Pilar Whitaker is a passionate civil rights attorney dedicated to advancing economic justice for communities of color. As Special Economic Justice Counsel at LDF, she helps develop bold litigation strategies to dismantle systemic barriers to economic mobility.
At LDF, Pilar has worked to combat housing discrimination, discriminatory practices in educational settings, and efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the public and private workforce. She is also deeply involved in LDF’s advocacy concerning reproductive justice in the wake of Dobbs, drafting or contributing to amicus briefs in cases protecting access to emergency health care for pregnant people, as well as safe and effective reproductive health care
Before joining LDF, Pilar served as Counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, serving in the Economic Justice Project.
Pilar earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School, where she held leadership roles focused on diversity and public interest law. She received her B.A. from UCLA. A California native with deep Oakland and Long Beach roots, Pilar enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, and playing fetch with her beagle in her free time.
