Small Group Discussion with Sharon Brett

Join the American Constitution Society for a small group discussion with Sharon Brett. This networking call is part of the 2020 ACS Student Convention Virtual Series. Registration is limited to ten students, so be sure to register soon! 

Featuring:

Sharon Brett, Senior Staff Attorney, Criminal Justice Policy Program, Harvard Law School

Biography:

Sharon Brett joins the Criminal Justice Policy Program with over thirteen years of experience working on a diverse array of criminal justice reform issues. Most recently, Sharon served as a Trial Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section, where she focused on complex investigations and litigation regarding police misconduct and unlawful conditions in prisons and jails. In that role, Sharon spearheaded several pattern or practice investigations of law enforcement agencies, and worked closely with jurisdictions to develop and implement changes to their law enforcement and correctional practices as required by court-ordered consent decrees.

In addition to her investigation and enforcement work, Sharon also wrote several Statements of Interest articulating the Department of Justice’s position regarding critical criminal justice issues. These briefs focused on a wide range of topics, including the unconstitutionality of blanket prohibitions on hormone therapy for transgender prisoners (Diamond v. Owens); enforcement of anti-camping ordinances against individuals experiencing homelessness where there are no shelter beds available (Bell v. Boise); and monetary bail schemes that fail to account for a defendant’s ability to pay (Varden v. City of Clanton). Finally, Sharon contributed to the Department’s 2015 report entitled Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

Sharon holds a B.A. in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Michigan, and a J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School. Immediately after graduating from law school, Sharon clerked for the Hon. John M. Facciola (ret.) of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. Prior to attending law school, Sharon spent several years as a Program Analyst with the Vera Institute of Justice, where she focused on building and working with diverse coalitions to inform and push forward criminal justice reform agendas.