As a later in life, “nontraditional” law student, my decision to go back to school had everything to do with knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my law degree; I wanted to dismantle the systems and knock down the barriers that contribute to the oppression of millions of people nationwide, particularly those experiencing poverty. Interning at the Homeless Advocacy Clinic (HAC) has given me the tools, knowledge, and confidence required to engage in public interest work long term.

My experience has been slightly different from most other students in that I spent my rising 2L summer and the entire 2L year in the Clinic. I was initially drawn to HAC because of its philosophy which promotes the importance of client-centered and holistic representation. One of HAC’s goals is to address the barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness. Working towards this goal, I assisted clients with issues ranging from obtaining social security benefits to criminal record expungement. It’s been truly eye-opening (and maddening!) to see how dysfunctional and counterproductive the systems that are in place to help people are.

HAC offers a unique student experience, and as soon as I started, I was given my own caseload. I had two amazing supervising attorneys, Professor Ron Hochbaum and Tori Larson, but was responsible for my cases and clients from start to finish. I managed all client communication, legal research, writing, client counseling, and appeared in court and hearings, when necessary. Managing my own caseload, I had full autonomy. I was scared and nervous at first, but it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences working at the HAC. It provided me with an immense opportunity to learn how to navigate complex legal and bureaucratic issues, as well as how to connect with clients from all walks of life.

I am most grateful for the skills I gained during my time in HAC that extend beyond the law. HAC instills in all students the importance, and often difficulty in, building trust with clients. Many of our clients are unhoused, or in transient living situations, and have negative interactions with the legal system. Their relationships can be temporary, so it’s important to be a consistent, reliable presence in their lives. I really valued creating relationships with clients that went beyond their legal issues. I have spent almost a year working with a couple of my clients, and I know the continuity of our relationship enabled me to be a better advocate on their behalf.

During my year in HAC, my co-interns and I were fortunate enough to have seminar sessions on Trauma-Informed Lawyering. Our clients are so much more than their legal issues, and learning how to approach clients with a trauma-informed lens helps ensure students are the best advocate for their clients we can be. I am confident the skills I learned from trauma-informed lawyering will translate well into all areas of law and is not something I would’ve ever been exposed to through the general law school curriculum.

I loved my time in HAC, and feel fortunate I had the opportunity during law school to experience real client interaction, manage my own cases, and gain an understanding of how valuable a good lawyer-client relationship can be. The best part was being surrounded by classmates and supervising attorneys/mentors who created a supportive, creative, and positive problem-solving environment. Most importantly, I know that HAC is doing and will continue to do what is possibly the hardest legal work out there; advocating for unhoused people and people oppressed by poverty in our community and seeing them as more than just “clients.”

By Lyndsay Anderson, a second-year law student at McGeorge School of Law.

I began working as a Certified Law Student for the Homeless Advocacy Clinic (HAC) in August 2022 and instantly realized the importance of the work we were doing for people experiencing homelessness. HAC’s Supervising Attorney Ron Hochbaum and Staff Attorney Tori Larson explained to me and the other law students that HAC embraced a holistic approach to representing its clients. That meant we also assisted our clients with the other issues they face on top of helping them with their legal issues. The HAC assists people experiencing homelessness or individuals who are housing insecure with legal issues, such as obtaining social security benefits, fighting their tickets, and providing criminal record remedies. Besides that, we also assisted our clients with countless other issues they faced.

I quickly discovered the importance of the holistic approach as I began to represent my own clients and handle their cases. Many times, my clients called upon me to help them with their life and day-to-day issues. Many of my clients suffer from physical and/or mental health problems that make normal day-to-day tasks even more difficult for them. I would assist clients by scheduling medical appointments, calling public entities like the welfare office or the Superior Court, getting transportation set up for them to make it to appointments, standing in line at the food bank so that they could have food, and applying or checking what services they were eligible for. The work I was doing made me realize that what I was providing was life-changing for my clients.

These activities could have been tedious at times for a legal representative, but I realized that doing this work meant that my client could get the treatment they desperately needed to function properly or have food or shelter. Without these services, it would be hard for my client to even focus on their legal issues as they are more worried about their basic human needs. Being able to assist my clients and provide these services for them helped build trust, which led to better legal representation.

Public work and volunteering have been interests of mine since I was an undergraduate student. I am doing so much fulfilling work that I am extremely grateful for at this level of my educational career. Many times, our unhoused neighbors are discriminated against and blamed for their life circumstances. I am proud of the work I have provided and what it means for my clients, but I am even more excited for HAC’s continued success and all the lives that will be touched by McGeorge students in the future. The 120 hours that each student spends at the Clinic per semester is no big feat for a law student, but it could mean the world to HAC’s clients.

Carina Ramos Ceci, ’23, is a third-year law student at McGeorge School of Law. She immigrated to the United States from São Paulo, Brazil with her family in 2005. Ceci was intrigued by McGeorge’s culture and the collegial environment when she was searching to find the law school that best suited her. Three years later, she remains happy with her decision to pursue legal studies at McGeorge School of Law.

Ceci said the campus is inclusive, and everyone has been willing to help her throughout her educational journey. After graduation, Ceci plans to pursue a career in criminal law.

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Drashti Patel, ’26, said that McGeorge School of Law is her dream school. She was drawn to McGeorge because of the school’s expert faculty and collegial campus culture. So far in her law school journey, Civil Procedure has been her favorite course.

Patel is currently a first-year student in the evening program at McGeorge School of Law. She works to find a balance between her career, legal studies, and social life. Prior to law school, Patel worked in the field of hospitality management for 10 years.

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Brooke Hill, ’23, aspires to pursue a career in public service and the legislative realm. At McGeorge School of Law, she is earning a Certificate of Concentration in Capital Lawyering. Hill also serves as the executive president of Public Legal Services Society, an organization dedicated to enhancing the ability of law graduates to choose public interest or public service careers.

During law school, she did an externship with Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Mondis Vakili grew up hearing she was destined to be a lawyer. Her last name, Vakili, translates to lawyer. At McGeorge School of Law, Vakili serves as the president of both Women’s Caucus and the Middle Eastern and South Asian Association.

Vakili has a background working in theatre. Through this work, she realized her passion for entertainment law. After law school graduation, Vakili hopes to pursue a career that blends her interests in entertainment law and trial advocacy.

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Second-year law student Morgan Graber has numerous achievements under her belt, including:

• In the 1L Moot Court Competition, she won all three awards including Best Brief, Best Oralist, and Best Overall Advocate.
• Graber was on the team that took first place in the 2022 Appellate Lawyers Association National Moot Court Competition Championship in Nov. 2022.
• Graber was one of only four students selected to compete in McGeorge’s 49th Annual Top Oral Advocate Competition in Jan. 2023.
• At the ABA Law Student Division National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Graber was on a team that advanced to the national round of the competition.

Graber has done an externship at the Office of Administrative Hearings in Sacramento. She has also secured another externship for next year at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and a summer job at a well-known firm in Sacramento doing civil litigation.

She is extremely grateful for her experience at McGeorge School of Law. She believes that with the help of the school, she is not the same person she once was. Graber said has gained an enormous amount of confidence that has truly changed her life.

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