Jessica Carvalho Morris is an international lawyer, scholar, teacher and consultant whose career has been dedicated to the expansion and promotion of human rights. The daughter of an American missionary who was kidnapped, tortured and expelled from Brazil by the Brazilian Army during the military dictatorship in the 1970s, Jessica has devoted her career to furthering international human rights. She is admitted to practice law in Brazil and Florida, and publishes and lectures on international human rights and aspects of Brazilian and American constitutional law.
Jessica is the Executive Director of Conectas Human Rights the largest Brazilian based organization working in the promotion of international human rights. Prior to joining Conectas, Jessica was the Director of the International Graduate Law Programs at the University of Miami School of Law. She also served as a Field Attorney for the U.S. at National Labor Relations Board, as an Associate in the firm of Greenberg Traurig, and early in her career worked with the Ministério Público do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil with women victims of domestic violence and on issues of prisoners’ rights.
Jessica was a member of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA from 2008 to 2014. She was the first Latina to serve as Vice Chair. She also served as chair the Governance Committee and was on the Executive Committee of the Board. She was the coordinator for the Miami Chapter of Amnesty International for five years, 2004-2009. In that position, she led the organization of one of the largest Florida state conferences and the Southern Regional Conference, and significantly expanded the fundraising and membership of the Miami Chapter with regular events. In addition to her work with AIUSA, she also co-chaired the Civil Rights Committee of the Florida Bar and was a member of the Board of the Florida International University Women’s Center Advisory Council.