INTRODUCING CALA'S NEW TEAM MEMBERS!

Meet Nebula Li & Timothy Myers, CALA's New Staff Attorneys

CALA is extremely fortunate to have two committed, talented attorneys join our staff:  Nebula Li & Timothy Myers. In addition to their work with CALA's "community activism law clinics," Nebula will coordinate CALA's free community legal education for activists and activist organizations, while Tim will oversee our internship and volunteer programs. 

Nebula Li, Staff Attorney & Coordinator of Community Legal Education                                                 &nb…

Nebula Li, Staff Attorney & Coordinator of Community Legal Education                                                                                                                                    Photography by Thomas Alaan

Nebula Li is an attorney and activist committed to engaging with the community to advance social change.   Before starting at CALA, Nebula practiced immigration, criminal defense, public benefits and civil rights law at AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, Shiller*Preyar Law Offices, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago and Justice for Our Neighbors.  At Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago, Nebula also worked as a community organizer, mobilizing over 4,000 immigrant voters across the Chicagoland area.  

Nebula graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 2011.    During law school, Nebula participated in the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic’s Criminal & Juvenile Justice Project where they defended juveniles in criminal court.  Nebula also interned at Immigration Equality and Harvard Immigrant & Refugee Clinic/Greater Boston Legal Services.  Nebula earned the University of Chicago President’s Volunteer Service Award in addition to being a Law School Leadership Fellow. Nebula was also a member of the 2012 class of the “20 under 40,” Just The Beginning Foundation’s recognition for 20 attorneys under the age of 40 across the country, who reach back and lift up their communities.  

Nebula currently serves as a board member for National Lawyers Guild Chicago, a progressive organization for law students, lawyers, legal workers and jailhouse lawyers. They are also an active member of community organizations Invisible 2 Invincible: Asian/Pacific Islander Pride of Chicago (i2i) and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF). 

Nebula can speak Spanish proficiently, and basic Cantonese.

Timothy Myers, Staff Attorney & Volunteer/Intern Coordinator                                                     &n…

Timothy Myers, Staff Attorney & Volunteer/Intern Coordinator                                                                                                                                                      Photography by Thomas Alaan

Timothy Myers is motivated by the opportunity to make a difference in the community, and he sees his law degree as a tool to do so. Tim’s interest in activism and serving the public interested started early. During college, Tim was active advocating for immigrant rights in Voces de la Frontera, a grassroots political organization supporting Milwaukee’s immigrant community. After college, Tim worked at University Hospital in Cincinnati, advocating for the hospital’s uninsured patients in their Medicaid and Social Security cases.

During his time in law school, Tim developed an interest in immigration law, serving as the President of the Immigration Law Society. Tim also gained experience in the practice of immigration law while clerking for Community Refugee and Immigration Services and while helping set up DACA workshops for Vineyard Community Church. Tim was also active in the law school’s civil clinic, using the FOIA process to request records from Customs and Border Protection to support litigation seeking to prove discriminatory enforcement policies by CBP targeting the Latino community. 

This interest in immigration law is coupled with an interest in criminal law, which Tim cultivated during his time clerking with criminal defense attorney Priya Tamilarasan. Upon graduating law school, Tim worked as a prosecutor for the City of Chicago Department of Law.

Presently, Tim is active in Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, serving as a mentor to high school students interested in legal careers. Tim is a proud alumnus of Marquette University and The Ohio State Moritz College of Law.

Tim is fluent in Spanish. 

Harvard Law at CALA

HARVARD LAW STUDENTS HELP OVER 80 FAMILIES DURING THEIR PRO BONO SPRING TRIP AT CALA

 

Read the Harvard Law Today feature (with pictures): http://today.law.harvard.edu/2015-spring-break-clinical-pro-bono/

CALA recently hosted a group of Harvard Law students as part of HLS' Pro Bono Spring Break Trips 2015 Instead of sipping cocktails on a tropical beach, the student came to windy Chicago and prepared, conducted outreach for, and provided legal services at three workshops in Little Village and South Chicago. The students helped undocumented students complete initial and renewal applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications, and parents determine eligibility and prepare documentation for Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) applications. In a single week, which included working on Friday night and Saturday, the students helped over 80 families!

The law students learned about CALA's community activism lawyering model, as they collaborated with community activist organizations, including Enlace-Chicago and Centro de Trabajadores Unidos-Immigrant Workers Project. In addition, they were also able to observe and explore community activism lawyering in action at CALA's clinics and at other community organizing activities, including presenting a Spanish-language training for Knowledge Hook-Up. 

