Paving the Way for Non-Citizen Law Students
Lewis & Clark Law alums received the 2022 Oregon State Bar’s Public Leadership Award for their organization, UndocuLaw Northwest.
Lewis & Clark Law alums Jose Garcia-Fuerte ’23, Karla Márquez de Gaab JD ’23, and Diego Gutiérrez JD ’21 joined Willamette Law alum Alyne Sanchez JD ’22 to receive the 2022 Oregon State Bar’s Public Leadership Award for their organization, UndocuLaw Northwest and its ground breaking webinar, “How to Apply to Law School for Non-citizen Immigrants.” In addition, UndocuLaw Northwest was honored this year with American Association of Law Schools’ (AALS) Organizational Changemaker Award, which recognizes organizations that create structural and systemic change to increase access to legal education and diversify the legal profession.
Led by current and former undocumented law students, UndocuLaw supports undocumented law school applicants and hosts educational events to help students navigate legal applications, education, and careers. “We serve as a safe and trusting space for any non-citizen navigating the rough waters that are law school and the legal profession,” says Garcia-Fuerte, “Many times, it helps just to talk with someone in a similar situation without needing to justify their experience to someone who may not fully understand.”
Cofounder Alyne Sanchez echoes this: “When I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 2013, there were no undocumented attorneys so I put off applying to law school because I did not have a social security number and I was the first in my family to even go to college.”
The student-led nature of UndocuLaw makes all the difference, running the programs, the outreach, and developing their processes.
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