Roberto Martinez has joined the Law Project staff as Intake Specialist, succeeding Ali Heinen as she heads to law school this fall.
Roberto Martinez and Ali Heinen (Photo by Claire Sloss)
Roberto served the past year as a compañero at Taller De José, a social services agency in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. A compañero fulfills many of the same duties as an intake specialist, navigating legal, medical, and financial issues for clients, while overcoming obstacles such as language and immigration status. Roberto blogged about his work and what it means to offer accompaniment last fall.
Roberto has bilingual fluency in English and Spanish. At Taller de José, he conducted over 90% of his intakes in Spanish. His full-time position there was coordinated by Amate House, a young adult volunteer program of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
A 2015 graduate of Boston College, Roberto double majored in theology and history, and as a senior received the Shannon Lowney Award for social justice. He grew up in Homestead, Florida.
“Starting at CCH is an exciting challenge,” Roberto said. “I’m glad to join a group of people so dedicated to the mission of preventing homelessness and improving lives.”
The intake coordinator interacts with people who call the Law Project’s hotline seeking help. S/he assists with outreach and supports the work of five legal aid attorneys who closed 495 cases last year. The coordinator also helps manage CCH’s college scholarship program, which will assist 20 students in 2016-17.
Ali Heinen concluded her CCH tenure on July 22, prior to starting law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Beth Malik, associate director of the Law Project, is a Sturm alumna.
Ali received Sturm’s prestigious Chancellor’s Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for students interested in careers in public interest law. Ali was selected based on her significant public interest experience prior to law school and her exemplary academic record. While working at CCH, Ali also volunteered as a tutor at a family shelter served by Chicago HOPES for Kids.
Prior to CCH, Ali worked as a full-time paralegal at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago, also an Amate House program. (Claire Sloss of our development staff is also an Amate House alumna.) A Milwaukee native, Ali graduated from Marquette University in 2012, where she was co-coordinator of the university’s largest student volunteer organization.
“I am incredibly grateful for my past three years at CCH,” Ali said. “I have been inspired daily by the passion and dedication of my coworkers and our leaders to continue to fight for the rights of people who are too often neglected by our society. I am motivated by the experiences and knowledge I have gained at CCH to pursue the opportunity to become an attorney who is an effective advocate for social justice.”
The CCH staff welcomes Roberto as we thank Ali for her three years of work at CCH. Ali was always compassionate and professional in her work with clients, serving a legal program that doubled its caseload during her tenure. We are confident that Ali will become an outstanding public interest attorney.
– Patricia Nix-Hodes, Director of the Law Project
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is now Chicago Coalition to end Homelessness (CCH).