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When Neha Sree Tadepalli, JD ‘25, graduates this spring, she’ll take with her the memories of the kind words and support from her peers — some of whom have become lifelong friends — professors, her moot partners and other members of the Faculty of Law community. It’s thanks to this community that she has strengthened her advocacy skills, learned about the practice of law and has had the chance to explore Edmonton’s scenic River Valley throughout every season.

“I have a lot of gratitude for this school and our surprisingly beautiful, brutalist building,” she says.

Prior to her time at the ÒÁÈËÖ±²¥, Tadepalli received a bachelor of political science from the University of British Columbia and a masters of arts in human rights studies from Columbia University.

She also worked as a research fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, and as a policy and advocacy intern at the Nobel Women’s Initiative, an organization that supports and advocates for international human rights. While at UBC, she worked to reform sexual violence policies, and led campaigns to address student access to food and textbooks.

As a volunteer, Tadepalli has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for herself and her peers to take action and engage with the field of law. She has played instrumental roles in organizing many initiatives like networking events, naloxone training sessions, protest rights workshops, a trauma-informed lawyering panel and others.

During her studies at the Faculty of Law, Tadepalli volunteered extensively, having led fundraising efforts for humanitarian crises, having served as chair of the Women’s Law Forum, and acted as president and treasurer of Law Students for Human Rights, where she led more than 15 community focused initiatives. Further, she volunteered with Student Legal Services, and the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program. In her second year, she also worked as a summer student with the Government of British Columbia’s legal services branch.

Tadepalli also excelled in moot competitions. She was a first runner-up at the Dean’s Cup Moot in her first year, the winner at the Alberta Court of Appeal Criminal Moot in her second year, and second-place winner at the Canadian Client Consultation Moot this spring. Further, she regularly mentored first-year law students for their moot competitions.

For her dedication to and extensive work in the field of human rights, Tadepalli received the Cecilia Johnstone Equality Award in 2024. Named for the first female president of the Canadian Bar Association, the award honours JD students who have a strong academic record and who have worked toward the cause of social equity on campus and beyond.

However, one of the things Tadepalli will remember most from her time at the Faculty is the community. She says that people at the Faculty look out for each other and their respective communities, citing the dedication of her peers who have worked with groups like the Women’s Law Forum, Law Students for Human Rights, OutLaw, the Indigenous Law Students Association and Student Legal Services.

“There’s a sense of camaraderie and friendship here that I feel really lucky to have experienced,” she says.

After graduation, Tadepalli will be articling with the Government of British Columbia in Vancouver. She says she is looking forward to also reconnecting with friends and family there, and she hopes to continue volunteering with community organizations — she also looks forward to seeing the ocean again.

Looking back on her time at the ÒÁÈËÖ±²¥, Tadepalli says that classes and studying are important, but so are the people and the community. Entering law school gives a person a certain measure of power and privilege, and Tadepalli hopes that future graduates will think about how to make the world a better place with it. Finally, she hopes that current and future students know that it can be hard to learn new skills, but that’s ok.

“Be kind to yourself as you figure out a new way of advocacy! Everyone always finds their way,” she says.