Sean McCormick

Background

About Sean McCormick

I am to challenge laws, policies, and practices that marginalize and oppress by centering the needs and experiences of people impacted by racism, homophobia, classism, and misogyny. Prior to law school, my work focused on comprehending and addressing the complex barriers to clinical care faced by people with co-existing substance use disorders, HIV, and HCV. In my initial legal experiences, I crafted individualized, nonjudgmental legal solutions for folks accessing disability benefits and supported efforts to combat discrimination against people living with HIV. With this work, I witnessed the downstream effects of laws and policies that target Black and Latine folks, working-class communities, and LGBTQ+ people. In my recent experiences, I have concentrated on studying HIV criminalization laws and policies, as well as other laws and policies that marginalize and oppress people living with HIV, substance use disorders, or other stigmatized conditions, and advocating for evidence-based solutions to the overdose crisis, the HIV epidemic, and related public health problems. These efforts have challenged punitive, criminal legal responses to these crises and have elevated approaches that center racial, gender, and economic justice.