GGU La Raza Law Students Association

Good Afternoon Family! Mark your calendars for this coming Tuesday! We have a great event with amazing panelists coming your way! Join La Raza & PILF at lunch ...on Tuesday, March 16th @ 12pm to share space with Latinx attorneys helping their communities in public interest positions! There will also be time for Q&A. Zoom Information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85121014502 Meeting ID: 851 2101 4502 Hope to see you there!

Happy Thursday La Raza Family! We hope your week is going great. As we are almost half way through the semester, we wanted to remind you that as a La Raza membe...r, you have access to our outline bank, tutoring and the opportunity to get connected with other members or GGU students that are willing to offer a helping hand. Please do not hesitate to ask! Additionally, we are here to support you in other aspects of your life that might be impacting your law school experience. If you need emotional or mental health support, please reach out so that we can get you connected to resources that can help. If you or your family have been affected by COVID-19, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to offer our support in whatever capacity. We are a familia! As a reminder, La Raza is open for anyone to join all year long. We take pride in providing a safe and inclusive space for all students of all backgrounds and walks of life. We have received a few questions recently about joining La Raza and participating in events. Anyone may join La Raza at any time of the year, you do not have to be Latinx to join, and you do not have to be Latinx to participate in events or meetings. Anyone and everyone is welcome and valued. To join La Raza, please email [email protected] with a short bio and headshot/ photo. If you do not wish to have your headshot/ photo used on our social media pages, please be sure to let us know in the email. We would also like to take this opportunity to inform you that Board Elections for the 2021-2022 period are approaching. We will be sending an e-mail at the beginning of March with instructions and board position descriptions. This is a great opportunity to get involved, gain some leadership skills, and be part of providing resources for your peers. Lastly, we would like to thank you all for being members of La Raza. We value what everyone has to offer to our student organization. As always, we welcome suggestions, ideas, recommendations and/or feedback about how we can best support you all as members. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Warmest Regards, 2020-2021 La Raza Law Students Association Board of Directors

GGU Law Community, Thank you to everyone who came to our Dia de los Muertos event! We'll posting some photos shortly of everyone's lovely painted faces! The end... of the semester is approaching fast and we love to help you decompress before the stress sets in! Please join us for a immersive experience with Kyara & Bryanm of Our Roots Experience (Nuestras Raices)! November 9th through 14th, Kyara & Bryanm will introduce us to beautiful Cartagena and teach us how to dance Colombian Cumbia! Register for your preferred session and decompress through some dancing before finals! Please register using our Google Forms Invitation here: https://forms.gle/YVdzJZcAaSS9DcK78 Registration is $10/person. All proceeds go directly to the artists and a special surprise to be revealed at your session! Once we receive your form we will send you the Venmo handle where you can pay for your session. We will send you the zoom link for your session upon receipt of payment. Join us for a last hoo-rah of the semester! Check them out on IG: @palenqueourroots

Good Afternoon GGU! We got another board member feature for y'all! Meet Monique Ramirez, our 1L Rep for LS3! Join us for tonight's Dia de los Muertos event to ...see her and many of our wonderful members! I am humbled and honored to be a product of immigrants from Coahuila, Mexico. My grandparents emigrated to the US with hopes to provide a better future for their family, and subsequently began working laborious jobs in the fields of Salinas, CA. I carry the stories of my grandpa, who worked with the United Farm Workers Union and organized alongside Cesar Chavez, as one of the many motivations for pursuing a career in law and advocacy. I’m currently a first-year law student at Golden Gate University School of Law. I completed my undergrad at San Jose State University, where I majored in Justice Studies with a minor in Human Rights. Throughout college, I enjoyed completing various internships including working with incarcerated inmates in programming, working with the Santa Clara County Superior Court helping self-represented litigants navigate the court system, and working with the San Jose Peace and Justice Center assisting undocumented youth with applying for DACA. After college, I became a paralegal at a labor law firm and then went on to work as a paralegal in a private criminal defense firm. I also worked at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, where I was a paralegal in the domestic violence unit. My interests lie in the field of criminal law, criminal justice reform, prisoner’s rights and inmate reentry to society. My goal throughout law school is to gain hands-on experience in litigation, be actively involved with the amazing student organizations at GGU Law, and to thrive academically. During my free time I enjoy exploring the East Bay and Oakland, going for a walk and hanging out at Lake Merritt, binge watching Netflix shows, cooking, dancing or trying new food places (I’m a big foodie!). I look forward to networking and meeting all of my peers at GGU Law! I am very excited to be a member and 1L Representative for La Raza!

