“I grew up in Bayview. When I got out of college I started doing research on the wealth gap and its effects on people’s livelihood and quality of life, and its connections to historical injustices. The intersections of my interests with justice made me decide to pursue a legal career.

 As a student at UC Law San Francisco, I interned with Open Door Legal’s Employment Law team. Now, I’m back at ODL working with the Family Law team. Many of the clients ODL helps are in crisis, homeless, or stuck in continued abuse. Some experience ongoing harassment in their jobs and this affects their livelihood: if you can’t pay rent, you’re on the street. If you’re out on the street, you’re vulnerable. My community was historically, and still is, composed of those who have been systematically disadvantaged. 

 I hope our work empowers the communities we serve. I hope our legal aid is not just the hand that helps, but the hand to lift. Empowering Bayview and San Francisco with equitable access to justice means these communities can be self-sufficient and self-sustaining. “