Ally Cline

Ally started working as a Legal Assistant at DREDF in February 2024. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Minor in Theater from San Francisco State University. During her last undergraduate semester, she interned at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, where she worked directly with incarcerated individuals, wrote published articles about injustices observed in the courts, and assisted attorneys with investigations. There, she realized her passion for advocacy and decided to pursue a career in the legal field. After graduating in 2020, she completed an ABA-accredited paralegal program and achieved a Paralegal Certificate in 2023.

Ally is passionate about disability advocacy because of her personal and family experiences with mental illness, as well as her time working with children with disabilities. First, as a Behavioral Therapist, then as an Inclusion Specialist in a Chinese Immersion Preschool, she supported children with a wide range of support needs, and helped connect their families to various resources. She was also directly involved with establishing and implementing IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) for students and monitoring their progress in the classroom. Ally wants to be a bigger part of providing access to relevant resources for families, as she recognized the discrimination that disabled students face within the education system.

Ally started her legal career as a paralegal in a personal injury law firm. There, she managed a large volume of cases, being especially interested in those involving sexual assault and discrimination. She is passionate about organizing against oppressive systems, and volunteers as a legal observer for the National Lawyers’ Guild in her free time. At DREDF, Ally is able to express her passions by supporting the legal team.