Meredith Blake is a public interest attorney, advocate and social entrepreneur working in the areas of domestic and dating violence, abuse prevention, and youth services. Meredith is the founder of Break the Cycle, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end domestic violence by working proactively with youth. Break the Cycle furthers its mission by providing law-based education, free legal services, advocacy and support to young people, ages 12 to 22. Meredith founded Break the Cycle shortly after graduating from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in May 1995.
Meredith is a prominent member of the public interest law community, participating in numerous coalitions, public speaking on a range of topics, and holding appointments on various boards and committees, including the UCLA School of Law Alumni Board. Meredith is also active in the field of social entrepreneurship: From 1998-2002, Meredith was selected as a fellow for the Fund for Social Entrepreneurs, the echoing green foundation, and the Violence Prevention Initiative of the California Wellness Foundation.
She has received a number of public interest law and advocacy awards including: the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women Who Make A Difference Award; the Women of Achievement Award presented by the Century City Chamber of Commerce Women’s Business Council; the 2002 Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles’ Pathfinder Award; California Women Lawyers’ Fay Stender Award for Public Service and Advocacy; the 1999 Los Angeles County Woman of the Year Award by the Commission on Women; Who Cares Magazine’s 1998 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year Award; Glamour Magazine’s Women at Their Best Award; Family Circle Magazine’s Halo Award for women who have positively impacted their community; State Bar of California’s Jack Berman Award of Achievement and the Nancy J. Mintie Public Interest Award.
Meredith has been featured in both local and national media including: O Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Outlook, California Law Business, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Glamour, JUMP, Shape, Swing, Family Circle, Pacifica Radio, National Public Radio, the Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC News, Fox News, and First Cut.
Born and raised in New York, Meredith graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in political science and mass communications. She then attended law school at the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition to her work at Break the Cycle, Meredith is also involved in research and writing on issues impacting women. She has published articles on domestic violence and women’s health care issues. As an attorney, research scholar, author, and social entrepreneur, Meredith continues to work on innovative ways of achieving social justice.
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