Shara Darden

Class of 2024

Shara is a part-time, fourth-year law student who has clerked and volunteered with several nonprofits and public entities in her work toward a public interest law designation, including the Eviction Defense Network, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Movement Law Lab, and the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. Most recently, Shara received the State Bar of California’s Legal Aid Leaders Fellowship for her work as a certified law clerk in the Tenant Defense Project at Inner City Law Center.

Shara is a returning Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow and holds leadership positions as Co-Chair of the National Lawyers Guild – SW Chapter and the Diversity & Inclusion Chair of the American Constitution Society – SW Chapter. She plans to continue her career in pursuit of housing justice.

Alexander is a second-year law student, a first-generation college graduate, and a Marine Corps veteran He successfully earned a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Society and Genetics from UCLA. Throughout his undergraduate years, Alexander became aware of the numerous injustices that veterans face when transitioning from military to civilian life. These injustices include the disproportionately high number of homeless veterans, forcing out service members without benefits due to discriminatory policies like Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the deportation of veterans who have served their country honorably. Witnessing these and other issues inspired Alexander to pursue a legal career with the goal of assisting those who have served their country but have not been as fortunate as he has.

Following an eventful summer serving as a law clerk at the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, Alexander is eager to continue on as a law clerk in the coming year with Public Counsel's Center for Veteran's Advancement as well as aiding immigrants through Southwestern’s Immigration Law Clinic. His ultimate aspiration is to engage in intersectional impact litigation to facilitate the repatriation of deported veterans.