Alvin Lee

Founder and President

My interest in civics took me on many journeys: long trips to debate tournaments, afternoons spent in courthouses for mock trial, and law firms across Maryland. As I read more and more about the state of our justice system, however, I realized that long journeys weren’t necessary to make change in the systems that govern us.

Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, inspired me to start my own non-profit to help the cause of equal access to justice. I started with the issues I found closest to home. The lack of funding for rehabilitation programs and education programs in Maryland correctional systems often created dangerous situations for prisoners. Recidivism rates across the United States showed the inefficacy of corrections systems. Even though Baltimore’s sanctuary city status meant immigrants sought safe haven, immigrants in Maryland lacked access to legal aid and legal resources. For so many unaccompanied migrant children, they had no way of accessing the justice that they deserved.

As such, I built my organization around the issues I wanted to tackle. I began by providing resources, through books, to detention centers and correctional facilities across Maryland. I dedicated a section of the organization to immigrants, creating legal guides and Know-Your-Rights resources translated into multiple languages and contacting local charities and non-profits providing pro-bono legal representation for immigrants.

Further, I hoped that my organization could act as a launching pad for other students seeking to create tangible change in the justice system around them and the marginalized communities we often fail to protect. As we continue our initiatives to ensure equal access to justice, the Student Justice Alliance will pave a path for students to craft their own journeys towards accomplishing change. I hope you’ll join us.