“I worked for eight years as a litigation paralegal. Sure, the pay was great, but the amounts the large companies would fight over only affected the bottom line. At the end of the day, only the shareholders cared. You would see your cases in the headlines and it was thrilling to go to trial but at the end of the day, none of it mattered. I wanted meaning in my work, so I took a 50% pay cut to work in legal aid.

Before, I wasn’t being challenged. Now, I’m being challenged every day. I have to learn new things and new processes all the time. I’m exposed to areas of law I’d never encountered and I’m learning so much!

One case I worked on involved an elderly woman being defrauded from her home. I knew there were bad actors in the real estate space, but I didn’t realize how sophisticated the scams were. It’s an issue that will affect the seniors in Bayview the most. The lengths that people will go to rob senior citizens of their property, it’s incredible.

I’m a San Francisco native and I’m proud to say I live in Bayview. Being able to help my neighbors, that’s what I really love. Seeing clients in my neighborhood and knowing Open Door Legal was able to improve their lives, that’s what makes my job so fulfilling.”

Photography © Lauren Lombard