history with American cultural studies. 

Wise is most looking forward to applying her interest in public service, especially by taking courses in collective bargaining, employment law, and social welfare.

“For me, becoming a public interest lawyer feels like a meaningful way of applying the Haverfordian ideals of social action and restorative justice to the broader community,” she said. “My time at Haverford taught me the importance of these values, and the college environment consistently pushed me not only towards being a better student, but a better person.”