Gabrielle Lessard is the health policy attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. Before participating in a panel on how Obamacare will affect the lives and health of L.A.’s immigrants, she talked in the Zócalo green room about improving her Spanish (it’s an eternal quest), her love of NPR (she can’t leave her apartment until after Wait … Wait Don’t Tell Me! airs on Sunday mornings), and where she hears lawyer jokes (the dentist’s chair).
If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?
I would try to find a place where I could combine a good travel experience with some volunteer work and Spanish immersion training. I’m curious about Uruguay.
What do you wake up to?
NPR. And three different cell phone alarms.
Do you have a favorite lawyer joke?
Lawyer jokes are those things your dentist always tells you when you’re partly immobilized. Why won’t sharks bite lawyers? Professional courtesy.
How do you pass the time when you’re stuck in traffic?
I take the Metro three stops to get to work, but I drive to Oakland frequently, and there’s a whole stretch of the Valley where the Christian radio gets repetitive. I’m on an eternal quest to improve my Spanish. You’re in the car so you can repeat the phrases like an idiot and answer questions.
What was the most important year of your life?
Law school was such a turning point for me. The summer after my first year, I worked as a victim witness advocate for domestic violence victims at a criminal court in Chicago. I learned so much from sitting with these women and learning about their lives. It got me on track to want to combat poverty and open up opportunities for people.
What weapon would you choose in a zombie apocalypse?
Invisibility. I know zombies are a thing, but I’m so detached from popular culture that I don’t know the ways to kill zombies. I’d go for non-violent resistance to the zombie apocalypse.
Who was your childhood hero?
I grew up during the women’s movement, so my childhood hero was collectively that group of women.
Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Saturday?
If I’m in L.A., I’m probably doing laundry and cleaning the apartment. I can’t go anywhere until after Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! at 11 a.m.
Whom or what do you root for?
The oppressed. I like to advance the cause of people with less opportunity, access, and resources. So if the U.S. plays Ghana in soccer, I’ll root for Ghana.
Describe yourself in five words or less.
Trying to improve.