“I got my law license in 2013 and worked off and on at a variety of places, but I always felt proscribed. After the 2016 election, though, I felt a pressing need to help effect change. I heard about Open Door Legal through my sister.

One of my first cases was against a major insurance company who was accusing our clients of fraud. I’ve never seen someone treated as bad as our clients were. The way the opposing counsel acted … I thought it was reserved for documentaries from 50 years ago. This is supposed to be San Francisco in 2017!

At first I was motivated by guilt and worried I wouldn’t be able to make an impact. But we can, which is rad. I feel like because I have the ability to help, I’m obligated to do so. The work is so rewarding and has meaning, more so than I could have imagined.”

Photography © Lauren Lombard