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Regardless of what comes the Law Center’s way, our goal is to stay connected to our mission and values. We train law students to be life-long social justice advocates and serve the legal needs of low-income consumers, workers, and immigrants. Doing our work over the last few years has been different – virtual, hybrid, challenging – and yet, we are ever grateful to still be standing strong. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Law Center alumni volunteers, who stepped up their support and made sure all was good.
Also, see below the Law Center’s efforts supporting the Latinx Law Student Organization and the Bridge to Justice Legal Clinic where alumni volunteers are key. Lastly, we are delighted to feature alumna and Law Center advisory board member Tricia Montalvo Timm ’96; her new book, “Embrace the Power of You,” launched March 7th and is a must read. Please save-the-date for this year’s Annual Celebration on Friday, September 29th. The event will honor exceptional individuals and organizations with community, commitment, and courage awards. We’d be honored to Celebrate what’s good with you! Be blessed, Deborah Moss West JD ’94 Consider making a gift to keep our programs strong; we’d be quite grateful. IMMIGRATION PRACTICE The Law Center’s Immigration Practice is led by the committed team of Professor Lynette Parker and paralegal Margarita Sandoval who, together with law students, skillfully provide individualized guidance and advice for low-income Santa Clara County residents.
Clients can receive a broad range of support including assistance and orientation regarding: T visas for victims of human trafficking; U visas for victims of crimes; self-petitions based on VAWA (the Violence Against Women Act); limited petitions for political asylum for UAC’s; deportation defense for existing clients; acquired citizenship; DACA deferred action for childhood arrivals; and limited naturalization and family-based petitions for existing clients. Below is sampling of the good happening at the Law Center with our clients: This fiscal year, three of the Law Center’s long-time clients were granted US citizenship, and were sworn-in as some of the newest citizens of our country. U.S. citizenship allows individuals to vote, to work for the federal government, to travel abroad without the restrictions placed on permanent residents (like green card holders), and to fully access and enjoy the benefits of the country. The path to U.S. citizenship takes some time with the result providing a deeper sense of security, stability, and belonging. For our three clients, obtaining citizenship took almost a decade – and we were right there with them. The Law Center began working with one client in 2010, and the other clients in 2011. For two of these clients, the Law Center initially assisted with applying for T visas as victims of human trafficking. For the third client, the Law Center initially assisted with applying for a U visa, for victims of certain crimes in the U.S. The Santa Clara law students dedicated countless hours over a three year-period to first file the initial petitions which were successful, then to apply for permanent residence green cards. Then, after waiting the requisite 5 years as a permanent resident, these three clients returned to the Law Center to seek assistance with the last step – applying for naturalization (U.S. citizenship). Law Center students helped them file the applications. All three attended interviews and were approved for U.S. citizenship. Having taken an Oath of Allegiance to the United States all are now citizens. “It is an honor to accompany, assist, and support our clients on this long journey. Our clients are resilient, and have many hopes and dreams for the future. This process is empowering for our clients and it is also energizing for Santa Clara law students, who can see tangibly how their chosen career can make a difference in the world,” shared Prof. Parker. Thank You Immigration Attorney Volunteers. The immigration work couldn’t happen without the help and support of the many volunteer attorneys who generously share their time and talents, enabling us to effectively educate and serve more students and clients. We have much gratitude for the 2022-2023 immigration attorney volunteers, many of whom are former clinical students: Prof. Evangeline Abriel
BRIDGE TO JUSTICE – March 4, 2023 The biannual Bridge to Justice (B2J), a wonderful community legal clinic and brainchild of the Latinx Law Student Organization, was held on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Twenty law students and ten attorney volunteers provided free information and advice for twenty-three individuals & families with immigration and workers’ rights matters. “Co-coordinating B2J is doubly rewarding because I build community with fellow law students and help provide assistance to members of the community at large,” explained Christian Lustre ‘24. For seven years, the B2J has paired law students and attorneys serving community at an all-day free legal services Saturday clinic. The law students coordinate the event — preparing the flyers, outreaching to twenty or more student volunteers, and connecting with organizations to outreach to clients. The Law Center trains and supervises the student volunteers, obtains the attorney volunteers, and provides the legal infrastructure for the event. The B2J began as an in-person event at community-based organization locations – the law students wanted to reach those hardest to serve. The law students persevered throughout the pandemic and since fall 2020, the B2J has been held virtually, a seamless pivot that has proven to provide greater access for clients and attorney volunteers. Like many of the Law Center efforts, volunteer power is key – THANK YOU to the 2022-2023 B2J alumni volunteers: Chloe Marie Czabaranek ’20
“By co-leading the B2J efforts, I am able to not only serve our low-income and underserved communities, but am also able to pay forward practical/hands on legal experience and opportunities to the many first-generation and minority law students like me who volunteer to help.” Rubén Souza-Marquez ‘24 The spring B2J was a successful, well-orchestrated event. Thank you to Christian and Ruben for their outstanding leadership and attention to every detail and to the dedicated law student volunteers. The B2J illustrates how the Law Center’s learning opportunities build legal skills, serve and empower clients, and increase access to justice for the most vulnerable members of our community. ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT AND BOOK LAUNCH
Tricia Montalvo Timm is a general counsel, board director, venture investor, speaker and author. She is a first-generation Latina who rose through the ranks of Silicon Valley advising high-tech companies big and small, culminating in the sale of data analytics software company Looker to Google for $2.6 billion. Tricia is one of the few Latinas to have attained the triple achievement of reaching the C-suite, joining the boardroom and cracking the venture capital ceiling. Her career has spanned from working with some of the largest and most well-known publicly traded multinational companies in the world to stepping on as the first lawyer at several high-growth start-ups. Tricia serves on several boards and is an advocate for women and girls leadership and serves as a mentor and advisor for several organizations. Tricia is all that and more, yet still finds time to lend her talents and abilities as a member of the Law Center Advisory Board, where she is integral to all our efforts, including the advancing racial justice committee. She is also part of the early cohort of Law Center clinical students; read more about Tricia here and see why we are so thrilled she remains connected years later. With her new book, Embrace the Power of You, Tricia hopes to inspire anyone who has ever felt like an “other” in the workplace to embrace their true selves, own their identity, and achieve success and fulfillment in their life and career. A must read for everyone. Congratulations Tricia!
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A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Read below about the immigration practice – what we do and how alumni and other volunteers contribute. In 2022, the immigration practice helped over 206 individuals and families obtain DACA renewals, T and U Visas, political asylum, permanent residence (green cards), and United States Citizenship. The staff also participated in numerous training and community education and outreach events. Words and numbers do not adequately convey the life-changing impact of the immigration practice.
The service delivery model offers community education and outreach, advice clinics, brief services, and direct representation: 
“Supervising law students in giving immigration advice feels like a full circle moment, and I hope to inspire others to do the same!” 
The Law Center enthusiastically supports our very own advisory board member and Santa Clara Law alum 
