Carla J. Cartwright

Food and Drug Administration

Carla Cartwright grew up in Memphis, TN. She graduated from Washington University with a degree in English and Secondary Education, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. As a college student, Carla was active in the Association of Black Students, student government, and Campus Y volunteer programs.

Following college Carla attended Yale Law School. She especially enjoyed working in the New Haven, CT community through a program called Street Law, which teaches practical law and critical thinking skills to students and adults in public schools, jails, and other community settings.

After graduation she continued her work with Street Law at Georgetown University Law Center (GULC). Carla did a two-year clinical teaching fellowship in the GULC Street Law Clinic where she taught law students who taught practical law classes in Washington DC public high schools. She earned an LLM through the fellowship program.

Carla then worked briefly for a large law firm in Washington DC before deciding to pursue her interest in education by joining the staff of Teach For America (TFA). Working out of the Washington DC national office, Carla was the deputy vice-president of training and support and worked on a team that provided cross cutting support to educators across the country who trained and supported TFA’s recent college graduates as they embarked on two-year teaching commitments.

After two years with TFA, Carla decided to return to the practice of law. She worked for McKee Nelson LLP in their white collar practice group where she represented individuals in internal and government investigations.

Most recently, Carla has taken a position with the Office of Chief Counsel for the Food & Drug Administration. Specifically, she works with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research on a variety of legal and policy issues.

In her spare time, Carla enjoys traveling, reading, teaching in the community, and spending time with her husband and young son.