Name: Alliyah Thomas 

What is your practice area of interest? Civil Rights 

What is a recent academic or personal accomplishment you would like to highlight? A recent accomplishment of mine is receiving Pro Bono Honors at graduation for my volunteer work throughout law school! 

What does winning the Stipend mean to you? Studying for the bar is such an incredibly difficult process, not to mention an especially expensive one. The support of the OCWLA means the world to me as it has helped me get one step closer towards becoming an attorney and provided a much needed confidence boost as I prepared for the exam. The OCWLA does such impactful work to support women in lawand I'm honored I got to be on the receiving end of it! Thank you for helping me on this journey. 

What are your post-bar plans? Post-bar I’ll remain in Orange County, learning the ins-and-outs of civil litigation! Although I do plan to return to civil rights law, I’m grateful and excited by the opportunity to explore a new practice area that’s still centered around helping people. 

What was your favorite part of Law School? My favorite part of law school was the chance to work on the east coast for part of 2L year! I did the UCDC program in Washington, D.C. followed by an incredible summer experience at a civil rights firm in New York. I learned such a great deal, explored new cities, and met such a lovely community as a result of it! 

Philanthropic Interests (organizations or causes that are important to you): ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

What is a fun or interesting fact about you that you would like OCWLA members to know? Video editing is one of my favorite hobbies!