HLAI Charities

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible Lucky 7 sponsor♦️AMERICAN MRI♦️ for your generous contribution to our charity casino night! All proceeds will go directly to funding scholarships. 🎲❤️

A big thank you to our EXCLUSIVE PHOTOBOOTH SPONSOR, ♦️LA CLINICA♦️, for your generous support of our charity casino night! Your contribution will make a meaningful impact, funding scholarships and enhancing our community. 🎲💙

‼️PHOTOBOOTH SPONSOR SOLD OUT‼️ Secure your Sponsorship today! All proceeds go towards scholarships for students!

https://hlai.org/hlaic2ndcasinonight/

🌟 HLAI Charities Bar Preparation Scholarship Recipient 🌟

We are proud to recognize a law student whose journey to the legal profession reflects leadership, resilience, and a profound commitment to immigrant and youth advocacy.

His passion for justice began as a college freshman, when he organized Know Your Rights workshops that provided resources and pro bono immigration consultations to over 500 attendees. He later became the coordinator of a college access program supporting Indigenous and Latino high school students in applying to college—developing weekly workshops and recruiting dozens of mentors to serve more than 60 students.

In law school, he expanded this work by volunteering with multiple immigration nonprofits, Catholic Charities’ soup kitchen for newcomer immigrants, and a special-education law clinic where he provided direct legal advocacy for immigrant parents of students with disabilities. He also built a strong network of mentorship through HLAI, volunteering at every Annual Gala since 2022 and at spring events, while participating in the law student mentor program.

Reflecting on his path, he shared:

“When I share with immigrant clients that I too am an immigrant, their shoulders relax. They let their guard down. I can visibly see them shed some of the fear that comes with engaging in a legal process while being undocumented. Being able to provide this small sense of relief is why I chose to attend law school.”

Upon graduation, he will begin a two-year Skadden Fellowship at Equip for Equality, where he will promote awareness of and enforce the special education rights of students with disabilities in immigrant communities. Long term, he aspires to continue advocating for marginalized youth and immigrant families through direct representation, policy work, and eventually as a clinical law professor.

A proud Chicagoan for over 20 years, he is deeply committed to serving immigrant communities in Illinois and uplifting the next generation of Latino attorneys.

Congratulations to our recipient—and thank you to our donors for helping us support the future of our profession!