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Latinxs Applying to Law School

Hi! My name is Anne-Marie Ramirez Huff. Three other Latinxs and myself are currently applying to law school and need your financial support.

All four of us met earlier this year through an unpaid legal fellowship in downtown Los Angeles. This legal fellowship has provided us with a free LSAT class and mentorship as we prepare our law school applications. However, despite having this support, a few of us are finding it difficult, and in some cases, nearly impossible to raise the funds necessary in paying for our applications. Some of us have already received school-based fee waivers and/or Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) fee waivers. Yet even with these fee waivers, we’ll each have to spend up to $775 out-of-pocket.

We decided to do this as a group for two reasons. 1) Raising money alone on GoFundMe can be a vulnerable process and uniting gives us the emotional support we need. 2) We hope that doing it as a group would expand our reach in fundraising and educating others on the real costs of applying to law school. For whatever reason, if we do not reach our goal, funds will be divided evenly.

Your donations will pay for:
- 2 LSAT fees ($180 each)
- 80 LSAC Application Report Fees ($30 each)*
- GoFundMe fees (5%)
Total: $2,950

*You may be asking, "why do you all need to pay for 80 LSAC application report fees?!" Each of us will be applying to 20 law schools. Now you may be asking yourself, “why are they applying to 20 law schools each!?!” It is critical to apply to this many law schools for scholarship leverage and to increase the probability of being accepted.

We need these funds by November 17th, which is our deadline for submitting our law school applications.

Now here are some blurbs about us! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Thanks for listening...anything helps!

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Name: Llaned Huerta  (top middle photo)


Alma mater: UC Berkeley, 2014

Major: History and Legal Studies

Home: East Los Angeles

Age: 24

Why do you want to go to law school?
My aspiration to become a lawyer is intimately connected to my experiences as woman of color coming of age in the neighborhood of East Los Angeles. The experience of being homeless and seeing undocumented members of my community suffer has inspired me to find holistic solutions that will prevent others from having to endure situations similar to mine. I want to attend law school so that I can help stop the dehumanization of migrants and advocate for their human rights.

What type of law do you want to do?
I want to practice international law.

What has been your favorite job and why?
My favorite job so far would have to be my current position as an immigration law paralegal. While it can be a very stressful environment I have really enjoyed providing direct legal services to people from the Los Angeles area. My current position has taught me that Spanish-speaking legal professionals are not only beneficial but also necessary to allow legal access among migrant communities.

Why do you need financial help?
I am struggling to pay parts of my law school applications. I would like to begin law school in the fall of 2017. Unfortunately, I live paycheck to paycheck and not only provide for myself, but also help my parents with household expenses. There is nothing more that I want than to be in a position to be able to advocate for the people in my community and those similar to mine.

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Name: Graciela Lopez Marquez (bottom left photo)

Alma mater: California State University Fullerton

Major: Sociology & Women’s Studies

Home: Still trying to figure this one out.

Age: 29

Why do you want to go to law school?
I plan to attend law school in order to effectively serve those who find themselves in the position that I once found myself in (I experienced immigration detention  a few years ago).  I’d like to utilize my law degree through a practice that is mindful and sensitive of clients' experiences by using holistic legal methods.  My vision is to serve as a tool and uplift community members so that they can advocate for themselves.

What type of law do you want to do?
I’d like to practice immigration law and juvenile delinquency defense.

What has been your faveorite job and why?
My favorite job was coordinating a national internship program led by and for undocumented youth.  Working with and for undocumented youth reassured me of the fire we carry. 

Why do you need financial help?
I live in the U.S. by myself. Although I have extended family here in California, my mother - who I have not seen in thirteen years -  lives in Mexico. I provide for myself and my mother. Being solely responsible for my survival has always created financial struggles. The application process has been emotionally draining and the financial requirements for each application has become extremely difficult to pay. 

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Name: Helen Toloza (top right photo)

Alma mater: University of California Santa Cruz

Major: Sociology with a concentration in Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies

Home: Los Angeles, CA

Age: 25

Why do you want to go to law school?
I want to go to law school to develop tools to better understand human rights, labor, legislation, and negotiations to become an even stronger advocate for food and labor justice. I firmly believe that a legal education will allow me to become an agent of change for disadvantaged communities like mine.

What type of law do you want to do?
I want to work with health, food, and labor laws.

What has been your favorite job and why?
My favorite jobs have been those were I have had the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and workers on the frontlines of campaigns. During my undergraduate years, I worked an entire school year educating students on the importance of sustainability and the types of food that we eat. For the past two summers, I have been on the frontlines of labor campaigns fighting against the exploitation of workers. 

Why do you need financial help?
I am asking for your support with application fees because the fees I have already paid for other components of the law school application process have put me in a place of extreme financial struggle.

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Name: Anne-Marie Ramirez Huff (bottom right photo)

Alma mater: The University of Texas at Austin

Major: Anthropology and Latin American Studies

Home: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Age: 26

Why do you want to go to law school?
Domestic and sexual violence have followed me throughout my life in one way or another. I knew I needed to be a lawyer when I began volunteering as a high school student at Family Crisis Center in Harlingen, Texas, and saw that women and children from my community did not have adequate protection against their abusers or support from our legal system. 

What type of law do you want to do?
I'd like to practice within the realm of international human rights and legal nonprofits. 

What has been your favorite job and why?
I have had two favorite jobs so far! Being a middle school social studies teacher, and working as a Research Analyst with La Unión del Pueblo Entero (L.U.P.E.), a community union founded by Cesar Chavez in the Rio Grande Valley. I loved both of these jobs because I saw the impact of how learning about and participating in grassroots movements makes change for those who need it most. 

Why do you need financial help?
There are a few reasons why I really need your financial help. I can't rely on my family, and I am currently paying off a substantial amount of debt. I am also uninsured with a permanent health condition that requires expensive medications. I absolutely cannot choose between maintaining my health and paying for law school applications. Anything helps! Thank you.

Organiser

Anne-Marie Ramirez Huff
Organiser
Los Angeles, CA

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