Christina Alvernaz is joining the Equal Justice Society as our 2020-2022 Judge Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellow – a fellowship honoring the first African American woman to serve on the federal bench. She starts the Fellowship in July 2020.
The Motley Fellowship is funded by a generous gift from Elizabeth J. Cabraser. EJS established the Fellowship in 2006 to nurture the talents of a new generation of progressive lawyers to transform anti-discrimination law and policy.
“Our deep and profound gratitude to Elizabeth Cabraser for her continued funding of the Motley Fellowship,” said EJS President Eva Paterson. “Elizabeth’s incredibly generous donation means that EJS can play an even stronger role in fighting back against the growing oppression and cruelty that are threatening the fabric of our country and indeed the world.”
“We are so fortunate to have Christina join EJS as our new Judge Motley Fellow,” said Mona Tawatao, EJS Legal Director. “She brings substantive frontline legal and policy advocacy experience to our team and a passion for addressing the needs of workers, people of color, and immigrants—qualities that are all the more critical to EJS and our work in this time of crisis.”
“Throughout law school I worked with Bay Area organizations to help workers enforce their rights to be treated fairly at work and school, free from discrimination and harassment,” said Christina. “In 2018, I had the privilege to attend EJS’s Mind Science Conference in Oakland, where I heard firsthand the incredible work being done to fight implicit bias in different fields across the country. I am thrilled for the opportunity to dive into EJS’s vital advocacy work.”
Christina recently clerked with Equal Rights Advocates where she pursued Title IX enforcement through legislative and policy work. She also assisted students and workers seeking help with gender discrimination and sexual assault.
Christina received her J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law and is a member of the California bar. As a 2L, she served as an intake officer at the EEOC office in Oakland, interviewing dozens of individuals regarding workplace discrimination.
As a rising 3L and recipient of the Peggy Browning Fellowship at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Christina researched and drafted legal memos and supported legislative efforts to protect domestic workers, the vast majority of whom are immigrants and women of color.
At Hastings, Christina served as Executive Articles Editor for the Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal and was honored with the CALI Award for Academic Excellence in Legal Writing and Research, the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services, and a Dean’s Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
Christina received her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics with Honors, magna cum laude, from Gordon College in Wenham, Mass.