PIJD Newsletter

During my 1L summer, I had the opportunity to be the 2026 Carl L. McConnell Summer Fellow working at the Legal Aid Services of San Mateo County with the Linking Immigrants to Benefits, Resources, and Education (LIBRE) and housing services program. Legal Aid SMC serves low-income residents of San Mateo County with civil legal matters by representing clients as they navigate complex legal systems and empower people to advocate for themselves.

My fellowship gave me lots of hands-on opportunities to learn what it’s like working in the legal aid field. Coming from a Mexican immigrant family, I have experienced the first-hand effects of immigration policies so advocating for immigrant communities is something I have always been committed to. With the help of the attorneys from the LIBRE team, I got a wealth of knowledge in a variety of immigration cases- SIJS, U-Visa, VAWA, and DACA renewals. I translated immigration forms for clients, attended court hearings in probate court, and assisted in other components of cases such as drafting briefs and motions. The most rewarding part was working directly with clients who I got to build trust with as well as learning directly from the expertise of the immigration attorneys.

As part of the housing team, I worked hands-on with Spanish- speaking clients facing housing insecurity and eviction. I joined the weekly clinics in the community to help families understand their housing rights. In the beginning, I shadowed attorneys and project coordinators to learn the client intake process and the nuances of housing law. After a few weeks, I started working directly with clients to translate unlawful detainer lawsuits, prepare their answer for filing, and I even got to draft a discovery questionnaire for a client’s eviction case.

After my summer with Legal Aid, my personal and professional development has certainly strengthened. The staff and attorneys at Legal Aid SMC are very inspiring individuals who are dedicated to the clients and serving them in any way they can. Working by their side, my own dedication and passion for social justice, client advocacy, and bridging the gap between vulnerable communities and legal services deepened. This fellowship furthered my commitment to public interest law and I am very grateful for the SCU Law Public Interest Program for its support.