public service program award luncheon Thursday, April 14th, 2022
LUNCHEON program
OPENING AND INTRODUCTION Michelle Takagishi-Almeida, Public Service Program Director DEAN'S WELCOME AND MESSAGE President & Dean Darby Dickerson GEORGE AND KATRINA WOOLVERTON AWARD PRESENTATION Andrea Ramos, PILC Faculty Committee Chair Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Immigration Law Clinic WOOLVERTON FAMILY PUBLIC INTEREST AWARD PRESENTATION Andrea Ramos, PILC Faculty Committee Chair Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Immigration Law Clinic SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD PRESENTATION Julia Vazquez, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic STUDENT ORGANIZATION VOLUNTEER AWARD PRESENTATION Jeffrey Martin, 2021-22 PILC Co-Chair
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FACULTY COMMITTEE
Through Southwestern’s Public Service Program Award Luncheon, the Public Interest Law Faculty Committee honors those students from each year's graduating class with a demonstrated dedication to public interest law activities or career practice. The Public Service Program (PSP) Award Luncheon also aims to cultivate in the wider Southwestern student body a commitment to pro bono and public service through the recognition of students who fulfill their PSP Pledge of completing a minimum of 75-hours of service by graduation.
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW COMMITTEE
Southwestern’s Public Interest Law Committee’s mission is to help create a community where Southwestern students are educated and incentivized to participate in issues concerning and advancing the public interest. Each year, the student-led Public Interest Law Committee focuses efforts in raising the financial support necessary for those students who wish to spend a summer contributing to the work of public interest and government agencies providing legal services and representation for underserved communities across California.
congratulations to our 2022 graduating student award recipients!
GEORGE & KATRINA WOOLVERTON
Made possible through the generosity of Southwestern alumni George Woolverton ‘75 and Katrina Woolverton '02. Established in 2010, the George and Katrina Woolverton Public Service Award is given to one graduating student in recognition of demonstrated and extraordinary dedication to public interest law activities while at Southwestern. Established in 2017, The Woolverton Family Public Interest Award honors one graduating student in recognition of exceptional dedication to public interest law activities while at Southwestern.
DORNA KHAZENI george and katrina woolverton Public service award recipient
Dorna Khazeni was born in Iran. She worked as a Farsi certified court interpreter and a French literary translator prior to attending law school. She decided to make a career change due to her increasing awareness of the unjust treatment of Muslims and individuals from the Middle East as a result of anti-terrorism policies following September 11. Three years of law school have allowed her to better understand the dynamic between power and justice. She hopes her advocacy will always be in the service of a fight to aligning what is legal with what is just.
JEFFREY MARTIN
woolverton family public interest award recipient
Jeff is a longtime North Hollywood resident who came to law school to better serve the underrepresented in his community. While at Southwestern, Jeff served as Co-Chair of the Public Interest Law Committee, President of the Homelessness Prevention Law Project, Treasurer of the National Lawyers’ Guild, and Vice President of the Student Bar Association. Outside of school, Jeff participates in the National Lawyers Guild’s Legal Observer program and maintains his own donation-based charity for the unhoused in North Hollywood.
Southwestern public interest law service award Honoring selected graduating students in recognition of an individual's demonstrated and significant dedication to public interest law activities while at Southwestern.
ANGEL AJALA
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Angel Ajala has undoubtedly committed herself to public service and the Southwestern community in having served as board member of multiple public interest organizations on campus as well as having volunteered at a number off-campus organizations. Angel has earned over 200 public service hours and will proudly continue her commitment to this work with Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, Inc. where she will serve as a post-bar clerk following summer bar exam.
EMILY GOLDBERG
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Emily Goldberg (they/them) has been dedicated to strengthening the Southwestern community on and off-campus during their law school studies. Emily has served as Co-Chair of PILC, Secretary of OUTLaw, Upper-Division Representative of SBA, and co-facilitated Southwestern's Safe Space Series. Emily has also served as a law clerk in several of Southwestern's Legal Clinics, such as Street Law, Community Lawyering, and Eviction Defense. Following summer bar exam, Emily will continue on in their journey as a post-bar fellow with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles's Eviction Defense Unit.
VIVIAN KIM
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Over the past several years, Vivian has had the opportunity to work across all sides of the Los Angeles criminal justice system—first at the District Attorney’s office, then as a judicial clerk for multiple felony judges, and most recently as an extern with the Offices of both the Alternate Public Defender and Public Defender. While each experience was rewarding, Vivian found her work with public defenders offices to be the most fulfilling in finding her purpose. Vivian intends to dedicate her legal career to indigent defense and, following summer bar exam, will continue on as a post-bar clerk with the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office.
FABIOLA MARTINEZ
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Fabiola is a first-generation college and law student planning to pursue a career in employment law. During her studies at Southwestern, Fabiola has served as a Peggy Browning Fellow with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, clerked at the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law and currently works at a law firm representing workers. After law school, Fabiola hopes to use her law degree to continue advocating for working class communities.
JOVANA MORALES
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Jovana is a first-generation student who has always been passionate about public interest practice, specifically in the area of immigration law and policy, as she aspires to be an advocate for immigrant rights. Jovana participated in both the Immigration Law Clinic and the Advanced Immigration Law Clinic, providing immigration relief to individuals in the community. While at Southwestern, Jovana was also a peer mentor and a member of both the Latino Law Students Association and the Immigration Law Students Association.
