Spotlight on Latinx Student Leaders at UW Law
Meet three 3L student leaders of Latinx heritage and learn about their backgrounds, inspirations and journeys to UW Law.
Talia Cabrera, 3L
Talia Cabrera is a third-year J.D. student who serves on the Minority Law Students Association (MLSA) Board. She was previously on the board for the Latinx Law Students Association (LLSA) (2021– 2023). Currently, she is Media Editor for the Washington Journal of Law, Technology, & Arts. She competes in the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition, one of the oldest and most respected mock trial competitions in the United States. She is also a current member of the Tools for Social Change: Race and Justice Clinic, was one of the winners of the Hugh Miracle Opening Statement Competition and the winner of the John C. Coughenour Award for Best Oral Advocate in the Trial Advocacy Program.
UW Law: Tell us about your background and your journey to law school.
Talia Cabrera (TC): Growing up, my parents did not steer away from teaching about the injustices around me. From an early age, my dad would show me songs, movies, videos, readings, etc. about social movements and would talk about how the leaders in those movements gave him hope that change would come. Most importantly, my parents would talk about their own experiences. By learning about the harsh realities that my community and others around me face, it inspired me to take matters into my own hands and learn about the law so I could be an agent of change. I learned very quickly how the law was used as a weapon and I wanted to use it as a tool for change.
Now as I enter my third year of law school, I walk through the halls of this institution with my head held high. I am Talia Cabrera, a Mexican woman from Los Angeles County, ready to make a change.
UW Law: What do you hope to do with your law degree after graduation?
TC: I hope to one day work in the criminal legal system. Even with its complexities, I hope to dismantle this system of oppression and practice transformative justice instead of punishment. I want to educate communities about their rights and the harsh realities of white supremacy to make sure we are ready to make a change. I want to work in the criminal legal system for a few years and eventually turn to policy work as an avenue of change. My top priority after law school is helping my community.
UW Law: Is there a Latinx leader or role model who has inspired you?
TC: My Latinx role model is not someone you read about in the newspaper or on social media. However, she is someone who deserves all the praise in the world. My mom, Maria, is a role model that I aspire to be. Immigrating from Toluca, Mexico to Los Angeles, CA when she was a teenager, she had to learn how to live in a foreign country on her own while creating a life for her three children. Every time my mom is faced with a problem, she solves it with grace and strength. She can make everyone in the room feel loved and appreciated. It is these selfless qualities she embodies that I hope to carry with me when I am interacting with others. My mom continues to teach me to be a better human and I am honored to have her as a role model.
Ellie Pakzad, 3L
Ellie Pakzad is Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Washington Law Review. During her time at UW Law, she has also been a Gregoire Fellow, Global Business Law Institute Fellow, Hazelton Research Fellow and Representative of Alumni Relations and Professional Development for UW Law’s Latinx Law Students Association (LLSA). She was a 2L recipient of the Judge Eugene A. Wright Scholar Award and a 2023 Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Clinical Award Recipient for work in the UW Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. Her studies are on the Law, Business & Entrepreneurship concentration track.
UW Law: Tell us about your background and your journey to law school.
Ellie Pakzad (EP): I was raised in Redmond, Washington, and am a proud Double Dawg. I graduated from the University of Washington in 2021, earning my bachelor’s degrees in political science and Law, Societies and Justice.
My family is Mexican and Iranian. I am grateful to have learned many core values from my family: hard work, determination, resiliency and loyalty. Perhaps most important was an appreciation for the value of an education. Education affords not only personal development but empowerment and the privilege of making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Throughout college, I worked multiple jobs: as a journalist for the UW’s newspaper, The Daily; a barista; a communications assistant for the UW Population Health Initiative; and a legal intern for the King County Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy Project. The resounding theme throughout these experiences was that I love to help others.
In college, I realized that a career in law would be the perfect intersection between my passion for learning and my love of helping others.
UW Law: What do you hope to do with your law degree after graduation?
EP: Business has always intrigued me. Growing up alongside my parents’ business, I developed a sincere affinity for the grit and tenacity entrepreneurs exemplify. My time at UW Law has confirmed that this passion extends to business law. I had the privilege of directly supporting entrepreneurs through the UW Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, engaging in corporate law scholarship as a Hazelton Research Fellow, and serving as a Global Business Law Institute Fellow. My goal is to pursue a career in corporate law so that I may support and contribute to the growth of businesses.
After graduation, I am proud to begin my legal career as a corporate associate at Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle.
In addition, I am eager to develop an active pro bono practice and pay it forward to the next generation of diverse law students and aspiring attorneys. I would not be where I am without the support I have received from gracious mentors. I am excited to pave the way and support more Latinos who want to enter the legal field.
UW Law: Is there a Latinx leader or role model who has inspired you?
