John,
When I started my journey to becoming an undocumented attorney, I had to find my own way to prepare for law school, pay for my tuition, and build my professional network. That’s why Immigrants Rising’s Pre-Law Fund is so important. Not only does our fund provide grants of $2,500 to cover LSAT preparation (courses, tutoring, self-study materials, etc) and law school application fees, but recipients also receive support throughout the application process and access to a large network of legal professionals.
Read more about our nine aspiring attorneys here!
This year, I had the chance to create the opportunities I wish I’d had. As part of the Pre-Law Fund Selection Committee, we reviewed 32 applications, and selected nine of them to be the recipients of this year's Immigrants Rising's Pre-Law Fund. We’re incredibly excited to share more about these recipients with you.
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Yanet Gutierrez (she/her) is a Mexican immigrant and first-generation college student who has known from a young age that she wanted to attend law school in order to create paths, so that others like her do not have to struggle quite as hard.
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Undocumented and unafraid, Bryan Hernandez Benitez (he/him) plans to pursue a J.D./M.P.P. dual degree in hopes of blending law and public policy to address inequities affecting undocumented communities.
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Erwin Joseph (she/her) is an undocumented immigrant from Haiti. Passionate about finding practical and equitable ways to solve social issues, she wants to go to law school to study constitutional law and civil rights as well as family, gender, and sexuality law.
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Nour Kalbouneh (she/her) immigrated from Palestine at the age of 5. Her family’s experience being detained by ICE and left stateless, motivated her to become a lawyer so that she can advocate for immigrants and help them navigate the justice system.
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Jenny Kim (she/her) was born in South Korea and raised in Southern California. She envisions herself attending law school to fight for what is just, and to obtain the power to protect her dreams as well as those of 11 million undocumented immigrants.
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Sharon Olubajo (she/her) was born in Ireland to Nigerian parents and raised in the States. She hopes to become a healthcare lawyer and give back to the Black immigrant community that has aided and uplifted her.
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Chaewon (Jessica) Park (she/her) immigrated from South Korea to the U.S. at the age of 11. She hopes to attend law school to study immigration law and give back to the community that has taught her to embrace her undocumented identity.
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Esteben Salazar (he/him) was born in Mexico and grew up in the over-policed community of Santa Ana, California. Esteban hopes to attend law school and continue conducting research to decriminalize immigrants and make legal resources more accessible.
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Iris Urbano-Vargas (they/them/she) left Mexico with their family at the age of 12. Motivated by their belief that children and families should not have to suffer abuse and other injustices in silence due to fear of deportation, Iris plans to attend law school to advocate for survivors like themself.
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I have faith that these nine aspiring attorneys will be the catalyst for change that we need. As the nine Supreme Court justices hold so much sway over the lives of undocumented people, we’re always looking for ways to use the legal system as a tool to advance our rights in the system.
I hope I can count on your support as we cheer on these recipients and more undocumented attorneys who will be the change that we need to see.
Grateful for your support,
Denia
Denia Pérez, Esq.
Legal Services Manager
Immigrants Rising
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Every week, over 10,000 people access information and resources through Immigrants Rising. Please consider MAKING A DONATION so we can continue supporting undocumented young people in achieving their educational and career goals and thriving in this country.
Make a Donation!
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This year’s Pre-Law Fund is made possible because of the generous financial support of these incredible donors: Kathryn Abrams, Tanya Broder & Theodore Wang, Yuen & Sandra Gin, The Arturo & Rosa González Family Giving Fund, Johanna Hartwig & Stefano DeZerega, Barry Hovis, Elizabeth J. Kramer Charitable Fund, Francine Lipman, Nakada Hoang Donor Advised Fund, Snehal Patel & Ami Sanghvi, Jorge Ramos, Jeannie & Christopher Rhee, Stephen & Zorinne Schwartz Family Fund, Jay Sherwin, Margaret Wong, and Steve Yale-Loehr.
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