Devi J. Patel

Biography

Devi J. Patel is the Director of Public Interest Advising at the University of North Carolina School of Law. She develops public interest programs and supports students and alumni in their pursuit of public interest, government, and international human rights careers. Prior to joining Carolina Law, Devi served as the Director of the Public Interest/Public Service Fellows Program at Columbia Law School for five years.

As an attorney, Devi dedicated her career to providing civil legal aid services to marginalized communities. She began her career at Sanctuary for Families as a Staff Attorney and Poverty Justice Solutions Fellow, litigating a wide range of cases to protect and promote the rights of domestic violence and human trafficking survivors. She subsequently oversaw the development of a statewide pro bono program established to increase access to justice in New York State Family Courts. She has extensive experience cultivating partnerships with the judiciary, legal services organizations, law firms, and law schools.

Devi holds a B.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from North Carolina State University and a J.D. from New York Law School, where she was recognized as a Carbonell Fellow in Law and Policy and received the Alexander D. Forger Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession. Throughout her legal education, she gained valuable experience working for various civil legal aid organizations, including Sanctuary for Families’ Immigration Intervention Project, Safe Horizon’s Domestic Violence Law Project, and the Safe Passage Project. Devi is admitted to practice law in New York.

Education

• B.A. in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from North Carolina State University
• J.D. from New York Law School