Tulane Alum Receives Prestigious Award, Begins Career in Law

Dahlia Michael is deeply involved in her community in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has worked for the Tulane University’s Center for Public Service, collaborated with a district judge and professor on criminal justice reform, and engaged with multiple local community organizations promoting diversity and inclusion. This year, she is also a recipient of the Tulane 34 award.

“The support of Posse has given me a sense of community that allowed me to grow in ways I could not have imagined.”

Less than two percent of graduates will receive the Tulane 34 Award. Named for the year the university was founded, the award recognizes 34 graduating students as members of the community who demonstrated exemplary leadership, service, and academic excellence during their time at Tulane. It is among the most coveted honors at the university.

Dahlia was part of the Community Engagement Advocacy program where she facilitated equity and inclusion workshops for Tulane students and local organizations. As a lead advocate, she focused on the criminal justice system, which led to her interest in law. Her work served as a steppingstone to her honors thesis where she examined concepts and the implementation of alternative justice systems.

“My motivation for my work is to make legal services more accessible to marginalized groups and to implement community-led solutions for addressing disparities in the criminal justice system,” says Dahlia.

In July, Dahlia began her law career as a litigation paralegal for the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York. She credits the Posse Career Program for helping her secure the unique opportunity.

“The support of Posse and all the Posses in New Orleans have given me a sense of community that allowed me to grow in ways I could not have imagined.”

Dahlia plans to attend law school and hopes to become a human rights attorney.