California JusticeCorps Members

Applications are currently being accepted from students in the Los Angeles area attending UCLA and the CSU campuses of Northridge, Dominguez Hills, Long Beach, and Pomona. Bay Area student applicants will be accepted from the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, and California State University East Bay. San Diego student applicants will be accepted from University of California at San Diego.

Applications are accepted in the spring and summer for fall participation.

Read about students at Cal Berkeley who participated in JusticeCorps.

Members at Work

...and in San Francisco.

California JusticeCorps Alumni Testimonials

"By taking the time to explain the legal procedures of their case to litigants, as well as helping them fill out the appropriate forms, I made a difference in many people's lives."
-JusticeCorps Alumnae

Participation in the JusticeCorps program has had a profound impact on many of its members. Below is a sampling of testimonials from JusticeCorps alumni.

One JusticeCorps member shared this experience: "Throughout my service in JusticeCorps, I believe patience is a skill I've developed. An experience that I clearly remember at the Pomona Self-Help Center was the day that a litigant came for a legal separation. She was very defensive and difficult in the beginning, reluctant to cooperate and doubt[ing] everything I said. Patiently, I tried to reassure her that I would help her out as much as possible. Remarkably, she started to trust me and became very cooperative. In her evaluation of the center's services, she thanked me for my patience and was awed [by] my abilities. I was surprised by her comments and, therefore, this experience remains with me.

One JusticeCorps member addressed what it meant to discover that service matters. This student wrote, "I feel part of the community because we are all the same as humans, so regardless of our differing situations, our empathy and emotions tie us together.

"The people I've encountered through JusticeCorps have had to go through a lot in life and yet always seemed to walk out with a positive attitude, no matter what the outcome. Based on interactions with the litigants, I'd say that they are strong-willed and have a lot of heart for what they believe in. I have discovered that service-orientated activities/jobs are something that I'd very much like to pursue in the future."

One JusticeCorps alumna reflects on what she learned in the program. This student wrote, "When I decided I wanted to do JusticeCorps, I had no prior experience with the courts, and so when I began my service, the first thing that really impressed me was how much more informed these litigants were than I was.

"I learned a lot of valuable things here. Acquiring life skills is something that I find very important and is one of the things that I believe I made great strides in. In this year in JusticeCorps, I learned so much about the real world; in [1] year I easily learned more than many people learn in 10. As a 20-year-old helping and talking to people much older than myself, I was able to learn a lot from them so as not to make the same mistakes, or as to benefit from their successes. JusticeCorps has been a very rewarding experience that has brought me closer to my community and has allowed me to grow a lot as an individual."

One JusticeCorps alumna shared what she accomplished. This student wrote, "I came out of JusticeCorps knowing that I helped many and made a difference, even if only partial[ly]. This is my biggest accomplishment along with the satisfaction of knowing that I gave back to the community. It is my first time doing so, but definitely not my last time. In addition, I can carry much of the training with me in case I am ever involved in a typical case.

"Overall, I had a wonderful experience with JusticeCorps. I feel fortunate...to participate in such a great program and given the chance to serve a community in Los Angeles. I come out of the program understanding many legal matters that will help on my path to becom[ing] a lawyer. It is an experience I will truly miss but never forget."

Finally, another alumna wrote, "Coming into JusticeCorps, I did not know what to expect as far as how it would be to interact with litigants. However, interacting with the litigants is what gave me the most satisfaction during my internship. By taking the time to explain the legal procedures of their case to litigants, as well as helping them fill out the appropriate forms, I made a difference in many people's lives.

"Of all my JusticeCorps experiences, one stands out the most. A woman who only spoke Spanish came into the Self-Help Center. She wanted a civil restraining order against her neighbor. I remember thinking that the restraining order was probably just bitter bickering between neighbors. Then reality set in. The woman's eight-year-old son had been sexually assaulted and threatened by her neighbor's 15-year-old son. The case was under investigation, and it was the police that suggested she get a restraining order. The tears just kept rolling down her cheeks as she spoke, and it was painful for me to have to ask the questions on the restraining order. The feeling was so overwhelming that I wanted to cry with her. However, I kept my composure, and apologetically translated each question to the woman. I kept telling her that I had to ask these questions, and that although it was difficult to have to give details, she needed to give them to me so that her restraining order went through. I finished the restraining order and explained to the woman what she needed to do. I really admired the woman's courage.

"This case stands out the most because it is so disheartening. I could not believe what I was hearing, and I did not want to believe it, but I knew it was real. At first, I hated the fact that I got this case. I could not get it off my mind. But then I thought, what if nobody else was there that spoke Spanish? Would the woman have been able to fill out the restraining order? This case was the first case in which I felt I made a difference. And I made a difference just by translating. It is also the one case that really challenged me emotionally. I had always heard that attorneys learn to not be emotionally involved, and up to that point, I was able to do that with no problem. However, with this case, it was very difficult. But I learned that it is okay to be affected emotionally, as long as I keep my composure. After this case, I felt I grew up a little, and I was more prepared to hear tough cases. I also took greater pride in my work as an intern in the courts because I realized the importance of the self-help centers and their volunteers. Although I initially regretted taking the case, I now look back and am very thankful I was the one who helped the woman and made a difference."

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