The Equal Justice Society welcomes Dru Spiller as our 2026-2027 Judge Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellow through a fellowship honoring the first African American woman to serve on the federal bench. Dru started at EJS on July 13.
The Motley Fellowship is funded by a generous gift from Elizabeth J. Cabraser. EJS established the Fellowship in 2006 to nurture the talents of a new generation of progressive lawyers to transform anti-discrimination law and policy.
“Our profound gratitude to Elizabeth Cabraser for her sustained and generous funding of the Motley Fellowship,” said EJS President Lisa Holder. “Elizabeth’s incredible generosity means that EJS can continue to scale up its civil rights protection and expansion program and play an even greater role in fortifying the framework for multiracial inclusive democracy.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Dru Spiller as our Judge Constance Baker Motley Fellow. Dru’s strong background in environmental justice, human rights, and community advocacy makes her a great addition to our team. Whether holding corporations accountable or defending communities against harsh immigration policies, Dru has shown that her advocacy is rooted in justice. Her talent and dedication will be incredibly valuable as we continue to advance our critical work to repair the harm and fight for systemic justice,” said Mona Tawatao, EJS Legal Director.
ABOUT DRU SPILLER
Dru graduated in 2020 with her J.D. and International Law Certificate from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. She earned her B.A. in International Studies and French (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Spelman College in 2017.
Dru is admitted to the District of Columbia bar and has already gained experience in environmental justice, international human rights, and community advocacy.
Before joining EJS, Dru was engaged in research analyzing how environmental conditions, trade policy, and labor practices shape the global textile industry. During this period, Dru traveled through Europe and Southeast Asia to gain global perspectives on manufacturing, built a community of practice among independent artisans, and completed a Spanish immersion program in Mexico to achieve advanced language proficiency.
From October 2020 to August 2023, Dru litigated environmental justice cases as a staff attorney at the Sierra Club addressing air and water pollution impacts on low-income populations and communities of color across the Southwest, Gulf Coast, and Midwest. In this role, Dru built strategic partnerships with grassroots organizations, prepared regulatory testimony, and translated complex legal arguments for media and community stakeholders.
As a legal intern with the Redress Trust in London, Dru supported strategic human rights litigation challenging torture and discrimination across the UK, Africa, and the Middle East, while utilizing asset tracing to identify the holdings of human rights offenders. Dru also worked with Earthjustice to support international litigation protecting the land, water, and environmental rights of Indigenous peoples and marginalized communities.
As a Student Advocate for the International Human Rights Law Clinic, Dru conducted field research in Haiti regarding healthcare and education access, and prepared briefing materials for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Additionally, Dru provided trauma-informed legal representation to immigrants fleeing gender-based violence at the Tahirih Justice Center, where they provided critical French language access services.
About Judge Constance Baker Motley
Judge Motley (September 14, 1921-September 28, 2005) was the first African American woman to serve on the federal bench and the first African American woman to serve as chief judge. She played a major role in the ongoing effort to end racial injustice in this country. Her incredible life was not only marked by how many barriers she broke on behalf of women and Black Americans but also by the considerable legal skills and talents she brought in numerous cases she filed and won and the numerous cases she heard on the bench. Judge Motley also served as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s associate counsel and participated in writing the briefs for Brown v. Board of Education. She went on to shatter other gender and race barriers as the first African American woman elected to the New York state senate in 1964 and to the Manhattan borough presidency in 1965.