Scholar Entries - Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois

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

Name

Felix Giron

Current Mailing Address

902 N 4th Ave
Maywood, Illinois 60153
United States
Map It

Phone

(708) 971-4151

Connection to Illinois

I was born, raised, and a current resident.

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

Chicago, Illinois

Name of Law School

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

Class year

1st year law student

Full Time or Part Time Student?

Full Time

Date you began attending THIS law school

08/25/2025

Anticipated Graduation Date

05/08/2028

Current GPA

3.11

Law School Honors, Awards or Special Recognitions

Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation Scholarship Award

Name of Undergraduate Institution

University of Illinois Chicago

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

BA in Criminology, Law, and Justice

Undergraduate Graduation Date

05/06/2023

GPA

3.95

Undergraduate Honors, Awards, or Special Recognitions

Summa cum laude, Criminology, Law and Justice - Departmental High Distinction; Student Leadership Award; Internship Award; Urban Public Policy Fellowship Brick Scholar Award; LARES Kaplan Award; LAS Dean’s List (4/4 semesters)

Were you employed in 2025?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Illinois House of Representatives, 77th District Office - State Representative Norma Hernandez

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?

≈$70,000

Do you expect to be employed in 2026?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Illinois House of Representatives, 77th District Office - State Representative Norma Hernandez, Elect Norma Hernandez.

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

≈$20,000

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

$15,000

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

My mom rents the property.

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

My mom has recently lost her health insurance from ObamaCare.

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

Total Tuition Cost $

$37,440.00 per year

Books Cost $

$2,988.50 per year

Fees Cost $

$4,006.00 per year

Housing Cost $

$0.00

Food Cost $

$2,600.00 per year

Other Costs $ (describe)

$0.00

Total Expenses $ (add above entries)

$47,034.50 per year

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

Student Loans $

$0.00

Scholarships and Grants $

$28,080.00 per year

Work Study, if any $

$0.00

Personal Contribution (Savings/Employment) $

$18,954.50

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

$0.00

Other Sources $ (describe)

$0.00

Total Funding $ (add above entries)

$47,034.50 per year

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

I am a 1L.

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)

Enlace Chicago, Legal Clinic, Chicago, IL
Volunteer Paralegal August 2024 – Present
Work closely with immigration attorneys to prepare packets for new migrant arrivals seeking asylum.
Gather packets that contain and reflect the applicant stories, supporting documents, and I-589 applications.
Guide using translation services for Spanish-speaking asylum seekers.

Lions Sacred Heart Taekwondo School, Melrose Park, IL
Volunteer Instructor November 2017 – March 2020
Led training and communicated bilingually for at-risk youth ages 6 – 15.
Prepared students to compete in local competitions, conducted tests to promote students to the next level.

Proviso Young Democrats, Chuy for Chicago, Maywood People’s Choice Party, Melrose Park Vision Party, Cook County, IL
Volunteer Member August 2015 – Present
Attend meetings with local community members to discuss issues relevant to their campaign.
Conduct door-to-door outreach in assigned neighborhoods and educate potential supporters on the candidate's platform and policies.
Trained to poll watch and collect voter results for campaign platforms.
Explain voting procedures to prospective voters, including registration requirements and absentee ballots.

Cook County Government, Cook County, IL
Election Judge June/November 2019 – 2022
Monitored polling machines, distributed ballots, and registered voters.
Guided Spanish-speaking voters.

North American Institute for Mexican Advancement, Melrose Park, IL
Community Business Liaison January 2015- Present
Developed, coordinated, and led an expedition of multiple individuals from various midwestern cities to rally in Washington DC.
Raised, collected, and managed funds from various local business sponsors for the event.
Coordinated transportation, drafted legal disclaimers, and conducted outreach for the Chicago western suburbs.
Played a key role in the recent executive order by President Biden to expand work permits; met and communicated with other major nonprofit and government leaders.
Served as point person for local business outreach in planned gatherings and events.
Participated in events for the improvement of Latino economic commerce and Mexican-American business development.

