Oscar V. A. Lanza Menjivar
3L
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Hometown: Morrow, GA.
Interests:
In my free time I enjoy programming, reading comics, building computers, and playing video games. I also enjoy working with minority rights nonprofit organizations, like GALEO, to ensure elections remain fair and underrepresented communities are heard.
![OscarProfile](https://tigerinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/OscarProfile-scaled.jpg)
PREVIOUS EDUCATION
Georgia Institute of Technology (Certification, Full Stack Flex Web Development (MERN)
Georgia State University (Bachelor of Arts, Political Science/Criminal Justice
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
R.A.M. Law Offices of R. Andres Marierose – Paralegal/Legal Intern (January 2021 – Present)
GALEO (Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials) – Legal Intern (August 2020 – January 2021)
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia – Judicial Intern (May 2020 – August 2020)
STUDENT INVOLVMENTS (Clubs & Leadership)
I’m currently involved with LALSA (Latin American Law Students Association), but hope to become involved with more clubs now that we’ve all returned to campus.
What attracted you to the TI:GER program?
My affection for technology began at the age of nine when I built my first computer. The excitement I felt working with computer hardware ignited my passion, which soon grew into a flame that evolved to include software. This growth quickly developed into a loving obsession, and I soon began to teach myself how to code with alarming efficiency. After much self-teaching, I sought to develop my skills and ventured into an intensive program at Georgia Tech to standardize my education. Formal edification served to legitimize a small information technology service I started in university. Once I made the decision to go to law school and found out about TI:GER, it just seemed like a natural fit for someone with my interests and background in technology.
What do you hope to gain from your experience in the TI:GER program?
I hope to learn about and eventually overcome the challenges associated with bringing a novel idea to market. I have had some limited experience in working with existing brands and businesses, but I have never had the opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new venture. I feel this specific type of experience is invaluable for someone who is still in law school. Once I’m able, I want to then take what I learn in TI:GER to help people within my community to grow their businesses and develop their ideas.
What are your plans for employment after graduation?
Upon graduation from Emory Law, I hope to earn a role within the competitive field of intellectual property. I have found this practice area most closely aligns with my passion for policy issues relating to technology and modern problems associated with innovation. While practicing and learning the craft, I intend to dedicate substantial pro-bono hours to help protect and develop intellectual property in underrepresented communities. I hope my work includes assisting muralists in immortalizing their beautiful expressions, helping grassroots candidates establish recognizable and influential brands, and supporting new and old business owners to develop a trademark and grow into a franchise. The American Dream is always only one novel idea away, and I want to help ensure everyone has equal access to the protections that make that aspirational statement genuinely possible.
What has been the highlight of your experience at Emory Law/TI:GER?
Now that we have returned to in-person instruction, it has been great to be able to really connect with my classmates, especially others in the TI:GER program. I never would have thought I’d bond with a classmate in law school (of all places) over building computers or programming, but TI:GER has made that reality very much possible.
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
Through my work as an advocate for underrepresented communities, I feel I am well equipped to contribute to a movement associated with eliminating inequality in innovation. Discussing issues through the lens of diversity is integral to repairing historically unjust systems. I am not only comfortable having these discussions, but I actively work to encourage them. I champion the belief that identity and income should not impede innovation. I quantify this belief by actively working within my community to ensure all ideas can find their audience, generate new wealth, and extinguish intergenerational inequality. I felt I could better accomplish my goals through obtaining a legal education, that earning a place within the profession would be another tool with which I could try to improve society for the better.