Sponsored by the law school's Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs, the HLS Pro Bono Spring Break trips provided opportunities for students to use their spring breaks to do important pro bono work in Chicago, Alabama, the Mississippi Delta, and South Texas. The trips ran from March 14-22, 2015.

Some reflections from the participants, excerpted from the article written by one of the students, Isabel Broer. To read the full article, click here 

"Naomi Campbell writes: “This past week was completely reenergizing. CALA and the community organizations in Little Village and South Chicago are wonderful examples of community-led activism and it was great to see such a strong partnership between lawyers and organizers. I really valued putting names and faces to policies and ideas and learning more about the barriers undocumented people face on a daily basis. Their drive to advocate for themselves and for their families was inspiring. Thank you to Lam, Raymundo at CTU, and Lulu at Enlace Chicago for hosting and teaching us so much.”

Dami Animashaum echoes Naomi’s sentiments: “I am very grateful to have spent spring break working with Lam, CALA, Enlace, Knowledge Hookup, and CTU. These organizations and the many individuals, from dedicated staff members to community volunteers that keep them afloat are a blessing to the communities they serve and a model for other legal services organizations to aspire to. These organizations are directly situated in communities where access to legal and other social services are most needed, and through collaboration and coalition, they are making great strides to satisfying that need. A testament to the communal nature of these organizations is how seamlessly we were able to fit in; every single person was incredibly welcoming and made us feel like valued members of the team. The three DACA and DAPA workshop we staffed were extremely successful, we assisted over 80 people in completing or renewing their DACA application and preparing to apply for DAPA. I am sure this experience will inform the legal work I do in future.”

Finally, Andréa R. Lavourinha, an attorney from Brazil, reflects on her experiences: “Community lawyers play an essential role in addressing the kinds of structural problems low-income communities face. The trip is over, but the life lesson remains. Among workshops, clinics and sightseeing, the spring break clinic at CALA was an amazing opportunity to get in touch with the wonderful work developed by Lam Ho and his team. Also, we became aware of the various skills a community lawyer must develop in order to address the immigration and legal problems these communities face. Not only applications were filled up. Lam Ho, together with Nebula Li, and incredible community leaders – as Raymundo Valdez – help inform community members. They bring awareness of individuals’ rights. Weekly, they change the lives of a vast group of community members. It was an unforgettable experience to take part in this change during a week.”

 

Meet CALA's Newest Board Member: Serafina Ha

WELCOME SERAFINA HA, CALA'S NEWEST BOARD MEMBER

CALA is extremely pleased to welcome Serafina Ye Jin Ha to our Board of Directors. Serafina is a tax associate in the Chicago office of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), working with the Industry Services Group doing compliance and provision work for non-finance industry clients. Currently, she is working to fulfill all her requirements to become a Certified Public Accountant.

Serafina graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago magna cum laude with a B.S. in Accounting. While there, she was VP of Operations of the Accounting Club, and an executive member of the Business Student Advisory Board. She co-founded the Business Learning Center, which opened in the fall of 2014 to provide a space for students to come together for resources in tutoring, socializing, and other areas in academic and career development.

Prior to PwC, Serafina volunteered with the Korean-American Resource and Cultural Center, a local non-profit that serves to empower the Korean American community through education, social service, organizing/advocacy and culture. Through her extended involvement, she gained appreciation and passion for social justice and humanitarian work

CALA at RebLaw Conference

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CALA PRESENTS AT REBLAW: "Beyond Boundaries: How Lawyers, Activists, and Communities Can Effectively Create Social Change Together" 

CALA was honored to organize and present at the Rebellious Lawyering Conference last month at Yale Law School, even more so as we were able to do it with one of our community activist partners, Lulu Martinez of Enlace.  RebLaw is the nation's largest student-run public interest conference. Every year the conference brings together practitioners, law students, and community activists from around the country to discuss innovative, progressive approaches to law and social change. Read more about the conference here.

Our panel, "Beyond Boundaries: How Lawyers, Activists, and Communities Can Effectively Create Social Change Together, also featured Melissa Sontag Broudo and Kate D'Adamo from the Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center (the first legal clinic in the country dedicated to serving sex workers). It focused on the strategies, benefits, and challenges of lawyer-activist collaborations, with perspectives from both sides of these partnerships.

You can watch a video of our presentation at:

https://capturecast.yale.edu:8443/ess/echo/presentation/4981b5ab-d272-4b2b-aaac-d5302ed29dc1?ec=true

 

CALA's Sex Workers Activism Law Clinic Offering Online Screening

CALA's Sex Workers Activism Law Clinic, operated with SWOP-Chicago (Sex Workers Rights Project) will immediately start offering online screening for clients. 