Center for Integration and Development, Melrose Park, IL
Volunteer January 2015 – Present
Coordinate and lead groups of youth community members to attend live sports events to further their engagement and integration.
Aid in programs that help with certificates, training, and reduction of barriers for the local Latino community.
Participate and volunteer in planned community events to ensure engagement opportunities for community members (soccer camps, health fairs, etc.).
Collaborate with Federal (501c3) organizations to improve the lifestyle of immigrants from Jalisco, Mexico now residing in the United States.

Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services, Chicago, IL
Volunteer August 2021 – Present
Worked with a think tank to help engage government leaders at the state level to increase funding of academic programs. Lobbied the same leaders and brought about dialogue for this plan.
Participate in research and mentorship programs that help aid Latinos in Higher Education.
Serve on panel for Family Day at UIC to explain the program and benefits of the organization.

Black Men United, Chicago, IL
Volunteer August 2022 – May 2023
Participated in a multitude of planned community giveaways throughout predominantly black and underrepresented communities in the city of Chicago.
Connected with elected officials across the city level to learn best engagement at predominantly black neighborhoods.

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)

At twenty-one, I received a phone call from Montserrat, my partner. “They’ve arrested my dad,” she shrieked, “please go pick up Lupita and Rocky.” As I rushed over with my heart racing, I could only ask myself, “Why us?” While driving home from work on a Wednesday morning, Montserrat’s father, Iban, was flagged by police as a person of interest in a shooting in Melrose Park, Illinois. “Don’t worry, mijo,” he yelled in handcuffs. “I know I did nothing wrong. They’ll just ask a couple of questions, but please take care of my family.” I hugged his youngest daughter, Lupita, and put their dog, Rocky, in the car. “I hate the police,” she cried. “I don’t like them.” In that moment, I became the adopted father and sole provider for a Latino family that suddenly felt betrayed by the justice system meant to protect them.

Growing up in Maywood, Illinois, poverty and violence surrounded us, but the justice system was often our only sense of safety. I matured early because I had to help provide for my Mexican single mother and my brother, who is on the autism spectrum. My family also faced substance abuse and the deteriorating health of my elderly, hardworking mother. Iban’s arrest only added to the responsibility I already carried: protecting my brother from gang members, keeping my family stable, and navigating systems that were never built for people like us. Yet my mother always believed in the American justice system. In an environment where hope was scarce, she taught me that with faith, education, and action, the law could change lives. Her resilience and my Mexican-American ancestry inspire my commitment to justice, community empowerment, and service.

Gunshots, gang signs, and graffiti became the backdrop of my childhood, but they also became my motivation. I asked myself: How can I understand these issues, master them, and bring solutions back to my community? How can I implement life-saving institutional change? Those questions led me to study criminal justice and public policy. I wanted not just to observe injustice, but to learn how to dismantle it through law, leadership, and advocacy.

I have always dreamed of becoming a Latino leader who implements meaningful policy change, whether as a legal advocate, legislator, or public servant. I put that vision into action by becoming the first in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree, graduating summa cum laude, organizing advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., and working directly on legislation in the Illinois House of Representatives. My lived experience as a Latino in America gives me credibility, empathy, and urgency in the legal process. Still, policy alone is not enough. I want to be a lawyer who stands next to families like Iban’s when the system feels overwhelming and inaccessible.

That day Iban was detained clarified everything. I envisioned myself not just as a supporter, but as a legal stakeholder—someone who could translate fear into understanding and distrust into advocacy. Race has shaped my life through both discrimination and inspiration. As a Mexican-American, I have seen how quickly communities lose faith in institutions when they are excluded from them. I draw strength from my ancestry, my mother’s resilience, and my responsibility to show others that justice is not reserved for a few but earned through service and leadership.

Through my community service, legislative work, and mentorship, I strive to be the person I once needed to be. When families lose loved ones to the system, fear replaces hope. I carry that fear too. But by earning a Juris Doctor, I intend to protect my family, my community, and myself by becoming a resourceful legal advocate who restores trust in the justice system. Law school is not about prestige for me; it is about survival, service, and saving lives. My pursuit of the law is not optional. It is necessary.

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

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Giron.Felix_.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*