Skills gained may include:  

• conducting client intakes and managing sensitive identity-affirming information  

• case management skills, including assessing client needs and developing case strategy  

• advising clients on a wide range of legal issues pertaining to healthcare and public benefits  

• drafting legal briefs, filing appeals and representing clients in administrative hearings, if necessary  

• administrative advocacy including negotiating settlements with government agencies   

• interdisciplinary and holistic advocacy working with healthcare providers, case managers, social workers and other legal units at EBCLC  

• preparing court petitions for name and gender marker changes for gender-diverse clients   

• participating in local and state-level policy work in health, public benefits and LGBT related matters 

Example Projects/Cases:  

Example 1: A student represented a client in a social security disability hearing before an administrative law judge and was successful in getting the client back $50,000 they were entitled to, and ongoing payments of $2,500. 

Example 2: A student collected stories of our clients who submitted name and gender change court paperwork and wrote the experiences in a memo that was shared with the governor’s office in support of signing legislation into law protecting the privacy of transgender people changing their names.  Students also observed the hearing on the legislation in Sacramento and provided public comment in support of the bills.