Mustafa Karim is a second-year law student at McGeorge School of Law. Photo by Ashley Golledge.

Working at the Elder and Health Law Clinic at McGeorge School of Law has been my greatest law school experience thus far. I am gaining the confidence and necessary practical skills I need to become a successful attorney.

During the summer of 2021, I was a law clerk at a local civil practice firm, Wilke Fleury LLP. I knew that I wanted to work in civil law and decided that the Elder and Health Law Clinic would be the perfect fit for me. During my time at Wilke, I also worked with a couple of alumni from the Clinic who highly recommended that I join.

I have been a student attorney at the Clinic since fall 2021. The best part about working at the Elder and Health Law Clinic is that we function as an actual law firm and get to represent our very own clients from the beginning, when they walk into the Clinic with a legal issue, to end, when we close their case. While working on cases, we get a vast amount of exposure to real-life lawyering such as conducting client interviews, managing case files, performing legal research, drafting demand letters, drafting estate planning documents, conducting depositions, communicating with opposing counsel,  and even representing a client in court.

These different exposures to real-life lawyering have taught me a wide variety of skills that I know I will take with me once I become an attorney. For example, my legal research and writing skills have improved since I joined, and I have become more comfortable with public speaking.  Also, our supervising attorneys, Melissa Brown and Lacey Mickleburgh, do an excellent job pushing us to become better working professionals.

We get a wide variety of legal matters that come across our desks, such as elder financial abuse, probate, civil litigation, landlord/tenant, Social Security, estate planning, and restraining orders.  I recently closed out an estate planning case where I created a trust, pour-over will, and a healthcare power of attorney for my client. I am currently working on a landlord/tenant issue, a probate matter, a restraining order, and a civil litigation case.

The most fulfilling aspect of working at the Elder and Health Law Clinic is knowing that I am making a difference in someone’s life who truly needs our assistance. In addition, it is enriching to be able to provide legal services to the elderly and low-income community members of Sacramento.

Overall, the Elder and Health Law Clinic has given me the tools I need to become a successful attorney. The invaluable hands-on experience is nothing like sitting in a classroom reading textbooks. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in civil practice.

By Mustafa Karim, a second-year law student at McGeorge School of Law.

Mackenzi Christenson is a fourth-year evening student at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. In this video, she talks about McGeorge’s evening program, working in the school’s Immigration Law Clinic, the school’s part-time program, and student organizations at McGeorge.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law.

 

Katie Ramsey, ’19, graduated from McGeorge School of Law with a Masters of Public Administration. Her degree has propelled her career forward. She works at Physicians for a Healthy California, where she has built two programs created by statute from the ground up, something she credits her unique McGeorge education that enhanced her MPA with law courses, with giving the ability to do.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law’s MPA Program.

Jacob Mendelson is a third-year law student at McGeorge School of Law.

Humanizing justice-involved individuals is what I have long been most passionate about, especially in this time of mass incarceration. I’m most in my element when I’m at the forefront of decriminalizing mental health conditions, seeking to end collateral consequences, advancing collaborative court programs for rehabilitation, and zealous defense in a moment of crisis. That is why I jumped at the opportunity to work as a Certified Law Clerk for the Office of the Federal Defender for the Eastern District of California. I thank Linda Allison and Rachelle Barbour greatly for this position.

Taking up a position in the Misdemeanor Unit of the Federal Defender’s Office was no small task. I already had a summer of experience representing juveniles in the Sacramento Public Defender’s Office. This was a far greater role. From the very start of this clinic, I took up my own caseload. I had my own clients to represent on initial appearance in the bimonthly courts: CVB and Veteran’s Courts. My role included jumping into a case set for trial weeks after I started. Though we ultimately did not go to trial, I gained valuable skills in case analysis, client interviewing and management, plea negotiation, and legal research. I was, and still am, acting in the role of an attorney.

Roughly six months have passed since I started at the Federal Defender Clinic at McGeorge School of Law. It is a constant learning experience. There is always something new and exciting that comes to the Misdemeanor Unit. I have made mistakes. I have had moments of, “Oh man, I forgot about that,” and plenty of moments of frustration. But, I’ve also had victories, incredibly rewarding victories. The moments where I’m helping a client in crisis remind me of why this work is so important. What feels like a small victory to me can mean the world to my client, whether it’s having their voice heard, having a fine, or avoiding a harsher conviction. These victories have real-world importance.

I’m not entirely sure where my path leads post-bar. For years I’ve wanted to be a public defender, but more and more I see the bigger issues that plague our justice system. I may continue with criminal defense or I may move towards public policy advocacy. What I know is that my skills gained in this clinic will not be wasted. I will always dedicate my work to creating a justice system that humanizes the lives thrown into it. These are people, not just case numbers on a docket. Their lives matter just as much as any other. They have a story to tell, and if we are to judge them in our society, then we have an obligation to hear that story and create a better society from it.

