Michelle Takagishi-Almeida, Esq.

As the Director of the Public Service Program, Michelle is responsible for the administration and oversight of students’ experiential learning through a voluntary program that encourages students to engage in a minimum of 75 hours of law-related service during their studies at Southwestern. In developing and expanding community-centered collaborations in volunteer initiatives, Michelle ensures students are educated on and connected with advocacy opportunities that meet underserved legal needs while also furthering the development of students’ practical legal skills.

Michelle began her legal career with The Alliance for Children’s Rights, representing transition-aged foster youth of Los Angeles County, and then went on to serve as the Pro Bono and Volunteer Coordinator for Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nationally recognized force in poverty law and social justice advocacy. In 2016, Michelle joined Southwestern as part of the Career Services Office counseling students and alumni on legal recruitment, career planning, and job search strategies with an emphasis on public interest and government employment, including post-graduate fellowships. 

Michelle currently serves on the Board of Directors of Inland Counties Legal Services, the largest civil legal aid organization in the Inland Empire, on the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section of Pro Bono and Access to Justice Executive Committee, and is a former Chair of the Public Service Section for the National Association for Law Placement, a member organization of over 2,500 legal career professionals advising law students, lawyers, law firms, and law schools on pathways leading to public sector, public interest, and pro bono practice.

Michelle also serves on Southwestern’s Faculty Public Interest Law Committee and directs the Judge Harry Pregerson (JHP) Public Service Initiatives at Southwestern, which include the JHP Public Service Boot Camp for newly admitted students and the JHP Public Service Fellowships, Southwestern’s premiere summer fellowships offered to select students who plan to dedicate their legal careers to working on behalf of underserved communities and causes.

Michelle received her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, and her J.D. from the University of La Verne College of Law. She is a member of the California State Bar.