Q&A with 1L Camila Pacheco-Fores, Fulbright Scholar, Former Legal Aid Paralegal

Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of Q&As with incoming Minnesota Law students.

Camila Pacheco-Fores comes to Minnesota Law with an already impressive C.V. of hands-on experience in the areas of migrant rights, immigration, and family law. She has completed a Fulbright fellowship in Mexico City and worked as a paralegal for a legal aid organization in Los Angeles.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2021! You have an interesting background as a Fulbright scholar who did migrant rights work in Mexico City. Could you discuss a little bit about that experience and how it connected to your decision to pursue law?

Minnesota Law Class of ’21
I have always enjoyed working with people in an atmosphere dedicated to compassion and healing. I knew I wanted to work in a multilingual environment that valued these things and gave back to my community. I did not consider that being a lawyer could fulfill these goals. However, when I did my Fulbright fellowship in Mexico City, I interned at a migrant rights organization and began to see a different side of the law. The organization with which I interned, Sin Fronteras, was holistic in its approach, bringing together lawyers, social workers, psychologists, and an outreach team. In my work there, I witnessed advocates providing direct services, being involved in policy considerations, and hosting workshops for migrants to grapple with their journeys, for example. When I moved back to the United States, I had an inkling that I may want to go to law school, but needed to know what the tasks of a lawyer could look like day-to-day.

You also worked as a paralegal at a legal aid organization. How did that experience impact your decision to pursue a legal education?

For two years, I worked as an intake paralegal at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles in immigration and family law. Every day at LAFLA, I collaborated with an incredible team of attorneys and staff who taught me the basics (and then some) of our substantive areas of law, but more importantly exemplified the compassion and empathy that should be brought to any work with survivors of trauma, violence, and poverty. I realized the deep misconceptions I had held about the legal field, and I also found that this could be a profession in which I could do truly meaningful advocacy for my community and be surrounded with people who were passionate about doing the same.

Could you talk a little bit about the importance of having diverse perspectives in the classroom and beyond and what you believe your own background and experiences will contribute to the mix?

Diversity in the classroom and in the profession is not just important, it is essential. Lawyers mediate conflict, consider multiple perspectives while staying true to their position, and press forward despite obstacles. As a queer woman of color, I have encountered situations in which I have had to do this many times and have learned to cope to survive, succeed, and thrive. Having these experiences can be so useful in the classroom—perhaps not when I'm learning about a specific legal term, but more so in interacting with my classmates, sharing my thoughts, and valuing the opinions of others. The most personal growth I have done has been on occasions in which I have encountered people who have had varied life experiences, think differently from me, or who move about the world in a distinct way because of their identity. Why is that? Because it has forced me to grapple with my own experience, identity, and beliefs. Reflecting has helped define all those things for myself and motivated me to try to understand the perspectives of others. I know that because of my identity, I am in the minority not only in my class, but also in the profession. However, bringing my voice and the voice of others who hold diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences can provide ample opportunity for growth for the legal community. This will make us better lawyers, because our differences will come up and we will find ways to communicate across those differences. In many ways, that is exactly what lawyers are tasked with every day. Every decision, case, and negotiation has social impacts, which makes it important to have a diversity of experiences and an understanding of what types of effects may come about because of our actions.

Why Minnesota Law?

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical of Minnesota at first, precisely because of the value I place on diversity. In comparison to my home state of Texas or California, where I moved, Minnesota is decidedly less diverse. However, all my interactions with anyone related to the Law School, be it staff, alumni, or students, were so positive, personable, and inspiring. Not only did I get the opportunity to speak with Dean Jenkins once at an alumni reception that I was invited to in Orange County, but also for a second time as well at a diversity roundtable event to kick off the admitted students weekend in March. Perhaps the other states I came from were more diverse than Minnesota, but no other school I visited personally invited students to come talk about the value of diversity and resources for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Minnesota Law is also one of the few schools that has an immigration law concentration, and it has not just one, but three immigration law clinics. I chose Minnesota for these logical reasons, and also because I got really good vibes at all times from the school and its community. Now that I'm here, I'm even more affirmed that I made the right choice.

Minnesota Law is also a place known for putting an emphasis on leadership. What does leadership mean to you?

To be a leader I must be humble, have a strong but caring voice, and open eyes and ears. Leadership has weight, and to be a leader, I have to be prepared to carry that weight for those I will lead.

What do you hope to do with your legal education?

I plan to practice immigration law and be an advocate for human rights. My goal is to focus on serving survivors of trauma and violence, whether that is through direct legal work or through policy advocacy.

Perhaps the other states I came from were more diverse than Minnesota, but no other school I visited personally invited students to come talk about the value of diversity and resources for students from underrepresented backgrounds. -Camila Pacheco-Fores

Do you have any interesting hobbies or leisure activities?

I love to rock climb and I want to work on my gardening skills. It's a dream of mine to grow all my own food one day, though I plan to start small.

What three adjectives describe you best?

Empathetic, goofy, down-to-earth.

What else would you like to share with the Minnesota Law community about yourself and your aspirations?

I am so excited to be here to join the legal community and Minnesota Law!