Scholar Entries - Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois

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Are you a past recipient of an Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund award?

Yes

Name

Laura Padilla

Current Mailing Address

5119 S. Maplewood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60632
United States
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Phone

(773) 627-9880

Connection to Illinois

I was born and raised in Illinois.

In what city do you intend to practice law upon graduation?

Chicago

Name of Law School

Loyola University Chicago Law School

Class year

3rd year law student

Full Time or Part Time Student?

Full Time

Date you began attending THIS law school

08/16/2023

Anticipated Graduation Date

05/09/2026

Current GPA

3.58

Law School Class Rank (if known)

50/231

Law School Honors, Awards or Special Recognitions

CALI Excellence for the Future Award (Fall 2024), Land Use
CALI Excellence for the Future Award (Spring 2025), Affordable Housing
Dean's List: Spring '24, Fall '24, Spring '25, Fall '25
National Child Welfare and Adoption Law Moot Court Competition Semifinalist and 4th Best Oralist
Loyola Intraschool Competition 3rd Best Brief
Diversity Scholarship Foundation's Leaders and Achievers Award Recipient
MALDEF Law School Scholarship Program Recipient

Name of Undergraduate Institution

Georgetown University

Degree (BA, BSE, etc.) and Concentration/Major

Government

Undergraduate Graduation Date

05/19/2018

GPA

3.36

Undergraduate Honors, Awards, or Special Recognitions

Patrick Healy Fellow
Lena Landegger Community Service Award
U.S. Department of State Gilman Scholarship Recipient
Deans List: Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Second Honors Spring 2018
Outstanding Champion to the LGBTQ Community Award

Were you employed in 2025?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Tristan & Cervantes

What was your immediate family’s (including you and your spouse or domestic partner, if applicable) estimated income from all sources for the 2025 Tax Year?

60,000

Do you expect to be employed in 2026?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Tristan & Cervantes

Please estimate your immediate family’s (including you and your spouse or domestic partner, if applicable) income from all sources for the 2026 Tax year

68,000

Please estimate your parent's average annual household income over the last five years

48,000

Do your parents own or rent their home? Please describe, if necessary

Own

Describe your parents' health insurance situation. Do they have employer-sponsored health insurance, health insurance through the exchange, or no health insurance?

My father is insured through his employer; my mother is not insured

LIST below your total EXPENSES for attending law school for ONE YEAR (Please refer to example in FAQs)

Total Tuition Cost $

58,670

Books Cost $

1,700

Fees Cost $

962

Housing Cost $

Food Cost $

4,500

Other Costs $ (describe)

Health insurance: $3,684

Total Expenses $ (add above entries)

65,832

LIST below your total FUNDING sources you plan to use to pay for these expenses (Please refer to example in FAQs)

Student Loans $

Scholarships and Grants $

57,250

Personal Contribution (Savings/Employment) $

$8,500

Family Contribution $ (include parents, spouse, partner, etc.)

Total Funding $ (add above entries)

$65, 750

For 2Ls and 3Ls, what is your current TOTAL loan debt from the previous law school years?

Outstanding Principal: $72,500.00 & Accrued Interest in Law School: $10,173.20= $82,673.20

Please list any community service activities with which you have been involved in the last ten years, paying particular attention to activities in support of the Hispanic community. For each activity, please include the dates of your participation, a short description of the organization and the community they serve, and a description of the activity you performed to help them. (Please read FAQs before completing)

HLAI Rapid Response & Short-Term Guardianship Volunteer (Summer 2025-Present): I volunteer with the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois' rapid response efforts to support our community during ICE raids in Chicago. I helped create a resource to direct people to where they can donate to support individuals who are impacted by ICE raids. I also participated in a short-term guardianship workshop. I conducted the intake, translated, and helped the attorney prepare the short-term guardian ship document,

The Resurrection Project TPS Clinics (Feb. 2024-April 2024): Volunteered with the Resurrection Project to support them with filing immigration petition for immigrants bussed to Chicago from the southern-border. Met with Venezuelan migrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and prepared their petitions with supervision from an attorney.

