SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Derrick Luster

UCLA School of Law

Derrick Luster is a Class of 2023 graduate from the UCLA School of Law, where he earned specializations in Public Interest Law & Policy and Critical Race Studies.

Derrick graduated from Elon University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, having minored in Sociology and African & African-American studies. At Elon, Derrick was recognized for his research as an Elon College Fellow, and for his leadership in public service as a 2019 Harry S. Truman Scholarship finalist. Derrick served in Student Government, and was selected as one of four students on the Elon Strategic Planning Committee to represent students’ interests in developing the 10year University strategic plan.

At UCLA, Derrick was a member of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the National Black Law Journal (NBLJ), and the Queer and Trans People of Color Collective (QTPOCC). During his 1L summer, Derrick clerked with the Equal Justice Society, where he prepared research and briefs for race-based impact litigation cases. During the spring semester of his 2L year, Derrick externed with the Center for Public Research & Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University as a graduate consultant for an education organization supporting the needs of marginalized students in Houston, Texas.

Last summer, Derrick worked as a summer associate at Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz and Frick LLP, a complex civil litigation boutique in New York City, where he collaborated with attorneys to develop and execute strategies for cases ranging from disability discrimination in schools to police brutality. Derrick recently served as a Civil Rights Fellow at the Law Offices of Do Kim, APLC in Koreatown.