EP: Caesar Kalinowski IV. Caesar was the first attorney I met, and he continues to inspire me in so many ways.
He is a brilliant legal mind, and his commitment to the greater good is deeply inspiring. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before attending UW Law and devoting his career to defending First Amendment rights. He has chaired the Washington State Veterans Bar Association and is deeply involved in pro bono projects. A testament to his character, Caesar earned this year’s Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst Award of Merit, the Washington State Bar Association’s highest honor.
Caesar is among my most trusted mentors and dearest friends. His work ethic, dedication to the legal profession, and perseverance inspire me. He is a profoundly impactful Hispanic leader in our Washington community.
Wendy Roman, 3L
Wendy Roman is a 2022 Justice John Paul Stevens Fellow who received a 2023 summer grant from the William H. Gates Public Service Law Program. She serves as a board member of Student Advocates for Immigrant Justice (SAI Justice). An advanced clinic program student attorney, she is also a member of the Latinx Law Student Association and First Generation Law Student Association. Wendy received the 2022 Spring Blossom Fellowship from the Asian Bar Association of Washington and Asian Bar Association Student Scholarship Foundation. She served as a legal intern for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project out of their office in Tacoma. In March, Wendy spent the week of Spring Break at the U.S.-Mexico border working with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and learning about their support of unaccompanied children seeking asylum.
UW Law: Tell us about your background and your journey to law school.
Wendy Roman (WR): My name is Wendy Roman, and I am proud to be Mexican American. I grew up speaking Spanish, watching telenovelas, and listening to Selena and the Kumbia Kings. My childhood was dotted with the love and support of a multi-generational family, and even when we struggled, we never struggled alone.
My background has impacted all my decisions, from what I studied to what I wrote. Before law school, I published my third poetry collection, "Poems That Would Break Mami's Heart," a series of pieces in English, Spanish, and Spanglish. In this collection, I was able to dive into the deep end of what it meant to be a Latina in the U.S., what it meant to be a trailblazer for my family, and what it meant to speak when folks like me were expected to stay quiet. I believe there is nothing more powerful than our voices and our stories, and as a legal advocate it is my duty to help clients find that power as they progress through their cases.
I came to law school because I witnessed how the law kept members of my community and my family on the outskirts, how we were made to feel like outsiders looking in.
Even while in law school, I felt like an outsider. The Class of 2024 has less than 25 students that identify as Latinx/e. We only have a few professors who identify as Latinx/e. However, I know that community is not always handed to you. Community must be created. I found community in different student organizations and in our clinic spaces. I found other people who believe in what we owe each other — dignity, respect and a fair fight.
UW Law: What do you hope to do with your law degree after graduation?
WR: I am excited to pursue a career in immigration law after graduation.
For Latinos, for folks like me, family is at the heart of our identity. When I was in high school, I often felt blessed by the support of my parents, my teachers, and my community. My parents always reminded me it was my job to return these blessings one day, and as I complete my law school journey, I am excited to think about all the ways I can give back to my community.
As a Latina in the U.S., as the daughter of immigrants, I've experienced first-hand what it is to be "othered," by society and by the law. Latinos and immigrants are not a monolith, but we all share in the experiences of being told we could not belong amongst the great white, red, and blue of this country. Throughout my life, being heard has always felt like a fight. Whether in high school or college or law school, it's always felt like I've had to demand a seat at the table. I believe these experiences have made me a better immigration practitioner. I am committed to the work because I know what it's like to be on the other side of it — I know what it's like to have skin in the game. I am a better advocate because I can sit with my clients and tell them there is no part of our immigration system that operates fairly, but that we will figure out a way to stay in the fight.
After graduation, it will be an honor to be a legal advocate for immigrant families in the state of Washington. There is no guarantee any of us will create a net positive in the communities we are welcomed to, and I believe because of my background and lived experiences, I will remain secure in my belief of the good we can still do through the power of our profession.
UW Law: Is there a Latinx leader who has inspired you?
WR: There have been many inspiring Latina women in my life who have offered me support and mentorship as I’ve immersed myself in the immigration field. To me, Professor Georgina Olazcon Mozo, Director of the Immigration Clinic, stands out amongst them all as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Professor Olazcon Mozo is an immigrant herself, and she knows first-hand what it feels like to traverse the complexities of the U.S. immigration system. Currently, only 2% of attorneys are Latina women and Professor Olazcon Mozo embodies some of the most important qualities a legal advocate can have. She is one of the best among us. Professor Olazcon Mozo demonstrates every day how important it is to bring dignity and honor to our client’s stories. As a legal advocate, she empowers clients to be knowledgeable of their cases while also offering them empathy and an understanding that encourages trust in our services. She believes earnestly in all her students and encourages us to reach higher than we thought was possible. Professor Olazcon Mozo inspires me every day to be braver, to be kinder, and to keep fighting for the rights of the people in our community.