PDN Summer 2008 Law Clerks and VAWA Volunteer

Noe Rodriguez

I was born in El Paso, Texas, and grew up in Juarez, Mexico. I attended Loyola University in New Orleans for two years as a Business major before transferring to the University of Texas, where I majored in Government and obtained a Business Foundations diploma. After graduation I was offered a position at Dell and did some work with the Internal Revenue Service until 2006, when I moved to Houston to attend Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where I will be starting my third year. When I heard the Texas Civil Rights Project had an office in El Paso, I did not hesitate to apply through the Texas Access to Justice Program. I am glad to have the opportunity to help make a positive impact in my community through TCRP.

Karla Martinez

I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and when I was told that I could come home for the summer and work with TCRP it was the perfect internship for me. In 2007 I graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Political Science as well as a B.A. in Spanish. I did not take any time off between undergrad and law school and I just completed my first year at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. I have always been interested in public interest law and when I read about TCRP and the work that they do I knew it was something that I wanted to do. It has been a great experience not only because of the knowledge that I have gained but also because I have been able to work closely with the community in my hometown.

Kate Johnson-Powers

I am a senior at the University of Minnesota studying Spanish, Chicano Studies and Social Justice. I work at the School of Social Work at the University and is involved in a variety of community organizations in Minneapolis including a Restorative Justice program where I facilitate restorative meetings between local offenders and community members. I have also coached St. Paul high school students in lobbying for the Minnesota Dream Act. I have an interest in Border Politics and enjoy the enriching environment at the Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project. (Before coming to El Paso, Kate received her Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate in Guadalajara, Mexico and hopes to teach English abroad when she graduates.)