Dima Khalidi is a Beirut-born, Chicago-raised Palestinian American lawyer and advocate. In 2012, she founded and has since directed Palestine Legal, an organization that engages in legal advocacy to protect the constitutional and civil rights of people speaking out for Palestinian freedom in the US.
Prior to founding Palestine Legal, she co-counseled, volunteered and interned at the Center for Constitutional Rights on various cases involving Palestinian rights, including an international campaign to stop the desecration of an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem, and cases aiming to hold Israeli officials accountable for violations of international law. She also interned at the People’s Law Office in Chicago, assisting in the acquittal of a Palestinian-American on politicized criminal charges.
Dima has a JD from DePaul University College of Law, an MA in International and Comparative Legal Studies from the University of London – SOAS, and a BA in History and Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. Prior to law school, she headed a research project at Birzeit University on informal justice mechanisms in the Palestinian legal system. She has also worked as a youth educator at several Chicago community programs. Dima’s advocacy on Palestinian rights issues extends to media forums such as The Washington Post, The Hill, Democracy Now!, The Nation, Al Jazeera, NPR, and other outlets. She is passionate about bringing to light Palestinian narratives in an ecosystem that insists on erasing and silencing them.