Morrison & Foerster Alumni News - Winter 2020

25 | MoForever Winter 2020 was a huge shift in state policy and really a monumental rise to the occasion by California legislators to recognize that as a need of their residents.” Maya believes these successes show that California can pave the way for changing the national dialogue on immigration. It’s fitting that she doesn’t hold back on her hopes for what California can achieve. After all, her confidence in the power of law and her drive to help people in need were instilled early in life and through her tenure at MoFo. Drawn to MoFo Maya was drawn to MoFo one fateful day when a person for whom MoFo had helped prove an innocence claim spoke at her law school. She was impressed with the resources and time MoFo invested in his case. She recalls, “I saw that his case was a point of pride for MoFo. It was clear that MoFo was very much at the forefront of investing significant pro bono services to change systems as well as peoples’ lives.” The opportunity to work with high-caliber lawyers on complex cases at MoFo was indispensable and a formative part of Maya’s career. As an associate in the San Francisco Litigation Group, Maya worked on class action and trade secrets litigation, with an active pro bono docket. She learned critical litigation skills and drew inspiration from many different attorneys’ styles and approaches. “I learned how to think proactively and strategically build out a case,” Maya says, “and how to not just react but ensure you advance your clients’ narrative and the relief and remedies they seek as you continue building out the structure of your case.” Most importantly, Maya learned how to win. She fondly recalls working on a case at MoFo using a new law that allowed people to petition for resentencing based on their young age at the time of sentencing or the nature of their offenses. “Seeing the will of the voters put to work in the courtroom to benefit an individual who had already served a lengthy sentence, and then seeing the difference that made in that person’s life, were very meaningful.” Maya’s time at MoFo continues to aid her today in her daily fight to safeguard civil rights and drive economic security for all Californians. Always in the MoFo Family While her work is highly rewarding, it can also be challenging. “It’s important in every stage of your career to touch base with yourself, to remember why you went into this type of work and what you want to get out of it. This self-reflection helps you become a better lawyer and reinvigorates you, even if you’ve been working on the same case for years or “WHEN FAMILIES ARE TORN APART, IT IS SO DISRUPTIVE AND HARMFUL TO THE COMMUNITY. PRIORITIZING LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR IMMIGRANTS SO CALIFORNIANS CAN STAY IN CALIFORNIA WAS A HUGE SHIFT IN STATE POLICY...”