Anurima Bhargava is a civil rights lawyer with extensive experience in various roles advocating for members of underrepresented communities. Before founding Anthem of Us, where she currently serves as President, Bhargava was the Chief of the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she led the Division’s efforts to provide equal educational opportunities for all students. Bhargava has served on numerous task forces and working groups, including at the White House.

Prior to joining the Justice Department in 2010, Bhargava served as the Director of the Education Practice at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where she worked to expand educational access and opportunities for students of color. She previously worked at the New York City Department of Education and clerked in the Southern District of New York.

In addition to her work at the Department of Justice and the LDF, Bhargava served as a fellow at the Open Society Foundations and at Harvard University. Before attending law school, she worked in India assisting women elected to local government. She has been a member of the Truman National Security Project and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Bhargava earned her law degree from Columbia Law School and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College. She was born and raised on the south side of Chicago.

Anurima Bhargava was appointed to the Commission on December 11, 2018, by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, for a term ending on May 19, 2020.