ELISA PARK NAMED 2026–2028 FAIR FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2026
[SAN FRANCISCO] – The Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) is delighted to announce the recipient of the 2026–2028 FAIR Fellowship in collaboration with the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA). The FAIR Fellowship aims to encourage and support law students from diverse backgrounds who aspire to become employee advocates in their future legal careers.
The 2026–2028 FAIR Fellowship has been awarded to Elisa Park, who is expected to graduate from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in May 2026.
Ms. Park was selected from a pool of exceptional applicants and stood out for her demonstrated commitment to workers’ rights, immigrant justice, and community advocacy. While attending USC Gould School of Law, Ms. Park distinguished herself both academically and through her extensive public interest work. Her honors and awards include the Hale Moot Court Brief Writing Champion Award, the Anthony and Susan Taylor Written Advocacy Award, the USC Merit Scholarship, the BFB-PILF Grant, and the Korean American Bar Association Gene Ryu Employment Law Scholarship.
Elisa Park is the 2026-28 FAIR Fellow
Ms. Park earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude in 2020. Her commitment to workers’ rights began through grassroots organizing in Los Angeles’ Koreatown community, where she worked with youth leadership programs focused on labor rights, immigrant justice, and community empowerment. Through these experiences, she developed a deep understanding of the interconnected nature of workers’ rights, racial justice, and immigrant advocacy.
During law school, Ms. Park continued to center employee justice in her legal training. She interned with the National Labor Relations Board, Region 21, where she conducted unfair labor practice investigations and assisted in union election matters. She also worked as a law clerk with Employee Justice Legal Group PC, a plaintiff-side employment litigation firm, where she drafted complaints, discovery, and procedural motions in discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage-and-hour matters. Ms. Park currently serves as a Law Student Representative with the USC Immigration Clinic, where her work has included visiting detention centers to screen detainees for legal relief, representing a Venezuelan family of five in their asylum hearing, and drafting habeas petitions which secured the release of two mothers from Adelanto Detention Center.
In addition to her legal work, Ms. Park remains actively involved in community organizing efforts supporting immigrant communities in Los Angeles, including know-your-rights outreach regarding workplace immigration enforcement.
“Worker justice can serve as a unifying force of solidarity among disparate communities,” said Ms. Park. “I believe that pursuing a career in plaintiff-side employment law will only deepen my commitment to advancing workers’ rights and broader social justice movements.”
FAIR President Navruz Avloni said, “Elisa’s passion for worker advocacy and community empowerment came through clearly throughout the selection process. We are excited to see her continue building on work that already reflects a deep commitment to employee justice and advocacy.”
About the FAIR Fellowship
The FAIR Fellowship is FAIR’s most prestigious annual award. It is a unique fellowship that enables a new attorney to work full-time for two consecutive terms: 12 months at Legal Aid at Work and six months at a law practice affiliated with CELA. FAIR will fund the Fellow’s salary and benefits during the first 12 months the Fellow is working at Legal Aid at Work. The Fellow will then be matched with a CELA-affiliated firm for the last six months and be paid a salary and benefits by that firm.
The FAIR Fellowship seeks to increase diversity among those practicing employment and labor law on behalf of workers. The program recognizes diversity in various aspects, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, veteran status, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, language, geography, and overcoming personal hardship.
The Fellow will work closely with the supervising attorney(s) of Legal Aid at Work and a CELA firm in all aspects of the organization’s or firm’s practice. The work performed by the Fellow may include direct services, litigation, public education/outreach, legal research and writing, community service, or any combination of these.
About FAIR
The Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting diversity, advocating for workers’ rights, and supporting aspiring lawyers from diverse backgrounds. For more information about FAIR and the FAIR Fellowship, please visitwww.fair-foundation.org.
About CELA
The California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) is a prominent statewide organization of over 1,200 attorneys devoted to advocating for the rights of California workers. Committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession, CELA members focus on representing employees in cases of employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, unpaid wages, retaliation, and whistleblowing.
About Legal Aid at Work
Legal Aid at Work is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization that has been assisting working families with low incomes for more than 100 years. Legal Aid at Work promotes the rights and economic self-sufficiency of low-wage workers and marginalized communities through free legal services, education, and advocacy at the local, state, and national level.
