NCYL would like to welcome new volunteer attorney Jora Trang, who will be working on Clark K. v. Willden, which seeks to reform the foster care system in Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada. Since 2006, Jora has worked for the San Francisco Dependency Panel representing parents and abused, neglected, and abandoned children in dependency cases. Jora also has her own law office in Oakland, CA, representing local artists, small businesses, and non-profit social justice organizations in the areas of civil rights, education, and intellectual property.
Jora earned her law degree in 2001 from UC Berkeley School of Law, where she was awarded a full scholarship. While in law school, Jora was an intern with Bay Area Legal Aid, the East Bay Community Law Center, and the StreetLaw program. After graduating from law school, Jora spent three years practicing civil rights litigation with several civil rights firms, including Employment Lawyers Group and Minami, Lew, and Tamaki, LLP (now Minami & Tamaki, LLP). Concurrent with her law career, Jora served as Program Director for the East Bay Mentors in Parole program, which sought to reduce the recidivism in Oakland by pairing attorney mentors to youth paroling out of California Youth Authority.
Prior to attending law school, Jora was the Program Director of the San Diego Council for Literacy, working in the AmeriCorps Program. Her directive was to provide literacy enrichment programs for at-risk youth in San Diego. In addition, she was the Program Director for The Women’s Center at UC San Diego, assisting women staff, students, and faculty with career advancement, childcare, and healthcare.
Jora moonlights as an artist, athlete, and mother. While in college, she toured with her daughter, Meggy Trang, in the Funky Fresh Theater Troupe, based in San Diego, and has since performed in community and underground theater throughout California. Jora is currently writing a two-woman play with her daughter. Jora also enjoys spending time with her family, and paddling with Kaimanu, a competitive outrigger canoe paddling team in San Leandro.
