16th Annual
PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM AWARD LUNCHEON
Thursday, April 17, 2025
L U N C H E O N P R O G R A M
OPENING AND INTRODUCTION
Michelle Takagishi-Almeida, Director, Public Service Program
SOUTHWESTERN WELCOME
Darby Dickerson
President and Dean of Southwestern Law School
GEORGE AND KATRINA WOOLVERTON PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD PRESENTATION
Andrea Ramos
Director of Clinical Programs and Director of Immigration Law Clinic
WOOLVERTON FAMILY PUBLIC INTEREST
AWARD PRESENTATION
Isabelle Gunning
Mayor Tom Bradley Professor of Law and Director of Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration
SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICE
AWARD PRESENTATION
Kathryn Campbell
Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills
Julia Vázquez
Director of Community Lawyering Clinic and Director of Public
Interest Law Concentration
STUDENT ORGANIZATION VOLUNTEER
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTATION
Vanessa Hernandez
2025-26 PILC Co-Chair
Paola Velazquez
2025-26 PILC Co-Chair
Public Interest Law Faculty Committee
Through Southwestern’s Public Service Program Award Luncheon, the Public Interest Law Faculty Committee honors those students from each year's graduating class with a demonstrated dedication to public interest law activities or career practice.
The Public Service Program Award Luncheon also aims to cultivate a commitment to pro bono and public service in the wider Southwestern student body by recognizing students who fulfill their Public Service Pledge of completing a minimum of 75 hours of law-related service by graduation.
Public Interest Law Committee
Southwestern’s Public Interest Law Committee’s mission is to help create a community where Southwestern students are educated and incentivized to participate in issues concerning and advancing the public interest. Each year, the student-led Public Interest Law Committee focuses efforts in raising the financial support necessary for those students who wish to spend a summer contributing to the work of public interest and government agencies providing legal services and representation for underserved communities across California.
Congratulations to
our
2025 Graduating Student Award Recipients!
George & Katrina Woolverton
Made possible through the generosity of Southwestern alumni George Woolverton ‘75 and Katrina Woolverton '02.
Established in 2010, the George and Katrina Woolverton Public Service Award is given to one graduating student in recognition of demonstrated and extraordinary dedication to public interest law activities while at Southwestern.
Established in 2017, The Woolverton Family Public Interest Award honors one graduating student in recognition of exceptional dedication to public interest law activities while at Southwestern
Sarah Hayden
GEORGE AND KATRINA WOOLVERTON PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Having lived in the Los Angeles area for most of her life, Sarah has witnessed significant transformations in the city, including the affordable housing and homelessness crisis. Sarah’s dedication to a career in public interest practice as a housing rights attorney has been exemplified by her work and experiences in and outside of the classroom.
Sarah has served as a law clerk for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Legal Unit, BASTA! Universal, and Inner City Law Center’s Preventing and Ending Homelessness Unit, where she witnessed firsthand the profound impact legal aid can have on vulnerable communities In addition to her law clerk experiences, Sarah has dedicated time to serve as a legal volunteer for the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Bet Tzedek Legal Services.
Sarah has been actively involved in various student organizations on-campus holding leadership positions as Co-Chair of the Public Interest Law Committee, Student Advisor to Southwestern’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project and as a Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow
Following summer bar studies, Sarah will begin her two-year postgraduate fellowship in the Tenant Defense Project at Inner City Law Center.
Donald Bullock
WOOLVERTON FAMILY PUBLIC INTEREST
RECIPIENT
Donalds aspirations in pursuing a career in public interest law, specifically in criminal defense, have been shaped by his first-hand experiences as a first-generation law student.
As a student, Donald has been deeply involved in Southwestern’s academic community, serving as a Dean’s Fellow, Teaching Assistant, and Research Assistant. He has held leadership roles with Southwestern’s Black Law Students Association, Mass Incarceration Awareness Law Society and was honored with the Trailblazer of the Year Award for his service as Attorney General for the Western Regional Black Law Students Association and is a Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow.
Alongside his student and leadership roles, Donald has never wavered from his career pursuit and work over the past two-years in zealously advocating and upholding the constitutional rights of those who are accused of crimes as a law clerk for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
After graduation and bar studies, Donald returns to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office as a Post-Bar Senior Law Clerk.
Southwestern Public Interest Law Service Award
Honoring selected graduating students in recognition of an individual's demonstrated and significant dedication to public interest law activities while at Southwestern.
Diana Aguilar
SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Diana is a first-generation law student from Boyle Heights, who is committed to advocating for underserved communities. Diana has served as a law clerk in Southwestern’s Street Law Clinic, educating youth at continuation schools on their legal rights and the power of self-advocacy, and in Southwestern’s Children’s Rights Clinic, advocating for students with special education needs and the accommodations they are entitled to.
Diana's commitment to public service has extended beyond campus through her work as a certified law clerk for the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office and the Children’s Law Center, where she represented dual-status youth placed under delinquency and dependency jurisdiction. Through her volunteer work with the David S. Wesley Teen Court Program, she has been involved in restorative justice initiatives, advocating for rehabilitation over punitive measures for youth.
