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It
is with pride and a heavy heart that I present you with these guides. Pride because
over the past few years the law school application guide has become an invaluable
resource for applicants of color. And a heavy heart because it is the product
of desperation. Since
the passage and implementation of Proposition 209 in California, the number of
students of color being admitted to institutions of higher learning has plummeted.
Nowhere is this more keenly evidenced than in California's public law schools. With
this in mind, in 2000, I embarked on a journey to create a comprehensive guide,
from a non-majority perspective, that would empower students by informing them
about the law school admissions process. Later, several law students asked me
to write a guide to the bar examination. I invite you to use these guides and
urge you to inform others about their availability on this website. Finally,
I would like to thank you for taking this bold step in your life. Although some
may deny the beauty and significance of your accomplishments, those of us dedicated
to creating a rich, meaningful, and just society refuse to do the same. Anthony
Solana, Jr. Attorney at Law |

For
People of Color, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded by Anthony Solana, Jr.
The organization's mission is to empower people of color who want to enter the
legal profession. Anthony Solana, Jr. is the organization's President & Chairperson
and is the author of "A Guide to the Law School Application Process for People
of Color" and "A Guide to the Bar Examination for People of Color."
For People of Color, Inc. has vast knowledge and expertise in assisting diverse
law school applications gain admission to the law school of their choice. Also,
the organization is keenly focused on providing mentorship and professional development
opportunities to current diverse law students, and law school graduates. For
People of Color, Inc.s Officers & Board of Directors Anthony
Solana, Jr., President & Chairperson
Anthony
Solana, Jr. is the President & Chairperson of For People of Color, Inc. He
is the author of "A Guide to the Law School Application Process For People
of Color" and "A Guide to the Bar Examination For People of Color."
Anthony is a much sought after motivational speaker and is frequently enlisted
to be the keynote speaker at numerous events, including law school admissions
workshops, bar examination workshops, academic support programs, and commencement
ceremonies. Anthony
is an attorney with the Los Angeles office of Winston
& Strawn LLP and practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation,
internal investigations, and general business disputes. He was formerly an attorney
with Morrison & Foerster LLP. Anthony focuses his pro bono practice to immigration
and international human rights matters. He was recently awarded the Father Cuchulain
Moriarity Award, by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, which recognizes
an attorney who has made an extraordinary contribution to their asylum program. Anthony
also serves as a Board Member of the Equal Justice Society and the Greenlining
Academy Alumni Association, who recently recognized him as their "Alumnus
of the Year."
Anthony
received his Juris Doctor from the University of California,
Los Angeles School of Law where he served as the Co-Chair
of the Seventh Annual National Latina/o Law Student Conference
and was a founding member of the National Latina/o Law Student
Association. He received numerous accolades, including the
University of California Regents' Scholarship, American
Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship, Los Angeles
County Bar Association Diversity Scholarship, and Mexican
American Bar Foundation Scholarship.
Anthony
was involved in creating the "Preserving Diversity
in Higher Education" manual on admissions policies
and procedures after the University of Michigan decisions.
His progressive views on equal educational opportunities
have been chronicled in the Wall Street Journal, California
Law Review, and L.A. Weekly.