TATIANA OWENS
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Tatiana was raised in South Central Los Angeles, graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor’s in Political Science, and is a mom to an 11-year old son, Justin, and cat Halle. In addition to serving as a law clerk for the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, Tatiana has served as a board member for Southwestern’s Black Law Student Association, Latino Law Student Association, a Peer Mentor, and as a Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow. Following summer bar exam, Tatiana returns to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
MARKISHA ROCHES
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Markisha is committed to public service and her vision for the future in creating a better legal system for victims of violent crimes and to ensure that victims' voices are heard as an aspiring prosecutor. Aside from being a Peer Mentor, Vice President of Teen Court, and member of Southwestern's Trial Advocacy Honors Program, Markisha is most grateful for her new role as a mom to her four-month-old son, Cameron.
ELENI RODRIGUEZ
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Eleni is the proud daughter of two Marine Corp veterans and will be graduating from Southwestern's accelerated two-year SCALE program. While at Southwestern, Eleni volunteered in over 20 pro bono clinics directed by legal service organizations, such as A New Way of Life, Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, and the Levitt Quinn Family Law Center, among others. Eleni is a Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow and recipient of the Cassady Humanitarian Award. Following summer bar exam, she will be continuing onto the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office as a post-bar clerk.
CRISTINA TERRAZAS
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Cristina is a first-generation law student with a dream of working for the District Attorney's Office. At Southwestern, she has served as the President of Teen Court, Co-President of the Tax Law Society, Treasurer of the Criminal Law Society, Fundraising Co-coordinator for the Women's Law Association, as a Peer Mentor, and as a law clerk for the Community Lawyering Clinic and for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. She has found a passion for public service work and has achieved over 400 public service hours, volunteering for various organizations.
ALEX WELFRINGER
southwestern public interest law service award recipient
Alex came to Southwestern after earning her B.A. in Business Administration and M.B.A. from Point Loma Nazarene University. Alex is a student in Southwestern's accelerated two-year SCALE program and is actively involved in public service and extracurricular activities. Alex serves as a member of Southwestern's Law Review, a Senior Advocate and Academics Chair for the Trial Advocacy Honors Program, a law clerk in Southwestern's Ninth Circuit Appellate Litigation Clinic, a Teaching Assistant to Dean Rolnick, Professor Gunning, Professor VanLandingham, and Professor Aronovsky, and a student leader for Southwestern's Small Claims Court Clinic. She has externed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division for the Central District of California and has accepted a position as a 2022 summer associate with the Los Angeles office of Holland & Knight.
pilc student organization volunteer achievement award Honoring a student organization who, as a whole, has demonstrated the most significant contribution to public service activities and engagement both on- and off-campus during the academic year.
MASS INCARCERATION AWARENESS LAW SOCIETY
MIALS is dedicated to educating students about mass incarceration's effect on the criminal justice system and impacted communities. Through partnerships with Initiate Justice, a grassroots prison policy advocacy organization, MIALS has expanded student involvement in Southwestern’s Mail Night Project, responding to letters and questions from inside individuals on sentencing laws and policy efforts. Through a partnership with Noname Book Club, a Black-led worker cooperative, MIALS organizes book drives responding to individuals educational needs while incarcerated; and most recently, assists in legislative advocacy through data collection and monitoring of implementation of AB292, regarding rehabilitative programming for currently incarcerated persons. Through direct action, MIALS members have expanded service and educational opportunities for Southwestern students.
Southwestern's public service pledge Southwestern’s Public Service Program was established in 2009 to encourage students to perform 25 hours of service each year as part of the legal profession’s responsibility to ensure equal access to justice for all communities. In partnership with civil legal aid, nonprofit services organizations and government agencies, students provide direct legal services, litigation and policy advocacy as well as community legal education in a wide-variety of settings and contexts. Students who have performed a minimum of 75 hours of public service throughout their law school experience receive special recognition at Commencement and have the notation “Public Service Distinction” placed on their law school transcript.
class of 2022
Congratulations to the graduating students who have fulfilled the Public Service Pledge Angel Ajala Charlotte Bray Daniel Cox Mikaela Davenport Andres De La Cruz Amanda Francisco Kyla Garcia Willow Karfiol Dorna Khazeni Vivian Kim Laura Lascoe Ting Yu Lo Abigail Lombardo Jeffrey Martin
Fabiola Martinez Cindy Medrano Jovana Morales Tatiana Owens Christopher Phelps Alixandra Powers Diana Ramirez Markisha Roches Eleni Rodriguez Michelle Slater Cristina Terrazas Alex Welfringer Frances Wood Chelsea Zaragoza
congratulations to our 2022 pilc summer grant recipients!
PILC GRANT RECIPIENTS
Bianca de la Vega Harvey L. and Lillian Silbert Public Interest Fellow Herbert Martinez Harvey L. and Lillian Silbert Public Interest Fellow Christopher Hanson Dean Leigh H. Taylor Public Interest Law Fund Christina Belmonte Sarah Bishop Taylor Bowen Aaron Bowers Meshi Chitrit Ariana De Los Reyes Natalie Diaz Maryam Eapen Monica Hernandez Lora Jones Ashley Kim Katelyn Marshall Ester Mendez Camelia Moher Hannah Nava-Holstein Armando Sanchez Hugo Stern Carlos Suarez Hernandez Lana Terpapian Kalin Woodward