LGBTQ+ Pride Month Spotlight Series: Jennifer Rabbino

As part of our Pride Month celebration, we’ve asked our colleagues to reflect on the significance of this month.

Cleary Gottlieb associate Jennifer Rabbino shares some of her thoughts below.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Cleary.

I am a fifth-year associate in the IP litigation group, focusing on patent, trade secret, and copyright litigation. I joined Cleary in August 2025.

What does Pride Month mean to you?

I think there is a common misconception that Pride Month is only centered around parties—and there is definitely plenty of celebration! But I particularly love Pride Month as an opportunity to learn more about queer history. I find that there are many events and exhibits in the city during this month that focus on educating people about the history of LGBTQ+ rights and the people who stood up for our community in the many decades before us. It is so important to understand how recently this all took place, as well—it was not long ago that a public post like this on a corporate website would be unthinkable. We still have a long way to go, but Pride Month is important as a way to acknowledge the progress we’ve made from then to now.

Has your identity impacted how you approach your work and career?

When you are a member of a minority group, I believe you are naturally more inclined to consider not only your own community but also other minority groups and their lived experiences. In law school and in my first job as an attorney, I was involved with LGBTQ+ affinity groups. These exposed me to what would become some of my most memorable pro bono experiences, including a successful asylum case in my law school’s LGBTQ Advocacy Clinic and successful name changes for transgender clients. That set a great foundation for the importance of pro bono work in my career, not only within the LGBTQ+ community but within other marginalized and underserved communities. I’ve since worked with New York small business owners to register trademarks for their businesses and negotiate settlement agreements following cease-and-desist letters, and I am currently working on another asylum case as well as a prisoners’ rights litigation.

Are there any LGBTQ+ leaders, activists, writers/artists, professionals, or family members who have inspired you?

The first people I think of as far as inspirational LGBTQ+ leaders and activists are Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two pioneers of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. They fought for what was right in the face of ruthless adversity and backlash, and that’s a great reminder of the importance of doing the right thing, even when it isn’t easy.

What is your favorite thing about working in the legal industry, and why did you choose to work at Cleary?

As a litigator, of course I love getting wins for our clients, even the small ones. But in the day-to-day, my favorite thing is being part of a team that works together towards a common goal. Not only does being part of a team make me feel supported, but we can all learn from hearing each other’s perspectives. I have made many great friends and mentors from some of the busiest matters I’ve worked on over the years, and I’m very grateful for that. 

I came to Cleary last August after hearing only great things about the firm, and I was super excited to be a part of the growing IP litigation group. I had also been fortunate enough to work in very collegial and collaborative environments ever since my paralegal days out of college, so the “Cleary culture” seemed to fit the bill in that respect. Last, but certainly not least, I knew Cleary had a wide range of affinity networks and a robust pro bono practice, both of which are very important considerations to me. Ten months in, I can confidently say I made the right choice in coming to Cleary—our team is working on really fun cases, and I’ve already learned and grown so much thanks to the opportunities I’ve been given.

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of their employer/firm. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.