UC Law SF Grad Will Represent LGBTQ Asylum Seekers
Rosamaria Cavalho ’22 will work with the Transgender Law Center in Oakland, California, helping LGBTQ asylum seekers and immigrants.
Rosamaria Cavalho 鈥22 said she wanted to attend law school so she could support low-income, immigrant communities, like the one in which she was raised.
Cavalho, who grew up in Hollister and Modesto, California, is the first person in her family to earn a high school and college degree. She said she was drawn to UC Law SF because of its public-interest, internship, and externship programs, 鈥淯C Law SF is a place where you are constantly surrounded by so many amazing and talented students and professors. There are endless opportunities to explore professional or educational interests while also contributing to the broader community.鈥
After graduating in May, she will spend the next year providing legal representation to LGBTQ asylum seekers and immigrants as a Fellow with the in Oakland, California.
While at law school, Cavalho served as co-chair of the (formerly La Raza) and member of the Women of Color Collective (WOCC). Through the UC Law SF Community Group Advocacy, Individual Representation and Workers鈥 Rights Clinics, Cavalho counseled clients about their legal rights and provided representation under attorney supervision.
Outside of clinics, Cavalho took part in the San Francisco Bar鈥檚 (LARC) at UC Law SF, the Volunteer Income Taxpayer Association (VITA) and the project.
鈥淭hese experiences were unparalleled,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey exposed me to a variety of client needs, allowed me to utilize my multilingual skills and provided an opportunity to think creatively with others, especially when Covid prompted in-person legal counseling services to move online or over the phone. I feel very lucky to have learned so much from many great advocates, professors, and peers alike, while also providing legal support to individuals at such a crucial time.鈥
She also gained legal experience through internships with the the 鈥檚 , and a judicial externship with the . 鈥淚t felt really powerful to take the legal research and writing skills I was developing in the classroom and begin to apply those skills to memorandum and briefs on complex, legal issues, impacting the lives of real people,鈥 she said.
Cavalho鈥檚 advice to other law students: 鈥淪peak with current law school students, reach out to faculty, clinics or programs of interest and explore annual 鈥楧ay at Law School,鈥 events such as the one UCH鈥檚 affinity organizations host. These opportunities will not only connect you with people of similar interests but also provide you with a better sense of how law school can fit your own unique goals and passions.鈥