After graduation, Diana continues on in her advocacy and in utilizing her legal education to serve and empower vulnerable communities as a Post-Bar Clerk for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
Jennifer Alvarez
SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Jennifer is a first-generation student from Central California and a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. During her time at Southwestern, she has served as a Staff Editor for Southwestern’s Law Review, an oralist for the Moot Court Honors Program, CoChair of the Public Interest Law Committee, Vice-Chair of the Immigration Law Student Association and as a Dean’s Fellow and Teaching Assistant for LAWS, Contracts, and Civil Procedure.
In addition to her active involvement and leadership on campus, Jennifer has served as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project After graduation and the bar exam, Jennifer is eager to use her legal education in continuing to support and empower underserved communities, particularly in immigration law.
Anthony Gilmore
SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Anthony is a part-time evening program student from Compton, California. He holds an undergraduate degree in American Studies with a minor in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley
Anthony is a father, full-time financial aid professional, and budding legal scholar. He is passionate about legal aid, indigent defense work, and impact litigation
Daniel Golub
SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Daniel is a part-time evening program student with career interests in public defense, eviction defense, and tenants’ rights law.
At Southwestern, Daniel has taken on leadership roles in the student chapters of the National Lawyer’s Guild, the American Constitution Society and been recognized as a “rising star” for his time and work as a law clerk in Southwestern’s Eviction Defense Clinic. He also takes pride in and is grateful for his experiences in serving as a law clerk for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and with Loyola’s Project for the Innocent.
After sitting for the summer bar exam, Daniel looks forward to returning to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
Desirae Ibarra
SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Desirae is a first-generation college graduate and law student. While at Southwestern, Desirae served as Co-President of the Mass Incarceration Awareness Law Society, CoVice-President of the Black Law Students Association, a Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow, a staffer for Law Review, a Dean’s Fellow and Research Assistant for Torts, Constitutional Criminal Procedure, and as a Teaching Assistant for Criminal Law, Constitutional Criminal Procedure and Constitutional Law
Off-campus, Desirae served as the Director of Community Service for the Western Region Black Law Students Association, as a judicial extern to the Honorable Karen Stevenson of the US District Court – Central District of California and as a law clerk for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, dedicating nearly 500-hours of legal services to indigent clients and communities through that Office.
Post-graduation, Desirae intends to fight for indigent clients’ constitutional rights as a public defender, ensuring they receive the zealous advocacy, representation and the justice they deserve.
Student Organization Volunteer Achievement Award
Honoring a student organization who, as a whole, has demonstrated the most significant contribution to public service activities and engagement both on- and off-campus during the academic year.
Homelessness Prevention Law Project
Southwestern’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project (HPLP) mission is to prevent loss of housing and to reduce difficulties faced by our unhoused neighbors living on the streets of Los Angeles. HPLP achieves these goals by working with community-based organizations and legal services organizations that provide aid and direct services thorough empowering legal professionals with the tools and information needed to effectively advocate for those who struggle to obtain food, clothing, shelter, and legal entitlements due to a lack of access to services and barriers posed by language and socioeconomic status.
This year, HPLP successfully relaunched their signature project, Connecting Angelinos to Resources and Essential Services (CARES) Advocacy Outings, a service initiative providing training for student advocates on public benefits and entitlements, such as General Relief, CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal. As part of their CARES outings, HPLP also provides on-site advocacy at Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) offices where student advocates work to ensure that DPSS office conditions and practices meet required standards.
Through their community-centered mission and advocacy initiative, HPLP inspires and challenges the Southwestern community to join them in providing meaningful support and services for all of our neighbors across the Greater Los Angeles area
Southwestern’s Public Service Distinction
Students who perform a minimum of 75 hours of law-related service throughout their law school experience receive special recognition at commencement and have the notation “Public Service Distinction” placed on their law school transcript.
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C L A S S O F
Congratulations to the graduating students who have fulfilled their Public Service Pledge
Jennifer Alvarez
Rocco Basile
Aria Beizai
Cindy Berganza
Donald Bullock
Maya Dilanian
Cassandra Diviak
Alexander Drew
Daniel Golub
Sarah Hayden
Desirae Ibarra
Olivia McGovern
Daniel Medina
Kimberly Quijada
Ramirez Isel
Lianne Urriza
Congratulations to our 2025
I L C G R A N T
Harvey L. and Lillian Silbert Fellow
Samantha Maddocks
Harvey L. and Lillian Silbert Fellow
Natalie O’Rourke
Dean Leigh. H. Taylor Public Interest Law Fund
Leah Perez
Valley Community Legal Foundation and the Friedenthal Family Public Interest Grant
Esperanza Alonso
Kaityln Almada
Julio Alvarez
Baylynne Brunetti
John Cho
Raul Garcia
Alicia Govea
Emma Grant
Emily Guerra
Emma Idiart
Lauren LaBorde
Alexandra Mas Ciccozzi
Madison McPhearson
Eva Mooradian
Shaunt Movsessian
Ines Ramadanović
Sara Rawda
Hannah Robinson
Nicolas Ruiz
Nancy Serrano
Beth Shrove
Justine Strange
Alexandra Stebbins
Ravyn Urias
Jacquelyn Vasantachat
Sean Wilkins
Isabella Zemshman
