The ChangeMaker Magazine - August 2023

MAKER CHANGE

INSIDE: MEET OUR ALUMNI'S FIRST FEDERAL JUDGE

Welcome to a new year of the official California ChangeLawyers digital magazine, “The Change Maker”. Named after you, our supporters, who help make change happen in our communities, the legal profession and the lives of our ChangeLawyers scholars, fellows, alumni and extended family. As a reminder, The Change Maker comes exclusively to ChangeLawyers

supporters and alumni every three months. In 2023, the issues will be in February, May, August, and November and feature key updates, articles, news and information about the work and stories of California ChangeLawyers.

We hope you enjoy reading through this year's stories. Welcome to The Change Maker!

CALIFORNIA CHANGELAWYERS STAFF (LEFT TO RIGHT): CARLOS AGUILAR, CHRIS PUNONGBAYAN, JASJIT SINGH, STACI L. YOUNG, BROOKE CANNELLA.

A LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OUR BRIEF WAS CITED BY JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR!

In this 2023 term, the Supreme Court dealt a heavy blow to racial equity by eliminating affirmative action in the Harvard and University of North Carolina cases. Going forward, the nation’s universitiesand law schools - will likely no longer be able to meaningfully consider race as a factor in admissions.

Last year in partnership with the Equal Justice Society, ChangeLawyers filed an amicus brief with the High Court warning about the harmful effects that

eliminating affirmative action will have in education. Having outlawed affirmative action in 1996, California’s experiment failed and should be considered a warning, not a model.

Notably, our brief was cited in Justice Sotomayor’s dissent on page 60 (page 199 of the PDF opinion). Referencing how representation of certain Asian American ethnicities were negatively impacted by the elimination of affirmative action

in California through Prop 209, she writes, "At bottom, raceconscious admissions benefit all students, including racial minorities. That includes the Asian American community."

ChangeLawyers is proud that we utilized our platform to raise our California experience to the Supreme Court. While we did not win, we are heartened by Justice Jackson’s words, “Race still matters to the lived experiences of all Americans.” We will continue

our work to create greater opportunities for all Californians, and thank you for supporting us every step of the way.

In partnership,

Chris Punongbayan

CHRIS PUNONGBAYAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

STACI & CHRIS AT CONFERENCES

ChangeLawyers staff continuously looks for opportunities to "level up" their skills and competencies to better serve our community and elevate the work of California ChangeLawyers. Recently, two of our staff members attended

conferences. Development Officer, Staci L Young attended the Association of Fundraising Professionals ICON conference in New Orleans and Executive Director, Chris Punongbayan attended Mindfulness in Law Society Conference in Memphis.

STACI L YOUNG ATTENDING THE ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS ICON CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Staci attended AFP's annual ICON conference, which featured dozens of sessions on fundraising, engagement and community building. Staci had this to say, "Being at a conference with thousands of fundraisers from all over the world was a remarkable learning and sharing experience. And being able to experience that in New Orleans, of all places, with the backdrop of culture, diversity and history made it an unforgettable experience."

Chris attended the Mindfulness in Law Society Conference in Memphis, Tennessee. The conference was an intimate gathering of 40 lawyers, judges, and law students from across the United States to learn about the benefits of mindfulness to legal practice and ethics. We explored how mindfulness improves health and wellness outcomes. The conference attendees also visited the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, the site where Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, was assassinated in 1968, and the idyllic Magnolia Grove Meditation Center in nearby Mississippi.

CHRIS PUNONGBAYAN ATTENDING THE MINDFULNESS IN LAW SOCIETY CONFERENCE IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

WELCOME OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, CORIN

from disadvantaged backgrounds. Thank you for welcoming me!”

Corin Korenaga is a transactional attorney who focuses on acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and merger and acquisition deals across real estate product types and nationally.

Corin represents real estate owners, developers, and investors, as well as landlords and tenants of office, industrial, retail, and medical office properties. He has particular expertise in representing homebuilders nationally. Corin’s vast experience allows him to strategically and efficiently negotiate, document,

and close transactions, all while paying close attention to clients' business objectives.

Corin advises clients on all aspects of acquisition, disposition, and development of real estate projects, as well as other merger, recapitalization, and asset deals. He works closely with his clients on all deal stages from structuring, negotiation and documentation, diligence efforts, closing, and development.

“It’s a tremendous honor to join the Board of Directors of ChangeLawyers, and I’m excited to help further the group’s mission. I believe as leaders in California’s legal profession, we have an obligation to help support and lift up young lawyers, especially those

CORIN M. KORENGA, COXCASTLE LOS ANGELES AND HAWAII —

ALUMNI VOICES: JUDGE CISNEROS

MEET CHANGELAWYERS ALUMNI'S FIRST FEDERAL JUDGE

Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros joined the Court following fifteen years of practice as a litigator and attorney in government and public service.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Cisneros served as a Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice. As part of the Department’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section, she represented the State of California and its agencies in complex affirmative and defensive litigation, primarily in the federal trial and appellate courts.