In order to offer an effective, convenient method for sex workers to access free legal services, individuals can obtain, or be referred for, consultations about their legal issues, and follow-up appointments, by completing CALA-SWOP's online screening form: 

http://www.calachicago.org/swop-clinic-online-screening

A CALA attorney will respond to the form submission and offer information and advice, and/or arrange an in-person appointment at CALA's SWOP Activism Law Clinic, when additional services may be provided, including free representation. 

CALA's SWOP Community Activism Law Clinic is a free, full-service legal clinic for individuals involved in/affected by sex work, or have experienced sexual exploitation. The clinic is open for intakes of new cases, twice a month, with follow-up appointments as well as trainings and workshops occurring in between intakes sessions. It provides a wide-range of services from advice and community legal education to full representation. As always, all legal services, including full representation, are completely free of charge to clients.

The next clinics are March 15th (3-6pm) and March 16th (6-9pm) at 1700 S Loomis. 

http://www.calachicago.org/swop-clinic-online-screening

 

 

TOUCHING WORDS FROM A FORMER CLIENT

THANK YOU LETTER FROM A CLIENT:

Our Inspiration and Motivation 
 

CALA recently received a moving thank you letter from one of our former clients. She offered some very kind thanks that reminded us of why we do our work, and for which we are extremely grateful. 

Here is the letter, from an undocumented immigrant whose work authorization renewal was delayed. We helped her to negotiate successfully with her employer, and she's happily at work at a great job!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and generous sentiments with us: 

Editor's Note: CALA attorneys routinely stay past scheduled hours to ensure that all clients visiting our intake clinic hours are served. 






CALA to Provide Free Workshops for Expanded DACA/DAPA Applicants

CALA to Host Series of Free Workshops In February and March to Help Eligible Undocumented Immigrants to Apply for Expanded DACA, and to Get Documents Ready for DAPA Applications.

This Wednesday (February 18, 2015), the US government will begin accepting applications for the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program authorized by President Obama's executive actions on immigration. The program provides a temporary reprieve from deportation, along with work authorization, for eligible immigrants who came to the United States before age 16.

Created by the Obama administration in 2012, the eligibility requirements for DACA were expanded by the President last November. At that time, the President also created a comparable “deferred action” program for the parents of citizens and permanent residents: Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA). The government is expected to start accepting DAPA applications in May.

As part of CALA’s commitment to providing support for community organizing and activism, CALA will hold free DACA & DAPA workshops, in collaboration with three of its partners, as part of their respective campaigns on immigration.

CALA’s DACA/DAPA workshop series schedule:

February 18, 2015, 4-8PM (as part of Enlace-Chicago’s IL is Ready Campaign)

            Assistance to complete and file DACA applications (initial and renewals)

            Please contact Enlace at 773.542.9233 for location and to schedule an appointment

March 19, 2015, 4-8PM (as part of Enlace-Chicago’s IL is Ready Campaign)

            Assistance to complete and file DACA applications (initial and renewals)

            Please contact Enlace at 773.542.9233 for location and to schedule an appointment

March 20, 2015, 4-9PM (as part of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos: Immigrant Workers Project’s (CTU) Executive Actions on Immigration Outreach Campaign)

Assistance to complete and file DACA applications (initial and renewals)

            Eligibility review and materials preparation for prospective DAPA applicants

Please contact Raymundo Valdez at 773-349-2806 or rvaldez@ctu-iwp.org for location and to schedule an appointment

March 21, 2015, 9AM-12PM (as part of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos: Immigrant Workers Project’s (CTU) Executive Actions on Immigration Outreach Campaign)

Assistance to complete and file DACA applications (initial and renewals)

            Eligibility review and materials preparation for prospective DAPA applicants

Please contact Raymundo Valdez at 773-349-2806 or rvaldez@ctu-iwp.org for location and to schedule an appointment

April 17, 2015, 4-8PM (as part of Enlace-Chicago’s IL is Ready Campaign) 

            Assistance to complete and file DACA applications (initial and renewals)

            Please contact Enlace at 773.542.9233 for location and to schedule an appointment

April 29, 2015, 4-8PM (as part of Enlace-Chicago’s IL is Ready Campaign) 

            Assistance to complete and file DACA applications (initial and renewals)

            Please contact Enlace at 773.542.9233 for location and to schedule an appointment

For individuals who are not eligible for DACA or DAPA, CALA will provide legal support for workshops hosted by the Organized Communities Against Deportation. For more information about these workshops, get in touch with OCAD: https://www.facebook.com/OCADIL

Stay tuned…once DAPA applications are available, CALA will release our DAPA application completion/submission workshops schedule. 