Friendly Reminder! Join us THIS Friday for a day filled with Dia de Muertos festivities! Join GGU La Raza, La Raza de Loyola, and SCU La Raza: Loyola created a... virtual alter where students can submit photos of their loved ones or folks they would like to honor. E-mail the photo of the person/people you would like to honor & a description or message to [email protected]. You will be able to view it here: https://diadelosmuertosloyola.weebly.com/ @ 12pm-1pm: OR Join Santa Clara La Raza & Campus Ministry for their live ofrenda & presentation on the cultural significance of Dia de Muertos! See the Zoom Meeting ID in the flyer! @ 5pm-6pm: Join Santa Clara La Raza for a game of virtual Loteria over zoom! We will update you with the zoom link shortly. See the Zoom Meeting ID in the flyer! @ 7pm: Join GGU La Raza for a Calavera (Skull) Face Paint Competition followed by a Coco (movie) Watch Party! Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83897293227 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place will get a Visa Gift Card! Join all 3 events or take your pick! We are excited to "see" you!

Here's another round of our member highlights! Meet our Treasurer and 2L Representative, Jacqueline Nuno! Hi everyone! My name is Jacqueline Nuno and I am a 2L... at Golden Gate University SOL. I recently transferred to GGU after completing my 1L year at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. I am excited to be GGU La Raza Treasurer & 2L Representative this year. As a first generation Mexican-American born and raised in the Bay Area, law school seemed like an impossible dream. Although I knew I wanted to become an attorney since the age of seven, the process was definitely filled with challenges. I began my legal career by attending Ohlone College after high school graduation. In 2018, I became the first in my family to graduate and obtain a Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University. In the past I have been blessed with the opportunity to intern at the Santa Clara Public Defenders Office, Alameda County Superior Court and Santa Clara County Superior Court. I have also interned for SJSU’s Record Clearance Project where I worked on expungement petitions for low income clients. After graduation I plan on becoming a Public Defender in the Bay Area. I also plan on working on wrongful convictions, exonerations, and criminal justice reform. I want to be able to use my legal education to provide help to those who need it the most in our community. Please feel free to reach out: [email protected]

Good Evening GGU Community! Here is Round 2 of collages of some of our newest members! Thank you for joining us. We are excited to get to know y'all better!

Good Evening Everyone! Here's another feature of one of La Raza's superstar members (and former board member). Please meet Silvia Chairez-Perez! Hola Familia, My name is Silvia Chairez-Perez and I was born in Zacatecas, Mexico. I am committed to advocating on behalf of marginalized communities. I have worked advocating on behalf... of indigent criminally accused clients since high school. As an immigrant and woman of color, I saw the need for a new journal that gave minority students on campus a platform to publish on issues that directly impact our communities. Which is why I worked with a group of students to found GGU's Journal of Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice as editor in chief. I also served as student body president from 2020-2021. My goal in life is to live a life dedicated to service for my community. - Silvia Chairez-Perez, JD/MBA ‘21

Welcome back to our member highlights! Tonight's highlighted profile, is La Raza's new Secretary, Luis Ramirez: Hi Everyone! My name is Luis Ramirez, and I am a 3L at Golden Gate University School of Law. I have been a member of La Raza for two years now and am excited to be a part of this year’s Board as the Secretary. I come from a small, humble town in the State of Jalisco, Mexico, called Sayula. As an immigrant & first-generation law student, the odds were against me... to succeed. In fact, in high school, my focus was not on going to college because I felt that was not made for higher education. I thank my parents for their inspiration and moral support to strive for more, and my mentor, Mrs. Ortega, for pushing me out of that mindset and helping me enroll and succeed through college. I am now a proud graduate of Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA and California State University, Sacramento. Throughout my college career, it was through my network of similarly situated first-generation Latinx students that helped me be where I am where I today. That remains a fact in law school as much of my success at GGU is due to joining and becoming an active member of GGU La Raza Law Student’s Association. The help and support I receive to this day from La Raza’s members was what helped me survive my 1L year and make it to 3L with my scholarship. My goal after last school is to pass the California bar exam the first time. I aspire to work with my fellow immigrant community in immigration removal defense for unaccompanied minors. Many children coming to the U.S. are arriving alone, with no support, and expected to fend for themselves against our flawed immigration system. I want to be there for them and help them find a better, safe life in the United States. In the last two years, I had the opportunity of being a law clerk at the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, and volunteering with You, Me, We, Oakley! and Immigration Institute of the Bay Area. I have also worked as a PIC Group Leader for Torts and for Civil Procedure here at GGU. Please feel free to reach out: [email protected]

