ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITY

The Class of 2019 has embraced all the best that UCI Law has to offer, including our Pro Bono Program. Although 1Ls are discouraged from becoming overwhelmed with pro bono service their first semester of law school, UCI Law does allow them to participate in discrete projects, which are usually limited to a one-day experience such as with clinics and fall break projects. 54 1Ls have already engaged in pro bono, completing more than 500 pro bono hours since classes began in August. 

Our 2Ls and 3Ls have been an inspiration to the new class, using their advanced skills to complete in-depth pro bono projects as well as serving as student leaders on a variety of work. There are currently 35 student leaders who help facilitate 17 projects. Without their help, the projects would likely not take place, and would certainly not provide the same level of service. Most of these projects were created by UCI Law students.

One such project, the Orange County Clean Slate Expungement project, is currently led by Rochelle Rotea (2L) and Andrea Levenson (2L). Ms. Rotea and Ms. Levenson have worked hard to improve clinic logistics, while the community's demand for the clinic's services has exploded. The clinic is offered once per month at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, and in November alone student volunteers assisted clients with 64 petitions. The clinic opened 243 cases this year, and each year the number of clients and cases has increased. This year the clinic closed 17 cases as contested court decisions, and closed 35 cases as uncontested cases. LASOC expects the demand for expungements to further increase following the election, as individuals may look to clear any old criminal records to ensure they remain safe and employable. 

Another highly successful project has been the Transgender Name and Gender Change clinic, which has assisted 119 clients with petitions over the past fifteen months. 

The November elections resulted in an increase of pro bono activity. UCI Law faculty, staff, and students have been eager to protect individuals who may be at risk by providing assistance to vulnerable communities. Students immediately engaged in conversations on ways they could help, which resulted in more than 100 students pledging to provide pro bono service, especially in the area of immigration law.

Specifically, students volunteered at local Citizenship and Naturalization fairs; UCI Law hosted a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal fair in collaboration with the UC Undocumented Legal Services Center (UCULSC); students have volunteered at other DACA renewal fairs; and faculty, staff, and one student are further assisting UCULSC by screening undocumented UCI students and undocumented family members of UCI students for immigration relief options. Additionally, groups of students, under the supervision of faculty and community attorneys, are researching legal questions that have been raised by the UCI community following the election. Our students' efforts in regards to helping undocumented students have been profiled in both the OC Register and the Daily Pilot.

UCI Law faculty and students were instrumental in the Santa Ana City Council unanimously approving a resolution in support of declaring Santa Ana a sanctuary city. Daniel Werner (2L) commented on the city's decision, and Prof. Annie Lai spoke on how this could affect federal funding for Santa Ana in the future.

In response to the community demand for action following the election, UCI Law will be hosting a Teach-in and Training day on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Saturday, Jan. 14. The event will involve a plenary speaker as well as break out sessions to discuss a post-election response in the areas of Civil and Reproductive Rights, Criminal Justice, Employment and Labor Law, Environmental Law, and a training in the area of Immigration Law on bond hearing representation. Students, alumni, and community attorneys will be invited to attend.

The commitment to pro bono continues after graduation with UCI Law alumni committed to making time in their practice to help the under-served. The Alumni Pro Bono Committee has scheduled a day of service for Saturday, Feb. 25, during which they will provide expungement and Prop. 47 assistance on behalf of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles at a clinic in Compton. Additional information will be provided shortly.

Any alumni working on pro bono can reach out to Anna Davis to supervise UCI Law students doing such work. UCI Law is happy to collaborate with attorneys in private, government, and public interest sectors.

Class of 2017 students Andani Alcantara Diaz (left) and Boanerges Rodriguez Orellana competed in the 2016 National Latino/a Law Students Association Moot Court and placed in the top eight teams nationally, continuing UCI Law’s strong showing at the competition. Profs. Sameer Ashar, Alejandro Camacho, Jennifer Chacón, Daniel Deacon, Lisa Junghahn and Linda Puertas helped moot the students before the competition, held Sept. 29-30, 2016 in Boston. “The most rewarding experience participating in the NLLSA moot court was further building our legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills," said Boanerges. “I also believe we were well prepared to answer difficult questions thanks in large part to the mooting we received from our own esteemed faculty."

Research conducted by Alison Chabot ’17 and the Reproductive Justice Clinic at UC Irvine School of Law contributed to the passage of a new California law criminalizing distribution of secret recordings. AB 1671 was inspired by the high-profile case involving videos of Planned Parenthood employees discussing abortion procedures. The Reproductive Justice Clinic at UC Irvine School of Law is one of only two law school clinics in the United States devoted to working on legal issues involving reproductive rights and the criminal and civil justice systems. Reproductive Justice Clinic students, directors and fellows pictured: Back row, from left: Prof. Michele Goodwin, Alison Chabot ’17, Hon. Lynne Riddle (Ret.), Hayley Penan ’17. Front row, from left: Senior Research Fellow Jaime Allgood, Andrea Diaz ’16.