MexTalks Planning Committee (Sept. 2023-Present): Worked with Latinos Progresando, a Chicago-based nonprofit, to organize a speaker showcase celebrating the Mexican community.

Mujeres Latinas en Acción Young Professional Advisory Council (January 2020-January 2023): Served on the executive board as Treasurer and Communications Director for the young professional’s board of Mujeres Latinas en Acción. In this role, I served as ambassador to increase awareness and support Mujeres Latinas en Acción’s work of providing culturally appropriate services to survivors of gender-based violence. I fundraised by creating philanthropic activities that increase community involvement and helped foster an empowering community for young Latina professions.

Erie Neighborhood House TEAM (September 2018-June 2020): Mentored an eighth-grade student with personal and academic development and provided help with homework once a week.

Please provide a statement describing your background and focus your statement on your reasons for pursuing a legal career and your legal career goals. This statement is important. Please give it appropriate attention. (min. 1000 characters) (Please read FAQs before completing)

Like many other children of immigrants in Chicago, my morning routine now involves a vigorous search on social media reviewing community alerts of ICE spotting in my area. Even as a U.S. citizen, I fear for my safety and the safety of my loved ones should we encounter federal agents. The recent operations by ICE in Chicago have had a chilling effect across the city. Immigrants, non-white minorities, and individuals invoking their First Amendment right to protest fear being detained or brutalized. As a Latina law student, this moment is a reminder of the need for more diverse attorneys and a personal reminder of why I pursued law.

Despite the fear and uncertainty, I recognize that as a law student, I hold power to inform my community and guide them during these times. Since ICE’s Midway Blitz Operation commenced in Chicago, I’ve joined a coalition of Latino lawyers and law students, providing trainings, creating guides for community organizations, and volunteering at short-term guardianship workshops. Within my law school, I have leveraged my position as the past president of the Latino Law Student Association (LLSA) to support my peers by organizing a community space to discuss how we are being impacted by the targets against us. I have not only responded by supporting my peers with resources, but also through advocacy with our law school administration to ensure they are taking affirmative steps to protect students who may be racially profiled or targeted because of their immigration status. Even before the threats against our community by the federal government, I have maintained a sustained dedication to building bridges with my peers to create a greater impact for our community. Last year, I co-found the Chicago Interscholastic LLSA and collaborated with other law students to host programming aimed to provide mentorship, career development, and service opportunities to fellow law students.

As an attorney, I will not only carry my experiences, but I will work to challenge policies and decisions that make Latinos across the country vulnerable solely due to their identity. I also remain committed to creating pathways that will enable underrepresented students to pursue careers in the law and thrive in their careers. Over the last two years, every step of my education has been intentional. I have taken difficult courses, sharpened my advocacy skills in moot court, worked as a research assistant to a professor to sharpen and writing and research skills, and I have pursued employment opportunities that have allowed me to immerse myself in litigation. These experiences have strengthened my ability to translate principal into practice in order to utilize the law as a tool for justice and have provided me confidence as a young Latina in this space.

Upon graduating in May and passing the bar, I will join a small firm in Chicago that primarily represents Latino business owners in both transactional and litigation matters. Because the firm operates with a small team, I will have the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibility early in my career, including arguing motions and making court appearances, which will accelerate my professional development. I also plan to continue volunteering in pro-bono efforts to support the Latino and immigrant communities in Chicago. My long-term goals include clerking for a federal judge and working in civil litigation. I would love to work on civil rights litigation and one day run for judge in Illinois.

Reflecting on my last year of law school has prompted a sense of pride in how far I’ve come and deep appreciation for the community that has supported me on this journey. As I think back to younger versions of myself, I think back to an equally motivated young woman, but someone who feared entering the legal profession due to self-doubt. Over the last three years, I have grown as a professional and developed confidence in my advocacy skills. As first-generation college student and the daughter of undocumented immigrants, organizations like HLSF have made it possible for me to pursue my dream of becoming an attorney without being confined by my background.

Please upload a copy of your financial award letter labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.FinAwardLtr*

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Padilla.Laura_.FinAwardLtr.pdf

Please upload a copy of your resume labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.Resume*

Please upload a copy of your law school transcript labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.LSTranscript*