Before joining the Council, Pearl worked at the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP), where she served as deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to the assistant attorney general during the Biden Administration. In this capacity, she played a key role in reimagining OJP’s $5 billion annual grantmaking portfolio, with a focus on strengthening the role of communities as co-producers of safety and justice. Earlier in her career, she worked for the Center for American Progress as associate director for criminal justice reform. Pearl began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, with placements at both the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice. She holds a B.S. in Social Policy and Political Science from Northwestern University, and a Masters in American Government from Georgetown University.
