Francesca Simon joined DREDF as a Bridge Fellow in October 2023. Her advocacy focuses on civil rights litigation and reforming special education monitoring systems to ensure school districts throughout California provide quality services to students with disabilities.
Francesca’s interest in disability justice stems from her personal experiences with her mother and the challenges she has faced in ensuring she receives access to quality care and accommodations for her disabilities. Prior to law school, Francesca worked at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights as an education equity program associate where she assisted in the development of policies and programs designed to enhance protections for students experiencing harassment and discrimination in schools.
Francesca received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law with a certificate in Public Interest and Social Justice and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Political Science and Africana Studies.