My last case in Records Remedies court was just as meaningful. I had the privilege of working with a new parent who had fought California wildfires while incarcerated, a true hero. Despite risking his life for such little pay, my client was unable to work as a firefighter once he was released because of his prior convictions…
The skills and network I gained through the Clinic allowed me to further assist vulnerable, underprivileged communities. After my summer with EBCLC, I founded a consumer pro bono project at Duke Law School, where I recruited more than 50 students and forged partnerships with local and national consumer organizations…
EBCLC also showed me that our legal system, although it is adversarial, benefits from sympathy and solidarity. Civility and respect gave rise to greater negotiation and compromise from opposing counsel at IEP meetings. Connecting with my client and not focusing solely on his legal issues deepened the quality of our advocacy…
Beyond client interaction, the Youth Defender Clinic also provided me several chances to appear in court before a judge, a unique experience that truly cannot be replicated in a classroom setting. There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of fighting for a client before a room full of people, and it served as a great reminder of why this work is so important.
EBCLC was a surprising and wonderful summer experience. A first work experience in the legal world is never an easy transition—even in the best of circumstances, to have responsibility as an advocate thrust upon you can be daunting. But my summer was also the first summer of a pandemic that has stretched into its third year. Logistically, this marked the summer with new learning experiences for supervisors and students alike…
I came to law school with a passion for tenants’ rights and housing justice generally, and the Housing unit at EBCLC only reinforced that. As a 1L, it is easy to feel directionless, overwhelmed by first-year doctrinal classes and unsure about how to put your passions into actionable steps. But EBCLC provided a space to do just that…
I participated in two EBCLC clinics during my time at Berkeley Law. My supervising attorneys always assigned me meaningful work, with real opportunities to actually practice being a lawyer, and they provided by far the most comprehensive supervision and feedback that I received during my legal education. If I learned anything about how to actually be a lawyer during my time in law school, it mostly happened in Clinic…
As EDJY advocates, we have the privilege of being invited in by our youth and their families to hear their stories, their strengths, and their struggles. Throughout my time with EDJY, I worked with many incredible and kind youth. These youth were tenacious, often standing up to systems that were working against them. Being EDJY advocates, we walk alongside our youth during some of the darkest times of their lives…
The first year of the pandemic was hard in so many ways, but being part of CEJ brought me a lot of hope and joy. Being surrounded by the creative energy of clinic staff and our clients transformed my view of community lawyering. For the first time in law school, I felt like the work I was learning to do was changing the direction our world is headed in. Our clinic assignments connected us with community coalitions and nonprofits engaged in policy and organizing fights around stable jobs, housing affordability, and anti-displacement…
As the world enters the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is deeply concerned about the push to “get back to normal.” Government safeguards have failed. Moreover, political leaders have broken promises on police reform, civil rights and public infrastructure. This is jeopardizing decades of progress on urgent issues, from ending criminal fines and fees to the school to prison pipeline.
