Nellie Fitzpatrick
Philadelphia-based lawyer and activist Nellie Fitzpatrick served her city for six and a half years as an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia, spending “the majority” of her career in the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit. That work led her into training new cadets at the Police Academy and law enforcement and correction officers (at local, state and federal levels) on hate and bias crime and serving the LGBTQ communities, something she then did herself as Director of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia under Mayor Michael Nutter. Fitzpatrick has won several awards, but she’s also had some major wins with the creation and implementation of policies that help LGBTQI individuals, including the Gotta Go! Guide, an interactive Google map virtually hosted by the City of Philadelphia to track and identify all gender and gender-neutral bathrooms, rooms, non-gender-segregated spaces. “I am a natural advocate and love trial practice, but one of the best parts of my job is being able to give my clients answers, even difficult ones,” Fitzpatrick says. “These can be complex systems that are challenging to navigate. Helping someone find their footing in an otherwise obscure and uncertain situation is incredibly rewarding.” —TB
What Do You Think?