Pro Bono Student Coordinator

Ivan Villegas is a second-year law student and started as the Pro Bono Student Coordinator in August of 2024. Ivan is passionate about pro bono legal services and is very excited about helping other students gain legal experience through pro bono opportunities. 

During the summer between his first and second year of law school, Ivan was a legal intern at the Central American Resource Center of San Francisco (CARECEN SF). At CARECEN SF, Ivan conducted legal and factual research for cases being represented before the Immigration Court and USCIS and advocated for clients’ immigration rights and acted as a liaison for legal rights among the immigrant community. At the start of his second year, Ivan interned at the Marin County Public Defender in their Immigration Unit. 

Before coming to law school, Ivan worked as a court watch intern at The People’s Vanguard in Davis, CA. This work led Ivan to conduct virtual interviews with people impacted by the carceral system and review trial records to report on courtroom injustices such as prosecutorial overcharging, disproportionate sentencing, and wrongful incarceration.

Ivan graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology from California State University, Sacramento.