Judge Cisneros began her legal career at California Rural Legal

Assistance, Inc. (CRLA), where she created and directed the LGBT Program, which provides representation and advocacy for low-income LGBT individuals in rural areas. Judge Cisneros then served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of this Court for two years. Following her clerkship, Judge Cisneros practiced at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, where she represented employees and consumers in mass tort, class action, and antitrust cases. She also maintained an active pro bono practice, including writing amicus briefs to the federal circuit courts and the Supreme Court and serving

on the board of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Her work as an attorney was recognized by the National LGBT Bar Association, the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom and the California Attorney General. In addition to her law practice, Judge Cisneros was appointed by the Governor as a member of the California Fair Employment & Housing Council, where she promulgated regulations and conducted hearings.

Judge Cisneros earned her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law and her undergraduate degree with honors from Brown University.

QUESTION: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR PATH TO THE BENCH AND A PIVOTAL MOMENT OR MOMENTS THAT LED YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

JUDGE CISNEROS: For many years, I did not have a mindset of “I want to wear the robe one day and be a judge.” When I reached mid-career level, I had command of litigation and a high level of confidence in working on my cases and running teams. In addition, I started to have conversations with

mentors, who encouraged me to consider a judgeship and apply.

That was very influential for me. It makes a big difference to have people who can advise you – both mentors or peers who can offer a perspective based on their experiences, their observations of your work, and what they have seen in the legal profession. That feedback can broaden one’s view of what one’s professional opportunities may be, whether it is joining the bench, or taking on some other meaningful path.

Another important part of my path included carefully considering what role I wanted to play in our legal system for the next phase of my career. I have always had a strong commitment to public service. An independent judiciary is crucial to

“That feedback can broaden one’s view of what one’s professional opportunities may be, whether it is joining the bench, or taking on some other meaningful path.”

the success of our constitutional democracy. It reinforces the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the opportunity for all litigants to get a fair hearing. We judges take an oath, and make a commitment to seek out the facts and the law, follow precedent, and make decisions without being beholden to any set of political beliefs or any organizational or personal agenda. I’ve embraced that role, and I see it as a profound responsibility.

Q: IN 2006 YOU GOT A SCHOLARSHIP FROM CHANGELAWYERS, THEN KNOWN AS THE CALIFORNIA BAR FOUNDATION. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IMPACT THE SCHOLARSHIP HAD ON YOU?

JC: Yes, it was a public interest scholarship. It was fantastic and a confidence booster. It was encouraging that other attorneys in a reputable organization saw my commitment and saw the vision for the career that I wanted and they were willing to support me. All the scholarships I received made a huge difference because I was deciding if I should pursue my interest in public service and

social justice work or take a more conventional path of going to a big law firm. A lot of students, for very understandable reasons, have public interest goals but have to take an alternate path into more lucrative positions after law school.

So all of the scholarships, like the ChangeLawyers scholarship, helped me stay on track for my career in public interest and mitigated the huge amount of student debt that I was accruing over time.

Q: DID YOU ALSO WORK WITH CHANGELAWYERS DURING YOUR CAREER?

JC: Once I graduated and became a practicing attorney, I was with

“All the scholarships I received made a huge difference because I was deciding if I should pursue my interest in public service and social justice work or take a more conventional path of going to a big law firm.”

JUDGE CISNEROS ON A WORK TRIP TO EL CENTRO DURING HER TIME WITH CALIFORNIA RUIRAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE (CRLA).

California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), directing the LGBTQ+ program, and ChangeLawyers provided us with grant support for fellows. I went from being a law student that ChangeLawyers supported through a scholarship to being a practicing attorney running a program that ChangeLawyers also supported with a grant. (And the LGBTQ+ program is still going with CRLA.) It’s great when we can really support folks throughout their trajectory from student to professional. It’s like ChangeLawyers spotted a seed, you watered the seed, it grew, and the plant's thriving. You lend some sunshine, lend some water, and it keeps growing and expanding and contributing to the legal profession.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO GIVE TO YOUNG, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, FIRST-GEN LAW STUDENTS AND YOUNG LAWYERS?

JC: Pursue growth, pursue excellence, and pursue impact in public service. If you have that commitment to growth and challenge, that means you're going to be open to take ownership of your role on cases and advocacy initiatives. You’ll grow from that and

learn a lot of skills. Some of them will be soft skills, in terms of dealing with people and organizations which is very important, and some of them may be more technical skills that relate to litigation, regulatory advocacy or legislative advocacy.

