July 7, 2026

"Showing Up": Southwestern Honors Its 2026 Public Interest Law Service Award Recipients

Each year, Southwestern Law School honors graduating students who have devoted their law school experience to public interest work. For the 2026 Public Interest Law Service Award recipients—Esperanza Alonso, Emiliano Arellano, Olivia Dilas, Melinda Rivas, Paola Velázquez, and Isabella Zemshman—the work is personal. Their stories span immigration advocacy, public defense, children’s rights, disability rights, workers’ rights, and community legal education, all grounded in a shared purpose: using the law to show up for their communities and help people navigate systems that too often feel out of reach.

Esperanza Alonso ’26: “Showing up with empathy”

Esperanza Alonso, the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, came to law school committed to serving immigrant communities and expanding access to justice. At Southwestern, that commitment became deeply personal in the Immigration Clinic, where she worked on U-Visa cases while her own family was navigating the immigration system.

As Esperanza helped clients share their stories, her father traveled to Ciudad Juárez for his visa appointment, unsure whether he would be approved or when he could return.

“Balancing my clinical work with that uncertainty made the experience deeply personal and reinforced my understanding of what so many clients go through,” she says.

Her public interest work also included the Street Law Clinic, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, and Kids in Need of Defense. 

Emiliano Arellano ’26: “A commitment to showing up”

Driven by a commitment to justice for underserved communities, Emiliano Arellano pursued public interest work across children’s rights, education advocacy, survivor justice, and community legal education.

In Southwestern’s Children’s Rights Clinic, he represented students in IEP hearings, advocated for students facing disciplinary proceedings, and helped families navigate the special education system. One case stayed with him: a student less than three months from graduation who was facing expulsion. Working with his clinic team, Emiliano successfully advocated for the student, who went on to graduate.

“That case reinforced what it truly means to be an advocate: understanding the law deeply enough to use it on behalf of [people] who need vital advocacy,” he says.

Olivia Dilas ’26: “A profound responsibility”

For Olivia Dilas, public service is rooted in a belief in what legal institutions can achieve when exercised responsibly. A refugee and survivor of the Bosnian War, she grew up observing international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.

“Those proceedings demonstrated how legal institutions, when exercised responsibly, can uphold human dignity and the rule of law,” she says.

At Southwestern, Olivia worked in public defense and other government offices, gaining insight into the real-world impact of legal decisions. She also participated in the Community Lawyering Clinic and Children’s Rights Clinic while completing more than 220 hours of pro bono service.

Melinda Rivas ’26: “Advocating for dignity, equal access, and fairness”

Melinda Rivas came to law school with a commitment shaped by her lived experience as a first-generation Salvadoran American from a low-income background. Her public interest work has focused on children, families, disability rights, and communities facing systemic barriers.

At Southwestern, Melinda participated in the Children’s Rights Clinic and Family Law Clinic, and clerked with the Children’s Law Center of California and Bet Tzedek Legal Services. One of her most meaningful experiences came when she spoke on the record and directly advocated for a client before a judge.

“Witnessing firsthand how my advocacy could make a difference is a profound experience I will always value,” she says.

Paola Velázquez ’26: “Building trust, honoring dignity”

For Paola Velázquez, public service is inseparable from where she comes from. A first-generation student from Southeast Los Angeles, raised by working-class Mexican immigrant parents, Paola came to law school committed to community-centered advocacy rooted in lived experience.

Through Southwestern’s Street Law Clinic, Paola taught legal rights to incarcerated youth at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, a facility near her hometown. Over ten weeks, she watched students begin to participate, ask questions, and share their stories. “Meaningful change happens when people are not only represented but truly seen,” she says, “and that is the kind of advocate I strive to be.”

Paola also served clients through Southwestern’s Community Lawyering Clinics, worked with the Los Angeles County Public Defender and Alternate Public Defender, and volunteered with Homeboy Industries’ expungement clinic. After graduation, Paola will continue that work as a post-bar clerk with the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office.

 

 

Isabella Zemshman ’26: “Giving back to the community”

As a first-generation law student and Los Angeles native, Isabella Zemshman came to Southwestern focused on the community that shaped her. Her public interest work centered on disability rights, workers’ rights, and helping people move through complex legal systems with support.

That commitment came into focus in Southwestern’s Community Lawyering Clinic, where Isabella guided one student through a difficult legal matter step by step. When the case ended, the student became emotional and thanked her for her help.

“This experience really touched me and reminded me of the reason why I came to law school in the first place,” Isabella says.

Isabella also served as a law clerk with the California Department of Justice’s Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section and Bet Tzedek Legal Services. 

---

Together, these awardees show the many forms public interest work can take, from direct client advocacy and community legal education to public defense, immigration work, children’s rights, disability rights, and workers’ rights. Congratulations to Olivia, Paola, Emiliano, Esperanza, Isabella, and Melinda on this well-deserved recognition.