Suiting up, gaining confidence

Rayven Garcia

Legal Aid Clinic teaches student ‘how to be a lawyer’

My almost three years at KU Law have been less than perfect, but I would not change my experience for anything. As my time in law school slowly comes to an end, I would like to discuss one of the best experiences I have had at KU Law: the Legal Aid Clinic. When I started law school, I was determined to be a corporate lawyer who never saw the inside of a courtroom. But during an internship I realized that was no longer true. I wanted to assist people in court. I wanted to appear in front of a judge and negotiate with prosecutors. Once I realized that, I applied for the Legal Aid Clinic. Lucky for me, Professors Melanie DeRousse and Meredith Shnug believed I would be a good legal intern.

In the Clinic I have learned something that the rest of law school essentially does not teach you: how to be a lawyer. Along the way, I also discovered how to manage my anxiety, step out of my comfort zone and appreciate how important it is to work in a friendly and caring environment.

Anxiety

The first time I had to appear in court, I was a nervous wreck. I arrived an hour before the hearing because I knew I would need to calm my nerves. Soon, the moment came for me to appear before the judge, and guess what? Nothing bad happened. Since then I have appeared in front of a judge at least a dozen times, and not once has anything gone wrong. I have survived each appearance and chipped away at my anxiety and fear. I have the Legal Aid Clinic to thank for that.

Comfort Zone

Beyond gaining confidence in the courtroom, the Legal Aid Clinic has helped me step out of my comfort zone in other ways. In the past, I probably would have never considered trying to help change a local policy. But here I am, helping. The Clinic has started researching juvenile shackling with an eye toward figuring out what we can do about the issue. I never would have thought of tackling or pursuing a cause like that if it weren’t for the Legal Aid Clinic.

Friendly and Caring Work Atmosphere

Legal Aid Clinic internsLegal work can be stressful, but the lawyers at my internship last summer were friendly and helpful. They created a calming atmosphere that I feared would not be possible in the Legal Aid Clinic, with competitive law students as interns. That has not been the case. Working in the Legal Aid office is the best part of my week. Almost every time I walk in, I’m greeted with a smile and friendly “Good morning, Rayven” from Barb Wrigley, which starts my day off great. I have worked with two amazing supervising attorneys and some of the most inspiring law students in Green Hall.

The Legal Aid Clinic has given me the opportunity to put on my lawyer suit, shed all my doubts about becoming an advocate and know that coming to law school was the right path for me.

— Rayven Garcia is a 3L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Tucson, Arizona.

Help Mobilize KU Law’s Legal Aid Clinic
Legal problems have no regard for deadlines or convenience, and KU Law’s Legal Aid Clinic is ready to mobilize. It can assemble its army of student volunteers at a moment’s notice. As the Legal Aid Clinic celebrates its 50th anniversary, please consider donating to help the Clinic spring into action when the community needs it most. Gifts of any size will get us one step closer to our $5,000 goal!

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Reflections from a departing 3L

Allison Collins Dessert

As I write this blog, I have just 33 days left of law school (not that I’m counting). Yes, you can graduate in December of your third year. Be a summer starter — it pays off in many ways. Take a few intersession courses, and voila! You too can be the envy of your class come winter break.

I know the number of days I have left not because I cannot wait for it to be over. I love school. I’d happily hide here forever—especially if they would bring in a coffee bar. I know the number of days left because finishing my law degree will be the single greatest worldly accomplishment of my life.  Society makes a big deal out of high school graduations—more because it’s a rite of passage, I suppose. But this — the earning of my Juris Doctor — is an accomplishment worth savoring. Primarily because of the emotional roller coaster that law school puts you through. It will test not only your intellectual strength but also your belief in yourself. If there is any insecurity or doubt, law school has a way of reaching in, pulling it out and slapping it down on the table — forcing you to face it or be consumed by it. Does this sound dramatic? Well, it is. Like the burning away of anything that will no longer be useful to you.

There will be highs and lows in law school. Enjoy the highs and have perspective about the lows. On the good days, relish your victories. Let them guide you to an area of practice or service that will allow those strengths to shine. There are many different kinds of attorneys and many different ways to help people with your degree. Find the way and the path that brings you satisfaction and joy. Celebrate your fellow classmates’ victories. Do not be intimidated by their greatness, but instead learn from it and draw from it.

On the days when you feel weak, know that you have shown great courage by even stepping foot through the doors of Green Hall. Most people would never put themselves in a position to be challenged the way that you have chosen to be. And with that challenge comes strife. But your perseverance through that strife will give you a strength that could not have come any other way. And that strength is what will make you a fine attorney.

