Cassandre Theano is an associate legal officer for the Open Society Justice Initiative, based in the New York office, focusing on citizenship and equality.

Before joining the Open Society Foundations, Theano consulted on human rights reports for submission before the United Nations, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Human Rights Commission for various nonprofit organizations. Previously, Theano was a litigation associate practicing complex commercial and insurance litigation at a national law firm.

She holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, with a concentration on international human rights law and a certificate in refugees and humanitarian emergencies. At Georgetown Law, she participated in the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic, where she successfully advocated for women’s land and property rights in Kenya. She was also the articles editor of the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law. She earned her undergraduate degree in international relations and French literature and her master’s degree in French society, politics, and culture from New York University.