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Bienestar Happy Hour Draws 20+ Attendees
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On June 25, we held our first-ever Bienestar Happy Hour with guest panelists Fernando Flores, Esq. (left) and Dr. Yvette Flores (right) who shared a wealth of information on how to cope during these uncertain times. The panelists touched on the importance of building community, telling our stories, and self-care.
Our virtual event was attended by 20+ members, including law students and prospective new members. Facilitated by EBLRLA President Ana Flores, attendees interacted with each other and shared personal experiences. This is what some attendees highlighted as key takeaways:
- "I need to be kind to myself."
- "Anxiety is normal. Don’t drink too much!"
- "Stay in communication and request help when necessary."
Here's some other feedback:
- "Thoughtful and relevant programming."
- "I love this organization and all the people in it!"
- "There is a strong community in the East Bay and I'm happy I got to tap into it."
In case you missed it, please check out Fernando Flores' podcasts and Dr. Yvette Flores' website plus book, Chicana and Chicano Mental Health: Alma, Mente y Corazón. (And if you attended our event, don't forget to fill out this quick evaluation.) Please stay tuned for details about our next virtual social hour!
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Youth Law Academy Continues Strong into 15th Year with Volunteer Support
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YLA mock trial students with EBLRLA members Judge Delia Treviño (center), attorney Armando Pastran (far left), and attorney Jo-Anna Nieves (far right).
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Founded in 2005 as a diversity initiative of Centro Legal de la Raza, the Youth Law Academy (YLA) is a three-year program for Oakland high school students that provides academic and career readiness support. Students learn about legal issues and ethnic studies, conduct a mock trial, receive college credit and SAT preparation, college guidance, and partake in various fieldtrips to courthouses and law firms. Here are some of their achievements:
- All eleven 2020 YLA graduates plan to attend college. Collectively, the colleges they were accepted to include UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced, CSU East Bay, Mills College, University of San Francisco, St. Mary's College, University of Colorado Boulder, and Bethany College.
- Eight YLA college students are in paid legal internships this summer. Hosts include Centro Legal de la Raza, de la Peña & Holiday LLP, Medina Orthwein LLP, and KPB Immigration Law Firm LLP
- Five YLA alumni plan to apply to law school this admission cycle, a record for the program which speaks to the value of engaging students early in the pipeline.
YLA also hosts the Diversity Legal Pipeline (DLP), a summer program for pre-law undergraduates and recent college graduates that includes LSAT preparation and admissions support. This past June, it was hosted remotely with fifteen participants. Currently, there are ten DLP alumni who have been accepted to, or are attending, law school.
Here are three ways EBLRLA members can help:
- Become a YLA mentor via this short application.
- Host a YLA college intern at your firm.
- Sponsor the YLA or DLP programming.
Your support is needed more than ever in light of the ongoing pandemic. The EBLRLA board has pledged $500 toward an LSAT stipend for a Latina/o or Latinx student. For more information about YLA and DLP, please contact its Program Director (and EBLRLA member), Raymundo Jacquez at rjacquez@centrolegal.org.
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EBLRLA Member Spotlight: Elena Ramirez
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Elena Ramirez is a Deputy District Attorney at the Solano County District Attorney's Office. Elena received her Bachelor's in Sociology from UC Davis and her Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law. Elena has served on the EBLRLA Board since 2017 and was Vice President from 2018-2019.
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Hometown: Richmond, California
Attorney Since: June 2011
Favorite Book: Eat Pray Love
Favorite Movie: Spaceballs
Favorite Song: Mi Gente by J Balvin
What inspired you to join the law profession?
From a very young age, I saw the disparities in education and lack of resources for ethnic minorities pursuing a higher education. I also learned that members of my community lacked an understanding of the law and were confronted with many barriers in our legal system. Given these disparities, I took action and pursued a career in the legal profession. Now more than ever, I see the importance of having individuals from all diverse backgrounds not only in the law, but in all professions across the board. I take great pride in advocating for the most vulnerable members of our society who are faced with a legal system that is unknown and intimidating.
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November Voters to Decide Fate of Prop. 209
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On June 24, ACA 5 passed the California State Senate which means voters will have the opportunity to repeal Proposition 209 and reinstate affirmative action this November 2020.
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Election Day is less than four months away. As members of the Opportunity for All Coalition, we are committed to help educate voters on why repealing Proposition 209 is critical to diversifying the law profession and creating equal opportunities for all.
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Community Events
- Ongoing: Playwright, solo performer, 30+ years civil rights attorney, and EBLRLA member, Irma Herrera's Stairwell Teatro series. Free. Subscribe to Irma's blog to receive future episodes in your inbox.
- Thursday, July 9, 2020, 1:00-2:00 PM (PDT): American Constitution Society Bay Area Lawyer Chapter presents, The Supreme Court Term’s Bay Area Advocates featuring a distinguished panel of experts, including our very own EBLRLA Past-President Araceli Martínez-Olguín who was counsel in the consolidated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) cases. Free registration and 1.0 hour of CLE credit available.
- Thursday, August 13, 2020, 5:00-6:00 PM (PDT): International Action Network for Gender Equity & Law (IANGEL) 7th Anniversary Virtual Gala, In It To Win It! featuring international human rights professor, scholar, advocate, and EBLRLA member, Connie de la Vega, as the keynote. EBLRLA is very proud to be a Community Sponsor. Register/donate/sponsor here.
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Volunteer Opportunities
- Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representatives (8/7/2020 deadline)
For experienced federal practitioners in the Northern District of California. This is an incredible volunteer opportunity to serve the federal bench and bar, while getting to know the judges. Selected by the judges, lawyer representatives plan the invite-only district conference attended by all the N.D. Cal. judges, and represent the district at the annual Ninth Circuit conference. See our longer write-up about this opportunity here.
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- The EBLRLA received this letter from the United for Diploma Privilege coalition. We are sharing it with our members for informational purposes only. For more information on this topic, a webinar is being co-hosted by JURIST on Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 4:00 PM (PDT).
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