So, farewell Green Hall. Hopefully the fire you put me through produced a little gold.

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist. That is all.
— Oscar Wilde

— Allison Collins Desert is a graduating 3L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Lawrence.

Legal Aid in Tanzania

Paeten Denning and TAWLA colleagues

In 2013 I made my first trip to Tanzania on a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship. Not only was this my first trip outside of the United States, but it was also my first experience speaking Swahili outside of the comforts of my classroom. I was terrified that I would only last one week. After traveling around to different cities and visiting with community groups, NGOs and policymakers, my nerves quickly went away and my love for East Africa and my passion for women and children’s rights began to grow.

After leaving Tanzania, I could not get back fast enough. However, from the time I attended law school with my dad when I was in second grade, I always knew that law school was in my future. My dad was a non-traditional law student with two young daughters. I attended class with him everyday after he picked me up from school. I was even called on once! After my first semester of law school, I spent the month of December researching and applying for organizations that would hopefully bring me back to East Africa. Finally, in January I received an email from the executive director of the Tanzania Women Lawyer’s Association (TAWLA). After interviewing in both Swahili and English, she offered me an internship where I would focus on custody issues and land right issues for women.

In July I finished my internship with Federal Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius of the District of Kansas and hopped on a plane to Tanzania two days later. After arriving in Tanzania, with my baggage lost, I started my work. TAWLA consists of five offices in Tanzania, in the cities of Dodoma, Mwanza, Tanga, Arusha and Dar es Salaam. It is the largest legal aid organization in the country focusing on women and children’s rights. I worked in the Arusha office alongside five practicing attorneys. While the jobs at TAWLA are highly sought after, only two of the five attorneys are paid. All other members volunteer.

TAWLA office in Arusha

TAWLA’s Arusha office.

On top of regular budget restrictions that legal aid faces, TAWLA also functions with just two working computers, one testy printer and limited office supplies. Power outages or printer repairs often delayed our turnaround time for clients. My first week I was amazed by the amount of clients the attorneys would see in a day, sometimes as many as 20 for just a five-woman operation. Issues ranged from a village leader trying to take a widow’s land, to trying to remove a 15-year-old girl from her parents’ custody because they were trying to keep her from school in order to marry her off and reap the benefits of her bride price.

Throughout my five weeks at TAWLA I not only noticed the lack of funding, but also the extreme poverty and barriers that our clients were facing. TAWLA typically charges an attorney fee of 2,500 Tanzania shillings (around one American dollar). However, most clients could not afford it or even pay for their transportation to TAWLA. Not only did the fee normally get waived, but our volunteer attorneys–who were making no salary at all–would often pay or contribute to our clients’ transportation fares.

I was in awe of the attorneys’ generosity not only for their clients, but also for each other and myself. About two weeks into my trip I was rushed to a clinic on the instruction of our executive director, where I found out I had typhoid fever. When the doctors told me they wanted me to stay overnight so someone could watch me because I was living alone, one of the attorneys offered to take me in.

Denning at TAWLA office.

Denning on her first day of work at TAWLA.

After getting over my typhoid fever and studying the Tanzanian legal system, I began working with my own clients. I did intakes in Swahili and wrote affidavits for land issues and custody petitions. While it took awhile for clients to embrace me as their legal advocate, their confidence in me and my confidence in myself quickly began to grow. I went to Tanzania for an internship and left with not only an amazing experience, but also invaluable friends.

If you are looking to pursue a career in human rights and want to work abroad here are some tips I learned along the way:

  1. Language is key when working with clients. Speaking clients’ native language not only helps them feel comfortable, but also helps them realize that you are passionate about your work.
  2. Be aware of the culture you are walking into. Understanding the culture will allow you to not only understand your clients better, but also understand your role and what you should or should not be doing
  3. Talk to Career Services about funding opportunities.
  4. Have knowledge of the legal system you are working in.
  5. Make sure you do extensive medical research beforehand (I learned this one the hard way).
  6. Cast a wide net and do not give up when applying for international internships.
  7. Most important, know that you are there to learn and try to take in as much as you can.

-Paeten Denning is a 2L from Overland Park, Kansas.

Former teacher, stronger lawyer


Jake Turner, back row second from right, with his Spirit Award-winning Bluebook Relays team, Guns ‘n’ Rosenberg

Law student’s first career taught importance of client relationships, being prepared for anything

As a young child, I dreamed of being a veterinarian. Then I set my sights on the U.S. presidency. By the time I got to college, I had decided on a more practical career: teaching.

