Joseph Strom, a student at Chicago-Kent College of Law, has been awarded the Skadden Fellowship. This fellowship supports recent law graduates who pursue public interest law projects addressing civil legal needs of people living in poverty in the United States.
Strom plans to tackle discrimination against individuals with disabilities, focusing on technological barriers to employment such as remote work denial and website accessibility. He will work with Equip for Equality, an organization dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities in Illinois.
Strom previously interned at Equip for Equality in 2024. He noted an increase in cases related to remote work and accessibility issues. "Chicago-Kent Adjunct Professor and managing attorney at Equip for Equality Christopher Garcia and I saw that there was an increase in cases that the group was seeing regarding remote work," Strom said.
He is also concerned about artificial intelligence's role in employment processes. "A lot of employers are using AI processes to make decisions without necessarily understanding and being careful to de-bias those technologies," he stated.
The fellowship aims to position Illinois as a leader in defending disabled employees' rights. Strom's approach is educational rather than punitive, aiming to inform employers about potential issues while providing solutions.
"We want to really be focused on the needs and the desires of the client," Strom explained, emphasizing his commitment to helping clients secure employment rather than engaging in litigation unless necessary.
Strom has been passionate about worker rights since his first job at McDonald's at age 16. His experience includes working toward unionizing a workplace and recognizing how challenging navigating labor laws can be.
He has worked with various organizations like the Plaintiff’s Employment Clinic at Chicago-Kent College of Law and Legal Aid Chicago’s Immigrants and Workers’ Rights practice group, gaining insight into workers' conditions.
“We talk about theft, we talk about crime, but the largest provider of theft in this country is employers, as far as wage violations go,” he remarked.
The Skadden Foundation receives around 200 applications annually but only funds 28 proposals. Strom's extensive involvement at Chicago-Kent likely contributed to his selection. He serves as president of the Kent Justice Foundation and holds leadership roles in other student organizations.
"Skadden is probably the most selective and therefore sometimes called the most prestigious one," said Strom. He follows two previous Skadden fellows from Chicago-Kent: Rachel Brady '13 partnered with Equip for Equality during her fellowship, while Militza Pagán '17 became a fellow upon graduation. Professor Carolyn Shapiro was also a Skadden fellow early in her career.