Fall 2025 Winner of the Justice for All Scholarship

Doralilia De la Pena

Doralila chose to pursue a career in law because she is passionate about upholding the foundations of democracy. She remains committed to being an advocate for those who are in need of justice and protection. Congratulations, Doralilia!

Read Their Essay Here:

My journey toward the legal field is both personal and political. As a first-generation student raised in an immigrant family, I have seen how the law can act as both a barrier and a bridge. Often hurting some while protecting others. I want to become a lawyer because I believe in the power of the law to serve as a tool for justice, equity, and reform. But more urgently, I want to become a lawyer because I see the democratic foundation of this country under strain. We are living in a time when truth is malleable, checks and balances are ignored, and the rights of marginalized communities are increasingly under threat. Legal education is not just my dream, it is my civic duty.

I have always believed that the law should reflect the values of the people. But in recent years, we have witnessed a disconnect between the will of the people and the actions of those in power. Voter suppression, judicial overreach, attacks on the press, and deliberate misinformation campaigns are just a few ways that the current administration has chipped away at our democratic foundation. Democracy does not just erode overnight. It dissolves slowly, through the normalization of corruption, the dismissal of dissent, and the weaponization of law against the people it was designed to protect. As someone committed to fairness and equality, I cannot stand idly while these values are threatened. I want to be part of the resistance in the courtroom, in policy discussions, and in government.

My passion for justice began with my own experiences. I studied criminal justice as an undergraduate because I wanted to understand the system that shaped so many aspects of life in underprivileged communities. I watched neighbors lose their homes due to discriminatory housing policies, families torn apart by immigration enforcement, and young people sentenced harshly with little legal guidance. But it wasn’t until my own family faced hardship that I realized how vulnerable we all are without legal support. When my mother faced economic instability and my father was no longer in the picture, it was my uncle, a lieutenant with the San Antonio Park Police, who stepped in to raise me. Watching him balance service, integrity, and compassion gave me a deeper understanding of what justice looks like in action. It is not about power; it’s about people.

Today, I prepare to attend St. Mary’s University School of Law with the goal of specializing in family law and public policy. I want to use my legal training to help families like mine. Families who are overlooked or silenced because they do not have the resources or the privilege to demand fairness. My dreams don’t stop there. I want to rewrite laws that are outdated or unjust. I want to hold elected officials accountable for insider trading and manipulating the markets at the expense of their constituents. I need them to answer to the policies they pass and the harm they inflict. I want to serve in office one day, not because I crave power, but because I understand how essential it is for marginalized voices to be represented in decision-making spaces.

The current administration has shown just how fragile our democracy is when ethical leadership is replaced by self-interest. Efforts to restrict voting access, interfere with judicial independence, and dismiss constitutional limits on executive power are not just political strategies. These are brazen threats to the core of our republic. We are watching the Constitution be interpreted as a suggestion, rather than a sacred contract between the government and its people. As someone who aspires to work within the law, I find this not only disturbing but motivating. It reminds me that the law is only as powerful as the people who fight to uphold it.

To protect our democracy, we need more lawyers who are committed to integrity, advocacy, and reform. We need leaders who are willing to challenge unjust laws and defend those who are most at risk. We need a new generation of legal professionals who don’t just memorize doctrine, but who apply it with the relentless pursuit of justice. I want to be part of the generation that fights this regression towards medieval times.

Pursuing a legal education is my way of contributing to the rebuilding of our democratic foundation. It is my only logical response to a government that has made so many of us feel powerless. It is my commitment to making the law a source of protection, not persecution. With every class I take, every case I read, and every argument I build, I will be preparing to serve not just as an attorney, but as a guardian of the values that make this country worth defending.

This moment in history demands action. For me, that action begins with law school and continues with a lifetime dedicated to restoring faith in a system that was designed to serve us all.