GGU Law Family, Welcome back to our board member/member highlights! Tonight's highlighted profile, is La Raza's new Secretary, Luis Ramirez: Hi Everyone! My nam...e is Luis Ramirez, and I am a 3L at Golden Gate University School of Law. I have been a member of La Raza for two years now and am excited to be a part of this year’s Board as the Secretary. I come from a small, humble town in the State of Jalisco, Mexico, called Sayula. As an immigrant & first-generation law student, the odds were against me to succeed. In fact, in high school, my focus was not on going to college because I felt that was not made for higher education. I thank my parents for their inspiration and moral support to strive for more, and my mentor, Mrs. Ortega, for pushing me out of that mindset and helping me enroll and succeed through college. I am now a proud graduate of Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA and California State University, Sacramento. Throughout my college career, it was through my network of similarly situated first-generation Latinx students that helped me be where I am where I today. That remains a fact in law school as much of my success at GGU is due to joining and becoming an active member of GGU La Raza Law Student’s Association. The help and support I receive to this day from La Raza’s members was what helped me survive my 1L year and make it to 3L with my scholarship. My goal after last school is to pass the California bar exam the first time. I aspire to work with my fellow immigrant community in immigration removal defense for unaccompanied minors. Many children coming to the U.S. are arriving alone, with no support, and expected to fend for themselves against our flawed immigration system. I want to be there for them and help them find a better, safe life in the United States. In the last two years, I had the opportunity of being a law clerk at the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, and volunteering with You, Me, We, Oakley! and Immigration Institute of the Bay Area. I have also worked as a PIC Group Leader for Torts and for Civil Procedure here at GGU. If I can be of any help to you or you just need someone to talk to, please feel free to reach out! My email is [email protected].

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg will forever be remembered as a trailblazer in the legal world and true champion for gender equality. Notable as an architect for women’s rights and for her powerful and vivid dissents, RBG will forever be remembered as one of the most inspirational icons in the legal world and beyond. Justice Ginsburg’s legacy will live for generations to come, inspiring us all to continue the fight for justice in all spaces. May her tenacity and fighting spirit live on, and remind us all to continue to push forward and make progress in all spaces that direly need it. Rest In Peace to the Notorious RBG. Join us in remembering Justice Ginsburg by sharing your favorite RBG quote, memory, opinion or dissent. From Monique Ramirez, 1L Rep for LS3

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first General Meeting of the semester! We're super excited to work with our new board members and continue connecting with the 1L class through our different programs and events!

Join us this week, Thursday, September 10th, at 12pm or 5pm for our first General Meeting of the semester! We'll be discussing: -Upcoming Events -Outline Bank... -Mentorship Program -Tutoring Program -Finals Review Session We'll also be announcing our new Board Members, including 1L Reps! Everyone is welcome! Drop-in to learn about the SORG, what we'll have going on for the semester, and leave your e-mail address in the chat if you haven't already joined so we can keep you updated! Day (12pm): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82500315321 Evening (5pm): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83758846799

Good Evening GGU Law Family! We would like to introduce y'all to some of La Raza's newest members! Our new members, as always, are an incredible group of diverse, intelligent, and passionate individuals! Thank you for joining us! Although the semester will have its challenges due to the pandemic, we are here to support you all. Additionally, we have some great events planned to provide y'all with both success skills and entertainment.... If you haven't joined La Raza already, please consider joining by sending an e-mail [email protected]. Nothing formal, just a blurb about you and a photo (photo not required, only if you want). Also, don't forget to apply for board/rep positions by sending us your resume and statement of intent! The deadline is tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 4th) at 11:59pm. See our story highlights & link in bio for details! We will also be having our First General Meeting of the semester next Thursday, September 10th at 12p & 5pm. We will re-post the flyer with the Zoom info on Monday. Folks will also be able to join La Raza at the meeting!

Deadline to apply to be a board member is approaching this Friday, 4th! We hope you join us!