Anthony
received his B.A. in Political Science and History, with honors, from the University
of California, Berkeley. He was the first person in his family to attain a college
degree and Juris Doctor. Anthony, however, is proudest of the fact that he was
born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. *All
titles and affiliations are for identification purposes only. Norma
Nava, Vice President & Board Member
Norma
Nava is a fellow with the ACLU's Drug Law Reform Project. Norma recently served
as a law clerk for the Honorable Oliver W. Wanger, U.S. District Court in the
Eastern District of California. Norma graduated from the University of California
at Los Angeles School of Law where she was the Co-Chair of La Raza Law Students
Association, Managing Editor of the Chicano/Latino Law Review, and served as the
Chair of the inaugural board of the National Latina/o Law Students Association. Norma
has dedicated her academic and professional career to assisting underprivileged
communities and communities of color. During law school, Norma was a Hewlett Foundation
/ American Bar Association Environmental Justice Fellow. Through this fellowship,
Norma worked with the California Environmental Rights Alliance ("CERA")
on litigation projects brought on behalf of communities of color against major
stationary source polluters in the Los Angeles basin. She also was a participant
in UCLA's Native Nation's Law and Policy Program where she served as a clerk for
the Hopi Indian Tribal Appellate Court Project. She assisted the Tule River Indian
tribe in drafting a vital land assignment ordinance. She also assisted the Council
on Native Hawaiian Advancement by conducting legal research regarding tribal and
environmental sovereignty. Norma recently accepted a fellowship with the ACLU
Drug Law Reform Project. Norma
is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born and raised in East Los
Angeles, California. She was the first person in her family to attain a college
degree and Juris Doctor. Norma received her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology
from the University of California, Los Angeles. *All
titles and affiliations are for identification purposes only. misty
m. sanford, Treasurer & Board Member
misty
m. sanford is an attorney in the real estate practice group at Munger,
Tolles & Olson LLP. She graduated from the University of California, Los
Angeles School of Law, where she was the Chair of the Public Interest Law Foundation
and a Hagman Land Use and Planning Scholar. misty served as a judicial extern
for the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt of the United States Court of Appeals for
the Ninth Circuit. misty
is actively involved in community affairs. She serves as a City of Los Angeles
Environmental Affairs Commissioner and was Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas first
appointee to that Commission. She is also a founding member of the Los Angeles
Neighborhood Land Trust, a nonprofit organization that assists in converting blighted
parcels of land in Los Angeles into neighborhood parks, gardens, or community
centers. Furthermore,
misty is an accomplished athlete and former artistic roller skating national and
world champion. She was the first person in her family to attain a college degree
and Juris Doctor. misty received her B.A., summa cum laude, in Environmental &
Social Policy with a minor in Multicultural Studies from Whittier College. *All
titles and affiliations are for identification purposes only. Alfred
Fraijo, Jr., Secretary & Board Member
Alfred
Fraijo, Jr. is an attorney at Allen
Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, where he provides critical support
to the land use, environmental, and natural resources and real estate teams. His
practice focuses on land use entitlement matters, environmental review and permitting,
and real estate transactions. Alfred
serves as treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Greenlining Institute and
is on the Board of Directors for the East Los Angeles Community Corporation. He
has lectured and written various articles on Brownfields redevelopment, developments
in state and federal land use and environmental laws, and on environmental justice
issues. Alfred is currently the co-instructor for the Urban Redevelopment and
Environmental Law course offered by the University of California, Berkeleys
Extension Program. Alfred
was the first person in his family to attain a college degree and Juris Doctor.
He received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, where he was a full tuition
scholarship recipient and member of the nationally ranked National Hispanic Moot
Court Team from 2001 to 2002. Alfred received his B.A. in Government from Harvard
University. Alfred currently lives in East Los Angeles, California, where he was
born and raised.
*All
titles and affiliations are for identification purposes
only.
Willie
D. Brown, Jr., Board Member
Willie
D. Brown, Jr. is an associate in the Menlo Park office of
White
& Lee LLP. His practice focuses on the representation
of emerging growth technology companies and includes general
corporate matters, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions.
Prior
to attending law school, Willie served with the United States
Air Force, was employed as a financial analyst with Applied
Materials, Inc., and worked as a cost accountant with IBM.
During law school, he served as an extern for the
Honorable Anthony W. Ishi, U.S. District Court, Eastern
District of California and authored the note, "The
Forgotten Type of Capital: Addressing the Social Capital
Deficiency in the Inner City," Georgetown Journal on
Poverty Law and Policy, Vol. 11, Nov. 3, 2004.
Willie
is the first lawyer in his family and obtained his juris
doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center where he
served as the Executive Articles Editor for the Georgetown
Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. He earned his B.A.
in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley,
where he served as a Senator in student government. He
also attended Mission Community College located in Santa
Clara, California, where he served as a Student Trustee.
Willie
was raised in Hanford, California, and is the proud
son of a Filipina mother and African-American father.
*All
titles and affiliations are for identification purposes
only.
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