Cherly Valdez

Like many families in the U.S., Cherly Valdez’ family is mixed-status with different members holding different citizenship or immigration statuses. Her interest in the law grew when she began to see courts and lawyers as instruments of social change. She learned that successful litigation can set legal precedents that influence future court decisions and gradually shape the legal landscape by establishing new rights or protections. The limitations of current immigration law, the devastating possibility of family separation, and her uncertain future have highlighted for her the inequities within our national culture. She hopes to contribute to changing that culture for the betterment of families like hers. Law school will prepare her to be a lawyer who can defend, address, and shape laws to guarantee mixed-status families an opportunity for justice and certainty. Cherly is a 1L at UCLA School of Law.