Julia studied Cinema and Media Studies as well as Human Rights at the University of Chicago. She has a professional background as a paralegal and previously worked for a renowned criminal defence firm where she assisted counsel for Abdul Latif Nasser, who was released from the illegal US prison at Guantanamo and returned to his home country. She is also a multimedia and event producer, organiser, and visual artist. Her photography has appeared in outlets such as People’s Dispatch, The Wire, Tone Glow, The Media, The Chicago Reader, and Pitchfork, and she has hosted radio programs on WHPK and WFMU. She was a research contributor to Liz Pelly’s critically acclaimed book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. As an organiser, she has primarily been a part of building movements of cultural workers as well as currently and formerly incarcerated people.