FAIR ANNOUNCES ALYSSA GONZAGA IS 2025-27 FAIR FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2025
FAIR ANNOUNCES ALYSSA GONZAGA IS 2025-27 FAIR FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
[LOS ANGELES] – The Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) is delighted to announce the recipient of the 2025-2027 FAIR Fellowship in collaboration with the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA). The FAIR Fellowship aims to encourage and support law students from diverse backgrounds who aspire to become employee advocates in their future legal careers.
The 2025-2027 FAIR Fellowship has been awarded to Alyssa May Gonzaga, who is expected to graduate from UC Irvine Law in May 2025. Ms. Gonzaga previously received one of FAIR’s 2024 Employee Justice Fellowship awards.
Ms. Gonzaga was selected from a pool of exceptional applicants and stood out for her demonstrated commitment to equity, social justice, and employee rights. She has received numerous honors and awards including the 2024 Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Scholarship, 2024 UCI Justice Stephen K. Tamura Scholarship, UCI 50 Hour and 100 Hour Pro Bono Awards, 2024 Philippine American Bar Association (PABA) Cleofe Family Scholarship, 2023 NAPABA Law Foundation Scholarship, 2023 NFALA President’s Annual Scholarship, 2023 PABA Vakili & Leus, LLP Scholarship, 2022 Anteaters in Law Chapter Scholarship, and 2022 PABA Hon. Teresa Magno Maharlika Scholarship.
After graduating from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Ms. Gonzaga volunteered with the grassroots organization Filipino Migrant Center (FMC). While studying at UCI Law, her interest in labor and employment law grew, and she spent time volunteering with Legal Aid At Work’s Workers’ Rights Clinic and the Civil Rights Litigation Clinic, and took on pro bono projects, including a UNITE Here! Local 11 workers’ rights project, public counsel women and girls’ rights research, union grievance assistance, and a know-your-rights project for farmworkers. Her work experience includes a judicial externship with the United States Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, a research assistantship with UCI Professor Stephen Lee, and a summer clerkship with CELA member firm Matern Law Group, PC. Ms. Gonzaga is a first-generation immigrant from the Phillipines and is fluent in Tagalog.
“It is my dream to help empower workers to fight for their liberty, dignity, and power. I am resolved to become the workers’ rights advocate that my community deserves,” said Ms. Gonzaga. “As a FAIR Fellow, I will continue to strengthen my legal skills to become a fearless litigator worthy of the workers who carry our society on their backs.”
“Alyssa brings an unwavering dedication to advancing workers' rights while uplifting her community. Her impressive resume and accolades are matched by her humble spirit and fierce passion for justice and equality. We are thrilled to have her as our 2025-2027 FAIR Fellow,” said Supreeta Sampath, FAIR Co-Founder and Board Member.
About the FAIR Fellowship: The FAIR Fellowship is FAIR’s most prestigious annual award. It is a unique fellowship that enables a new attorney to work full-time for two consecutive terms: 12 months at Legal Aid at Work and six months at a law practice affiliated with CELA. FAIR will fund the Fellow’s salary and benefits during the first 12 months the Fellow is working at Legal Aid at Work. The Fellow will then be matched with a CELA-affiliated firm for the last six months and be paid a salary and benefits by that firm.
The FAIR Fellowship seeks to increase diversity among those practicing employment and labor law on behalf of workers. The program recognizes diversity in various aspects, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, veteran status, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, language, geography, and overcoming personal hardship.
The Fellow will work closely with the supervising attorney(s) of Legal Aid at Work and a CELA firm in all aspects of the organization’s or firm’s practice. The work performed by the Fellow may include direct services, litigation, public education/outreach, legal research and writing, community service, or any combination of these.
About FAIR: The Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting diversity, advocating for workers' rights, and supporting aspiring lawyers from diverse backgrounds. For more information about FAIR and the FAIR Fellowship, please visit www.fair-foundation.org.
About CELA: The California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) is a prominent statewide organization of over 1,200 attorneys devoted to advocating for the rights of California workers. Committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession, CELA members focus on representing employees in cases of employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, unpaid wages, retaliation and whistleblowing.
About Legal Aid at Work: Legal Aid at Work is a 501(c)(3c) nonprofit legal services organization that has been assisting working families with low incomes for more than 100 years. Legal Aid at Work promotes the rights and economic self-sufficiency of low-wage workers and marginalized communities through free legal services, education, and advocacy at the local, state, and national level.
For media inquiries, reach out to contact@fair-foundation.org.
