Rolonda Donelson is the 2023/24 Maeve McKean Women’s Law and Public Policy – O’Neill Institute Fellow.
During her fellowship, Donelson will be working closely with the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a national organization that seeks to advance the health rights of low-income and underserved individuals and families. This work will focus on reproductive and sexual health as well increasing access to Medicaid.
While in law school, Donelson interned at the Center for Reproductive Rights on the U.S. Litigation team and at Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Washington in the Immigration Legal Services division. During her first year of law school, she helped co-found the Women of Color Coalition, a student group focusing on the unique experiences women and femmes of color experience in the legal field. She also worked in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations, was a student-attorney in the Gender Justice Clinic, and served as the Digital Media & Outreach Editor for the Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. During her second year Donelson also co-taught a yearlong course in Constitutional Law to D.C. area high school students.
Donelson is passionate about movement lawyering and centering the voices and experiences of directly affected individuals. She is inspired by the leaders of the reproductive justice movement and the need to make movements intersectional.
Donelson holds a B.A. with dual majors in Politics and International & Global from Brandeis University and a J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law.
