Nadia Seeratan

Nadia Seeratan joined Legal Aid DC in June 2024 as the Director of Reentry and Community Lawyering at Legal Aid DC. She leads the Community Lawyering and Engagement Program with the goal of deepening Legal Aid’s efforts to address systemic inequities in DC by supporting and empowering District residents, particularly those who have been historically marginalized – disproportionately people of color who live in concentrated areas of poverty. Nadia embraces a holistic, client-centered approach to community engagement. She also directs the Reentry Justice Project, working to eliminate barriers District residents face based on past contacts with the police and criminal justice system.  

Nadia has over 20 years of experience in litigation, policy advocacy, legal system reform, and direct services. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience with racial justice and equity work. She began her legal career on the frontlines of the Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice in New York City, where she represented children in child welfare and juvenile delinquency proceedings, and in domestic violence proceedings in criminal court. She went on to serve as the Racial Justice Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) challenging injustice, racism, and discrimination through impact litigation, advocacy, and public education campaigns designed to positively impact communities of color.  

She spent eight years with the National Juvenile Defender Center as a Senior Attorney and Policy Advocate where she promoted access to justice for children by working to build the capacity of the juvenile defense bar and improve outcomes for system involved youth around the country. She also worked as a Juvenile and Criminal Justice System Consultant providing leadership development and racial justice advocacy through training, technical assistance, and support to frontline and appellate public defenders. Most recently before joining Legal Aid DC, she was the Deputy Director of the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law supporting a team of attorneys and advocates to provide meaningful access to justice for children, parents, and families who come into contact with the legal system.