About

Julie Schwam Harris is a New Orleans native, educated in New Orleans Public Schools and a Summa Cum Laude graduate from Newcomb College of Tulane University.  She worked in City Government for 16 years, including the first five post Katrina recovery years, and has led and participated in numerous political campaigns.  She does part-time consulting and is a volunteer advocate on women’s and human rights issues. 

Julie believes that grass roots action and advocacy matter, and that individuals should not only work to elect candidates who support their issues but also communicate with elected officials after they take office.  She helped organize the Legislative Agenda for Women (LAW) coalition, which advocates on issues related to women and families predominantly at the state Legislature.  Issues include access to health care; economic security policies regarding equal pay for women, raising the minimum wage, affordable quality child care, paid sick and family leave and sexual harassment; comprehensive sex education and solutions to violence against women. 

Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Julie to the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission in 2016.Julie is a member and supporter of numerous local, state and national civic, rights and advocacy organizations.

In honor of her work in government and with organizations that seek to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all, Julie was named the 2015 recipient of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Hannah G. Solomon Award and the 2016 recipient of the ACLU Ben Smith Civil Liberties Award.  She has also received the Newcomb Alumnae Association Community Service Award and was an honoree of the New Orleans Family Justice Center and the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. – Epsilon Sigma Chapter.