Lars Odland joined as a fellow in September 2023, having recently graduated from Columbia Law School. During his two-year fellowship, Lars will contribute to a range of civil rights-related litigation, striving to provide meaningful support to the individuals and communities negatively impacted by our police and carceral systems.

While in law school, Lars sought out opportunities to become a more effective civil rights advocate, particularly regarding the rights of children. He was a legal extern in the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Office of the Attorney General, where he contributed to the Bureau’s investigations of law enforcement and education-related misconduct. Over the summers, Lars interned at the Center for Educational Equity, Dechert LLP, and Education Law Center, where he provided direct services work and supported constitutional challenges regarding educational rights. He was also a Project Associate in Columbia’s Center for Public Research and Leadership, where he helped develop legislative and administrative reforms in public education.

Lars was a staffer on the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, and was a Kent Scholar and Stone Scholar at Columbia.

Outside of the office, Lars enjoys playing the guitar, finding new recipes to cook, and exploring the green spaces around his new home, Los Angeles.