Mackenzie Gettel ’25 and Angélica César ’25 are Executive Directors of BLAST (Berkeley Law Alternative Service) Trips and formerly led BLAST Alaska and BLAST U.S./Mexico Border, respectively.
They both shared, “Pro bono is a great way to stay grounded in why you came to law school and teach you what legal work actually looks like. Many pro bono projects also offer flexible hours requirements that allow students to volunteer when timing works best for them.
Also, talking to other students has helped me gauge expectations so I don’t over commit. The key is finding synergy between your academic goals and pro bono interests! Start by selecting pro bono projects that align with what you’re studying or passionate about—this way, they reinforce each other.”
Angélica César ’25:
“I am the proud daughter of a courageous Mexican mother who immigrated to the U.S. with the hope of building a better future for my sister and me. In 2010, my family was torn apart due to anti-immigrant laws including Arizona’s S.B. 1070. With this in mind, I became the first in my family to attend law school, driven by a desire to contribute to systemic change and ensure equitable access to justice for immigrant communities. Berkeley Law’s vibrant pro bono culture made it the perfect place for me to turn that mission into action!
Since my 1L year, I’ve engaged in pro bono work through projects like the Post-Conviction Advocacy Project (P-CAP), where I collaborated with two incredible peers, Lorena Ortega-Guerrero ’25 and Nicole Leon Elvir ’25, to represent an incarcerated client seeking parole. I also served as a member and later a co-leader of the Berkeley Immigration Group (BIG). To me, pro bono work has provided a space where I can apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to make a meaningful impact. I came to law school with a commitment to service, and pro bono work has been where I feel most aligned with my purpose as an advocate.
One of my most rewarding experiences was working with my client and teammates in P-CAP over the course of two years. Earlier this year, our client was granted parole, and knowing that our collective effort helped secure their freedom has been one of the proudest moments of my legal education. When I first started law school, I saw pro bono as a way to give back and gain practical experience. Now, I see it as the heart of my legal journey—a way to connect with real people and make a difference in their lives.
As someone who grew up in Arizona and witnessed the impact of the immigration enforcement system on my own family, I felt deeply connected to the U.S.-Mexico Border BLAST Trip. It was a privilege to co-lead this trip and help introduce my peers to the vital work being done by organizations like the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Kino Border Initiative, and ACLU of Arizona. This experience has enriched my law school journey by allowing me to provide assistance to organizations in my home state, while building a network of advocates committed to the same cause.
I encourage all students at the law school to dive into pro bono work. It’s a powerful way to develop your skills, integrate yourself into the community, and help fill critical gaps in legal advocacy. Pro bono offers the opportunity to make a real, lasting impact while staying true to the reason many of us pursued law in the first place—service!”
Question: Has someone made a significant impact in your pro bono efforts? “I’ve been deeply inspired by the incredible peers I’ve co-led SLPS and BLAST Trips with. Lorena Ortega-Guerrero ’25, Nicole Leon Elvir ’25, Krishna Desai ’25, Eric Ho ’24, and Mackenzie have all brought so much heart and dedication to their pro bono work. Their commitment, passion and support have had a lasting impact on my approach to legal work and collaborative leadership!”
Mackenzie Gettel ’25:
“I am happy to share that I am the first person in my family to graduate from college, as well as attend law school. My first encounters with the law, however, began long before I decided to pursue a legal career. After helping my family navigate debt collection, apply for Tribal and governmental benefits, and assist them with a myriad of other legal issues, I desired better access to legal resources. Now that I am in my third year of law school, I am confident that Berkeley has equipped me with the skills I need to connect my family, and so many others, to vital legal support when they need it most.
Pro bono work has been my most formative experience in law school. In particular, I have gravitated towards projects that champion economic justice. I joined the Homelessness Service Project (HSP) my first few weeks of school, which I eventually co-led, and helped unhoused folks file claims against the city when their belongings were destroyed. I also worked on a public comment with the Consumer Advocacy Protection Society (CAPS) regarding stronger tenant protections in the screening process. I engage in pro bono to strengthen my community’s access to justice and use what I’ve learned to help as many people as I can.
After engaging more with Economic and Indigenous justice efforts my 1L year, I decided to co-lead BLAST Alaska, where I volunteered with First Alaskans Institute on pressing issues facing the Native community. Alaska is the only state without a law school, yet its legal landscape is vast and often at tension with Native sovereignty. Working under such passionate advocates illuminated the ways in which community-oriented lawyering has such a profound impact on people and reminds me why it is so important to support these organizations through pro bono work.
BLAST is one of the most unique pro bono opportunities Berkeley has to offer. It plugs students into communities all across the country that Berkeley otherwise could not service, and engages its student-leaders and volunteers with compelling programming and a community of students passionate about pro bono. It is also accessible to all students, as Berkeley Law’s Pro Bono Program covers all costs associated with the trip. If you are interested in learning more about BLAST or other pro bono work I’ve been lucky enough to work on, please reach out!
I attended my first service trip in college, where I worked with homeless youth in Arkansas, and developed a great appreciation for alternative breaks. Low-income communities of color are often overburdened with legal issues and underserved by the legal profession, and it is my mission to ease that burden through BLAST volunteering. I am eager to continue my direct legal services work in Hawai’i this spring, where I will lead a group of students to assist with disaster relief and learn from Native Hawai’ians about their sacred lands. I have also enjoyed my role as BLAST co-director, along with Angelica, where I can support students leading trips for the first time!”
Question: Has someone made a significant impact in your pro bono efforts? Jamie Floyd ‘25 has been an incredibly helpful and kind person in integrating me to the BLAST Hawai’i cohort. Jamie has made herself available at every step of the leading process to explain trip logistics, made meaningful introductions to attorneys in the area, and provided insight on difficult situations. Her passion for pro bono work shines through in her internship at the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC), and her trauma-informed lawyering training she has put together two years in a row. She’s the best!
I have very much enjoyed collaborating with Angelica to support new BLAST leaders. In my experience as a trip leader, student director guidance was immensely helpful throughout the planning process, both logistically and in connecting each BLAST trip with a unifying cause—to enable students to serve communities through dynamic legal advocacy.”
The Berkeley Immigration Group (BIG), Homelessness Service Project (HSP), and Post-Conviction Advocacy Project (PCAP), are three of 39 active SLPS projects. BLAST Trips travel to their destinations every Spring Break. This year, a total of seven trips will take place to Alaska, Atlanta, California’s Central Valley, Hawai’i, Kentucky, Montana, and the U.S.-Mexico Border. Click to read more about Berkeley Law’s Student-Initiated Legal Services Project, and other enriching pro bono opportunities.
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