DePaul Journal for Social Justice

Silpa Bulusu

Editor-in-Chief

Silpa Bulusu is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal for Social Justice. Hoping to work in litigation, she plans to use her specialized legal education as a tool for change. Silpa has a demonstrated track record of public service first, interning with Judge Tailor In Chancery and then externing with Judge Franklin in the Northern District of Illinois. In addition to these clerkships, Silpa also serves on the boards of the Women of Color Collective, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Society.

Silpa plans for the Journal to serve as a platform for issues important to the progress of humanity. She hopes to help readers understand that issues don't affect only one group-- and hopefully, in understanding the systemic problems affecting others, readers will understand their own place in relation to power, and privilege.

Silpa lives in Oak Park. She has recently discovered the joy of flower arranging and spends far too much time watching resin art tutorials.

Jami Vrbancic

Executive Editor

Jami Vrbancic is a 3L at DePaul University College of Law and currently serves as Executive Editor for the Journal for Social Justice. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2019, where she majored in Criminal Justice & Criminology and minored in Psychology. In the past, Jami has worked as a law clerk at Life Span and as a legal intern at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). During her time at both organizations, Jami helped guide survivors of domestic violence & sex trafficking through the legal process and conducted extensive research on sentencing laws for sex crimes in Illinois. After law school, she hopes to continue working in the public interest sector, but she is also interested in criminal and family law.

Jami has been involved in many other organizations at DePaul, including the Student Bar Association, the Women of Color Collective, and the DePaul chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, but the Journal is by far her favorite. Through her work with the Journal, she hopes to educate people on the most pressing issues in the world regarding social justice and advocate for those who need it most.

Alexis Morales

Executive Editor

Alexis Morales is a 3L part-time evening student and a 2021 – 2022 Executive Editor of the DePaul Journal for Social Justice. She is still deciding what area of law she would like to practice after graduation. Therefore, while at DePaul, Alexis has enrolled herself in a variety of courses to see where her interests lie. She has participated in the Criminal Appeals Clinic and is currently enrolled in the Immigration and Asylum Clinic. Prior to coming to law school, Alexis was heavily involved in community volunteerism and co-founded with her sister their undergraduate university's first food pantry, which was open to faculty and staff who needed assistance.

After graduation, Alexis hopes to continue making an impact on communities around her and is excited to participate in the Journal for Social Justice as a means to facilitate this passion while in school. She hopes the Journal serves as an outlet to inform others of the true conditions relating to equality and diversity concerns looming in society today.

Lakeyah Scales

Managing Editor

LaKeyah Scales is a Chicago native & 3L. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology at the University of Illinois in 2013. She is a 2019-2020 Schiller Ducanto and Fleck family law fellow. Additionally, Lakeyah is the Managing Editor for the Depaul Social Justice Journal.

In alignment with her passion for giving back to the community, Lakeyah founded BU1LT (built) Scholarship Foundation, a textbook scholarship for first year, minority law students.

In addition to her studies, she is a mom, and loves to read fiction novels in her free time.

Joshua Klein

Symposium Editor

Josh is a 3L and aspiring litigator. In addition to being the Symposium Editor for the Journal for Social Justice, he is a Jaharis Health Law Institute Fellow, and Communications Chair for OUTLaws. This past summer, Josh was a Summer Scholar at the American Medical Association where he conducted research to support changes in ethics policy.

Josh received his Bachelor of Music from Winona State University in Minnesota where he studied saxophone, clarinet, and flute performance. He currently lives in Chicago with his partner Erik and their two cats, Juno and Reptar.

Bridget Roddy

Executive Submissions Editor

Bridget Roddy is a 3L at DePaul University and currently serves as Executive Submissions Editor for the Center for Public Interest Law's Journal for Social Justice. Bridget is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where she studied Journalism and Promotional Communications at Cleveland State University. After undergrad, she spent time in several US cities working with artists and nonprofits helping to develop marketing and fundraising campaigns.

In Law School, she is pursuing a certificate in Art and Museum Law as well as an International and European Business Law LLM from the University of Pontifical Comillas in Madrid, Spain. She has had the opportunity to work with many organizations while in school, including with the Antiquities Coalition in Washington, DC where she acted as a research assistant on a white paper concerning illicit money laundering within the global art market. She also participated in a fellowship hosted by Harvard Law's People's Parity Project where she worked on researching policy initiatives for police defunding projects and the Trump administration's immigration policies.

After law school, Bridget hopes to continue to work on international policy issues. Bridget would also like to encourage anyone considering submitting their written work relating to human rights, social justice, and gender rights issues to do so as soon as possible. She looks forward to working with you!