Prior to being elected to the State Senate and Boston City Council, Lydia worked extensively in the legal field. She worked as a public interest attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services focusing on labor issues such as fighting for access to unemployment insurance, back wages, fair treatment for domestic workers, and combating human trafficking.
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare stark inequalities that already existed beneath the surface of our society. Low-income communities and BIPOC communities, as well as older Americans and persons with disabilities, face terrible health challenges and unequal burdens: from disparities in rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease, to mental health and substance use disorder, to social isolation and loss of personal autonomy.