"My choice to pursue law school after being out of the school
environment for four years was because of my desire to do public
interest work. I wanted to help women that were victims of domestic
violence because domestic violence had played such a large part in
my childhood. I had firsthand experience with the emotional and
physical side of domestic violence, but no understanding of the
legal system.
Working at the Domestic Violence Litigation Clinic allowed me to
gain that real-world legal experience and confidence necessary to
pursue a career in this field. At first, I was very nervous because
I had never really interacted with clients or appeared in
court. The first time I was scheduled to appear in court, I
repeated my appearance lines a thousand times in my
head.
The classes were by far the most beneficial as my experience with
domestic violence slowly started to make sense. Every class I
walked away with an Aha! moment. We were there to help each woman
find the most comfortable solution for her. If she felt an Order of
Protection would make her feel safe, then I prepared the documents.
If she wanted to stay, there were safety tips that I could offer to
make her feel a little more secure.
Because of the constant guidance from the supervising attorneys, I
began to enjoy every step of the process. Nothing is as powerful as
appreciation and words of encouragement from a supervising
attorney. My Clinic experience offered me the knowledge, skills and
confidence necessary to advocate effectively for victims of
domestic violence. The reality is I am not changing the
world. But hopefully, I am changing one.”
“I found writing this reflection piece intriguing; I was so busy
this year that I have not been able to sit down and take it all in.
But when doing so, I was able to compare how I am now to the person
who first began here eight months ago. The differences are stark.
My experiences here contributed to that change.
One of my favorite things about the Domestic Violence Litigation
Clinic was the variety of cases I was able to do. When I first
started, I thought that the only thing I would be doing is family
law. But what I didn’t understand is how many areas of the law that
covers. I have worked on cases involving immigration, criminal law,
divorce, along with the expected orders of protection, child and
spousal support, and custody. The breadth of law that the clinical
students are exposed to is extensive, which I benefited greatly
from.
But the thing that I enjoyed the most is the reliance that my
clients had of me. One of the first times I was in court, the court
officer called me over for something, and he called me “counselor.”
It was the first time I was called that. And it was the first time
that I felt I was truly in charge and responsible for my clients
interests and well-being. The Clinic does a great job in putting
the responsibility on the students and making them feel not just
involved in the cases, but to also be the driving force behind
those cases.”