Dr. Tessa Henson

Biography

Tessa Henson is a Clinical Fellow and Research Associate in the Economic Justice Institute, where she co-teaches and supervises students in the Neighborhood Law Clinic and Eviction Defense Clinic. She launched the Milwaukee Property Tax Appeals Project in Fall 2023, in collaboration with local Milwaukee nonprofit Coalition for Property Tax Justice and over 15 grassroots organizations. The project aims to help Milwaukeeans with low incomes maintain their homes by preventing property overtaxation and foreclosure, which disproportionately impacts Black and Latino homeowners, exacerbating the racial wealth gap. To date, the project has served 300 households, assisting families in preserving $9 million in generational wealth. Tessa received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she served as Co-President of the APIDA Law Students Association and helped establish several mentorship programs. During her law school career, she worked with Legal Action Wisconsin’s Housing Law and Eviction Defense Project, co-drafting comments for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to support a rule petition advocating for education, diversity, equity, and inclusion in legal practices. Currently, she serves on the leadership team of a pre-law mentorship program and is a representative on the Law School's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Research Interests