March 14, 2019
With the start of a new year, comes new faces around the OneJustice offices! OneJustice is excited for you to meet our newest team-member – Dana Marquez, Californians for Legal Aid Fellow! As we do with all new folks, we asked them to answer these four questions:
- What drew you to OneJustice’s vision, mission, and strategies?
- Tell us a bit about your position at OneJustice and what you hope to achieve?
- What was your path in coming to OneJustice?
- And please tell us something about yourself that not everyone might know.
Please welcome Dana Marquez!
Dana Marquez, Californians for Legal Aid Fellow:
I was drawn to OneJustice because I have always wanted to help people and make a difference for others. Growing up in California’s San Joaquin Valley, I witnessed first hand the struggle children and their families faced for access to respect and justice in all aspects of their lives. With advocates and influential leaders on the side of civil justice, the futures of many people can be positively altered. I came to civil justice to help protect and bolster the civil justice system so that all people have equal access to the law and an equal fight at life in a free and just society.
The Californians for Legal Aid Fellowship position was created to help combat a need in the state of California for structural and innovative development tailored to the needs of children and youth. Approximately 9 million children under the age of 17 were reported to be living in California in 2018 and it is estimated that 21.3%, or 1.9 million, of them are living in poverty. Serving as the Californians for Legal Aid Fellow, I hope to develop and implement an effective plan for legal services providers across California that are serving at-need children and youth in all aspects of their lives and development.
Before OneJustice I attended the University of San Francisco Law School and San Francisco State University. In law school, I was involved in a variety of extra-curriculars and groups including the University of San Francisco Law Review, the Women’s Law Association, and the Student Bar Association. Law school provided me with the opportunity to work for a number of influential offices including the Capital Habeas Unit of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Little Rock, Arkansas, the USF Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic, the Oakland City Attorney’s Office and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.
I grew up on a small farm in the California San Joaquin Valley with a variety of animals including a flock of about 30 emus!
I was drawn to OneJustice because I have always wanted to help people and make a difference for others. Growing up in California’s San Joaquin Valley, I witnessed first hand the struggle children and their families faced for access to respect and justice in all aspects of their lives. With advocates and influential leaders on the side of civil justice, the futures of many people can be positively altered. I came to civil justice to help protect and bolster the civil justice system so that all people have equal access to the law and an equal fight at life in a free and just society.