By Jacob Mendelson, a third-year law student at McGeorge School of Law.

Waleed Hojeij in a student in his final year in the McGeorge’s Master of Public Administration, (MPA) program. He talks about what sets the MPA apart from the Business Administration degree he earned in undergrad, and what makes McGeorge a special place to learn.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law’s MPA Program.

James Sofranko, ’23, decided to pursue a Master of Science in Law degree to get a better understanding of how laws are made in the public policy making process. In this video, Sofranko discusses the school’s location in the diverse city of Sacramento, useful skills he has acquired through coursework, and the school’s alumni network.

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Apply to the online MSL Program.

Learn more about McGeorge’s Online MSL Program.

Lazaro Cardenas, ’23, chose McGeorge School of Law’s Master of Science in Law program to get legal training that will advance his career in equity and public health. Cardenas is the Chief for the newly created Health in All Policies/Racial and Health Equity Section in the Office of Health Equity at the California Department of Public Health.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law’s MSL Program.

Apply to the online MSL Program.

Read more about Lazaro.

Learn more about McGeorge’s Online MSL Program.

In this video, Max Huynh discusses how earning an MPA degree from McGeorge School of Law helped him pursue the next steps in his career. Huynh, ’21, refined practical skills through his coursework. He is a program analyst at a nonprofit organization called Physicians for a Healthy California.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law’s MPA program.

A woman in a suit poses near a fence
Yessica López is a third-year law student at McGeorge School of Law.

I decided to pursue a legal career and come to McGeorge School of Law because I think it is the best way to give back to my community. My family and I emigrated from Mexico when I was six years old. In the following years, I experienced how daunting it is to live in a country without legal status. It is difficult to even enjoy life because you are constantly thinking about how anything can happen, and how you can get separated from your family. Fortunately for me, my parents were eligible to adjust my status before I turned 21.

However, this process was difficult to understand and riddled with poor “legal” advice. My parents did not speak the language and had little to no education. Unfortunately, they followed poor advice which caused devastating results for my siblings’ legal status. Like many other immigrants, my father came to the U.S. to ensure that his children have a better future. I witnessed his work in construction until his body eventually gave up on him. Thanks to him and his hard work, I have had access to higher education. I could never have achieved so many accomplishments back home.

I came to law school to pursue immigration law and ensure that I could guide other immigrants and refugees to the opportunities that I had. I hope to guide parents through the best pathway to secure legal status for themselves and their children. Law school has been difficult in so many ways; however, knowing that I get to offer my legal knowledge and experience to other immigrants and refugees, like myself, in the end has gotten me to the finish line.

Taking part in the Immigration Law Clinic has been the highlight of my time at McGeorge School of Law because I get to interact with clients and guide them through the legal system. Under the supervision of Supervising Attorney Blake Nordahl, I make decisions on my client’s cases that affect the rest of their lives. Helping a client access a pathway to adjust status completely changes their future. I know this from personal experience. Even helping our clients get employment authorization relieves many of their worries because they can seek better paying and less arduous jobs.

When clients come into the Clinic, they feel helpless and overwhelmed. My cohort and I have the amazing opportunity of letting many of them know they are eligible for immigration relief, and we will help them through that process. At the Clinic, I have also worked with clients that not only have to worry about their security but also have had to deal with traumatic experiences such as domestic violence, kidnapping, threats, and murder of immediate relatives. I am very thankful that the Clinic has allowed me to hear my clients’ stories and advocate for them in the legal system.

The Clinic allows us to experience our future as practicing attorneys. We learn how to help a client from the very beginning, from the initial consultation to case research, to apply for adjustment of status when their priority dates become current. I have had the opportunity to help my clients with U visas, asylum, special immigrant juvenile status, and immediate relative petitions. We also learn how to work with and guide clients that have experienced trauma and must relive this trauma at the Clinic. Although I know the Clinic will advocate for my clients after I graduate, I am extremely saddened when thinking about leaving my clients behind. The Clinic’s method has allowed me to get to know my clients on a personal level and form strong bonds with them.

By Yessica López, a third-year law student at McGeorge School of Law.

Syed Zamir is a first-year student at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Prior to moving to the United States, Zamir was a practicing lawyer in Pakistan. In December 2022, Zamir will earn an LLM degree in U.S. Law & Policy. In this video, he talks about being a part of the McGeorge family, working at Apple for 10+ years, and his career aspirations post-graduation.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law’s LLM Programs.

Learn more about getting an LLM in U.S. Law & Policy.