If you pursue growth, then you're not going to stagnate in your career. At each stage, you'll add to your set of skills, the vision that you have, and what you can contribute to any sort of organization or community advocacy effort. Don't be afraid of challenges or stressful periods in a career because that is part of what growth is. Not every day is a cakewalk, and there are moments of uncertainty and challenge, and that's all part of the growth.

“Pursue growth, pursue excellence, and pursue impact in public service.”

FELLOWSHIP SUMMER SERIES RECAP

As mentioned in the last issue, Legal Aid Gives Back. California ChangeLawyers joined forces with the State Bar of California to build up the pipeline to public interest; and bringing a total of 80 fellows aboard for the inaugural year. ChangeLawyers conducted a Summer Series of trainings throughout the summer on imposter syndrome, financial literacy, and mindfulness for these 80 fellows that we hope will jump start their legal careers. The first

event, Owning Your Value, featured an informative discussion from Neha Sampat on How to Stop

Questioning Your Competence & Start Cultivating Your Confidence. The summer series continued with in-person welcome mixers in Oakland and Los Angeles for fellows to network and commune.

Through the summer series, we hope the 80 fellows feel confident, eager and valued to continue to public interest links work.

SUMMER FELLOWS ATTENDING THE OAKLAND WELCOME MIXER.

LEGAL AID GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS

LEGAL AID GRANTS

Earlier this year, ChangeLawyers made our latest round of grants to California front-line legal aid organizations. Since starting this program in 2019, we have made $1.55M in awards to over 100 organizations serving nearly all 58 counties in California.

In 2023, our grants totaled $520K to 74 different organizations. We are proud to support these essential programs because they provide access to attorneys for those Californians who would otherwise not be able to afford it.

FELLOWSHIP GRANTS

Earlier this summer, ChangeLawyers also made grants to 4 legal aid organizations totaling $38,400. These grants will support fulltime summer employment for four 1Ls and 2Ls as they explore what public interest practice looks like.

Our hope is that these law students will go on to pursue careers in nonprofit organizations after law school. The need for public interest attorneys is dire as there is an estimated 1 attorney per 7500 Californians in need of a lawyer but who cannot access one.

LEGAL AID GRANTS

Affordable Housing Advocates

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach

Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance

Inland Counties Legal Services

Legal Aid Society of San Diego

Legal Services for Children

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Loyola Marymount University

McGeorge Community Legal Services

Riverside Legal Aid

San Joaquin College of Law

Santa Clara University Alexander Law Center

Senior Adults Legal Assistance

Wage Justice Center

Watsonville Law Center

Aids Legal Referral Panel

Alameda County Homeless Action Center

Alliance for Children's Rights

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Southern California

Bay Area Legal Aid

California Indian Legal Services

California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.

California Women's Law Center

Capital Pro Bono Inc.

Casa Cornelia Law Center

Central California Legal Services

Chapman University

Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations

Community Legal Aid SoCal

Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto

Contra Costa Senior Legal Services

Dependency Advocacy Center

Disability Rights California

Disability Rights Legal Center

East Bay Community Law Center

Elder Law & Advocacy

Family Violence Appellate Project

Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law

Housing and Economic Rights Advocates

Impact Fund

Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association, Inc.

Inner City Law Center

Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco

LACBA Counsel for Justice

Law Foundation of Silicon Valley

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Learning Rights Law Center

Legal Aid at Work

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara

County

Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

Legal Services for Seniors

Legal Services of Northern California

Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice

Mental Health Advocacy Services

National Center for Youth Law

National Housing Law Project

Prison Law Office

Public Advocates Inc.

Public Counsel

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program

San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation

Santa Clara County Asian Law Alliance

Senior Advocacy Network

Social Justice Collaborative

UC Davis School of Law Legal Clinics

UnCommon Law

USD School of Law Legal Clinics

Veterans Legal Institute

Western Center on Law and Poverty

Worksafe, Inc.

Yuba-Sutter Legal Center for Seniors

FELLOWSHIP GRANTS

Centro Legal De La Raza

Legal Assistance for Seniors

Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice

Senior Citizens Legal Services

78

Organizations received grants from ChangeLawyers in 2023

UPCOMING EVENT

Thursday, October 5th, 2023

San Francisco

We'll be hosting our newest cohort of 1L scholars, their families and sponsoring firms. Stay Tuned!

Become a ChangeCatalyst. Support ChangeLawyers.

If every reader joined our monthly community of supporters at just $5 today, we'd be on our way to raising $25,000 towards our mission of building a better justice system for all Californians.

DONATE $5

DONATE

DESIGNED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH