12/21/2022
Dear Friends,
This holiday season, we are grateful for the many generous donors who helped create the Valerie Zukin Memorial Fellowship. In its inaugural summer, by supporting the work of two incredible fellows, the Fellowship honored Valerie’s legacy as a mentor and a tireless fighter on the front lines of the battle for immigrant justice. It has been just over one year since Valerie’s passing, and honoring her through this meaningful program brings comfort and inspiration to all of us who miss her dearly.
Griselda Estrada Gonzalez, a third-year law student at Lincoln Law School, worked alongside attorneys at Immigrant Legal Defense fighting for the protection and liberation of a LGBTQ+ client from Mexico who was detained in ICE custody. The experience proved a powerful one for Griselda, who says that helping her client tell his story and fight against the many injustices he confronted “reinforced that removal defense is where I am meant to be.”
Working closely with highly experienced mentors at ILD also helped shape her approach to lawyering. Griselda says, “I’ve added a shadow box to my office with some of the notes my mentors and I shared during our client’s hearing as a reminder that removal defense is at its best when done collectively, fiercely and creatively.” Griselda had a profound impact on the life of her client; thanks in no small part to her fierce advocacy, he was liberated from detention after over four years in federal custody.
Athena Buell Becerra, a third-year law student at Berkeley Law School, spent the summer at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project–the organization where Valerie began her legal career fighting for immigrants’ rights. Athena worked alongside NWIRP attorneys to secure the liberation of two detained clients and helped a family impacted by Trump’s Family Separation policy seek humanitarian parole.
As the inaugural Valerie Zukin Fellows, Griselda and Athena exemplify the mission of this fellowship, as well as what makes it unique. The Valerie Zukin Fellowship seeks law students who are passionate about fighting for immigrants rights but whose law schools don’t provide opportunities or funding to pursue this mission. Valerie Zukin Fellows receive one-on-one mentorship focused on helping them become fierce advocates for the clients who most desperately need immigration counsel: immigrants detained by ICE. By providing the funding and unparalleled training to equip the next generation of immigration defenders to fight with and for their clients, the Valerie Zukin Fellowship carries on Valerie’s legacy, championing immigrants’ rights through mentorship.
But the continued success of the fellowship depends on your continued support. Throughout her professional life, Valerie was unflagging in her commitment to fighting for immigrant justice and to training the coming generations of attorneys to continue the effort. We hope that those who support her cause will continue to help us carry on her mission. Please click the link below to donate now!
With warm regards,
The Valerie Zukin Memorial Fellowship Committee:
Katie Kavanagh
Katy Lewis
Christine Lin
Ilyce Shugall
Jami Mills Vibbert
Evelyn Wiese
Amalia Wille
Heather Zukin
Stephen Zukin
Check out The Valerie Zukin Memorial Fellowship by California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice!
