Grantee of the Week : Alyse Pacheco

This summer I have the opportunity to work as a volunteer legal assistant for the Alameda County Public Defenders Office, which provides legal services in criminal defense, primarily to indigent clients. The mission of the office is to zealously protect and defend the rights of clients through compassionate and inspired legal representation of the highest quality, in pursuit of a fair and unbiased system of justice for all. This mission aligns with my desire to dedicate my career to fighting against the injustices of our legal system in hopes of promoting change. In addition to the traditional research and writing experience, Alameda County Public Defenders Office, presents law students the opportunity to gain practical “hands on” experience by assisting Public Defenders in court and litigate at least one motion in court, under the supervision of a senior Public Defender attorney. Also, being proficient in Spanish, I have been told I will likely have the opportunity to foster better communication between attorneys and monolingual Spanish speaking clients, especially in cases that intersect with immigration law. I believe these experiences will be an invaluable step in my career development and I am very much looking forward to beginning my work there this summer.