 

CALLING ALL ACTIVIST-LAWYERS! CALA Is Hiring...

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM LAW ALLIANCE JOB OPENINGS:

STAFF ATTORNEY & TEMPORARY ATTORNEY

The Community Activism Law Alliance (“CALA”) is a new legal services organization in Chicago that uses a “community activism lawyering” philosophy. Our unique model brings free legal services directly into underserved communities by establishing “community activism law clinics” with activist community organizations. Each clinic is developed and operated collaboratively with a partner organization, and supports the organization’s efforts to make systemic changes. Our current clinic partners are Enlace Chicago, Immigrant Youth Justice League/Organized Communities Against Deportations, and Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP) – Chicago. In addition, we offer community legal education and limited legal support to other activist organizations. CALA is looking for two highly motivated attorneys with genuine interest in community lawyering, connecting the law with grassroots activism, and being part of a new legal services model to be a part of our early development.

The attorneys will work directly in communities on the south and west sides of Chicago in need of legal assistance; all client interactions take place in the offices of our community partners. CALA’s clinics provide legal services in several areas of law, including immigration, housing, family, criminal records, labor/employment, and education. Selected candidates will be expected to handle cases in at least two areas and be able to quickly learn basic knowledge of additional areas.  They must also be prepared to work non-traditional hours—some evenings and the occasional weekend day—and in non-traditional, multiple locations; in exchange, they are afforded great flexibility in work schedule.

Preference may be given to applicants who are fluent in Spanish, have experience in immigration law, and/or have experience in community lawyering.

As CALA is a new organization, the starting salary for the staff attorney will be $28,000-$35,000, depending on experience. However, we hope to offer quick salary increases, as it is a fundraising priority for the organization. The salary for the temporary attorney will be determined based upon experience and qualifications, and the position will be for a minimum of six months.

CALA is an equal opportunity workplace and is committed to working closely and effectively with the communities that we serve. Individuals self-identifying as people of color, LGBTQI, working-class or poor, persons with a disability, or as otherwise having backgrounds and experiences underrepresented in the legal profession are highly encouraged to apply.

To apply, send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and salary history to hiring@calachicago.org.

LOOK AT WHAT CALA HAS DONE IN ITS FIRST THREE MONTHS

It’s been an amazing three months for CALA; for a brand-new organization, what we’ve been able to achieve has far surpassed our expectations. Our new volunteer development associate, Theresa Nguyen, put together a 3 month scrapbook to capture CALA's achievements in its first three months. 

 

CHECK OUT THE SCRAPBOOK HERE!

 

We’ve opened three clinics.

Since October 14th, the opening of our Enlace Community Activism Law Clinic, we’ve created three free clinics for undocumented immigrants, day laborers, and sex workers (which just opened mid-December).

We’ve already helped over 200 families.

In slightly over 2 months, CALA has helped over a 100 families. We have provided free legal services to approximately 90 clients through our 3 clinics, and many more through our workshops and trainings.

We’ve developed an amazing board.

With the recent addition of Anthony Borich of Jenner & Block, CALA’s board now has 8 dedicated, passionate members with diverse skills and talents. They’ve put together a development plan for CALA that we’ll be implementing in 2015.

We’ve supported numerous organizations through our recently launched community legal education and activism support initiatives.  

In addition to the cases we have helped through our clinics, we’ve supported Chicago’s most disadvantaged communities through several legal rights education events. We also took on some organizational cases to help improve the activism capacities of our community partners, as well as a few other activist organizations.

Our success could not have happened without your support. Thank you! Thank you!

CALA has several exciting projects planned for 2015, and we are hopeful that we’ll be able to sustain and build upon our initial success.

 

CALA one of four organizations for Harvard Law's Spring Break Pro Bono Trip

Harvard Law Students  Coming to Chicago to Help CALA with DACA/DAPA workshops during their Spring Break

CALA is honored to be one of the four organizations hosting Harvard Law students as part of HLS' Spring Break Trips 2015. Sponsored by the law school's Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs, the trips provides opportunities for students to use their spring breaks to do important pro bono work in Chicago, Alabama, the Mississippi Delta, and South Texas. The trips run from March 14-22, 2015.

Students coming to Chicago will prepare, conduct outreach for, and deliver at least two legal assistance workshops for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications and renewals, along with Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) preparation in Little Village and South Chicago. Using CALA's community activism lawyering model, the students will collaborate with community activist organizations, including Enlace-Chicago and Centro de Trabajadores Unidos-Immigrant Workers Project. In addition, the students will be able to observe and explore community activism lawyering in action at CALA's clinics, in court, and at other community organizing activities. 

Click here for more information about HLS' Spring Break Trips 2015.