My family always thought I should go to law school, but I stubbornly dismissed the idea.

Professor of Sociology was the title I wanted, so I spent my time in undergrad at the University of Tulsa preparing to apply to graduate sociology programs. I started having second thoughts during my junior year. Could I really commit to studying sociology my entire life? I wanted to live in the Kansas City area. Would I be able to find a job at a local college? My life plan seemed to be devolving before me. But I still wanted to teach, so I decided to try it at the high school level.

KU Law student Jake TurnerI started my teaching career in Sliven, Bulgaria through the Fulbright program, helping sophomore through senior English language learners perfect their grasp of the language. I tutored students, taught them slang and empowered them to become stronger writers. It was challenging to live and teach in a foreign country, but I grew from adapting to new situations and understanding new cultures. I never knew what my students would say or what would happen in Bulgaria, but I learned to go with the flow.

When I returned to the United States, I continued my teaching career at Hogan Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. I taught junior and senior mathematics, from AP statistics to pre-calculus. I built strong relationships with my students and learned from them, probably as much as they learned from me. I learned the importance of being passionate about what I teach: When I was excited about a subject, my students got excited, too.

Leaving Hogan after two years was difficult because I loved my students and colleagues. But I decided that teaching high school, while rewarding, was not something I could see myself doing for my entire life. That’s when I applied to KU Law. Although law is my second career, I’ve found my niche and think my teaching experience will make me a stronger lawyer. I know the importance of creating relationships with my clients and being prepared for any situation.

KU Law also gives me the opportunity to continue teaching. As a 2L, I am a teaching assistant for the first-year Lawyering Skills course. Once a week, I get to return to the classroom, teach lessons and then hold office hours to help my students. I think I’ve been able to cultivate a love of learning legal citation with my students. Last month, they took third place at the annual Bluebook Relays legal citation competition. More importantly, they also won the coveted award for most spirited team. I want my students to love what they’re doing, and I could not be prouder of them for doing just that.

— Jake Turner is a 2L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Mission, Kansas.

Life is like a giant law school class

Colin Finnegan

Law school is an all-encompassing endeavor. Although challenging, it can be incredibly gratifying and rewarding. Law school really makes you think. There is liability everywhere. The world is a walking torts book.

Sometimes I miss the old days where I could walk through a grocery store and not wonder if someone slipping on the water near the entrance would be sufficient to find the store guilty of negligence. I miss the days where I could drive through Missouri on my back to Illinois without wondering if Missouri would have personal jurisdiction over me.

Sometimes I escape law school by watching television shows. Law school has managed to weasel its way into that aspect of my life as well. I can’t watch Game of Thrones without wondering if The Night King killing the Khaleesi’s Dragon would be trespass to chattels, battery, or intentional infliction of emotional distress.

I know tort law states that parents generally aren’t liable for their child’s torts, but could the Khaleesi be sued for the tortuous conduct of her adult dragons now that they are acting as adults and on her behalf? The Khaleesi probably has much bigger problems to worry about, but I’m more concerned about her possible tort claims against the Night King than I am about her conquest for the Iron Throne.

Sometimes Game of Thrones can be a little too hardcore for me, so I’ll watch The Office. Nope, law school applies there too. Was Michael Scott’s Golden Ticket idea a legally binding contract? Was Dwight guilty of battery when he sprayed mace in Roy’s eyes? How about the time when Jim put Dwight’s stapler in Jell-O, that has to be trespass to conversion, right?

Law school has changed me for the better. I may not be able to completely enjoy television shows anymore, but at least I can tell you a little something about the Article Two of The Uniform Commercial Code. I may not be able to tell you what happened in the news yesterday, but I can tell you all about Market Share Liability.

In all seriousness, law school has been a blast so far. I’ve never been so challenged academically. And although it can be stressful and frustrating, the people I’ve met and fun times I’ve had make it all worth it.

-Colin Finnegan is a 1L from Morris, Illinois.

Visiting Scholar Spotlight: Xiu “Monica” Huang

Xiu "Monica" Huang

Five questions with Xiu “Monica” Huang, Visiting Scholar from China

1. Why did you choose to study at KU Law? How did you learn about our program and establish contact?

KU offers world-class education and enjoys a strong international reputation. It welcomes students and scholars like me from all over the world to pursue their goals. And I learned and believe that KU Law will provide me with a supportive and quality academic environment for conducting legal research.

I learned about the program on the KU Law website while I was applying for the Visiting Students Program funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC). As a Chinese Ph.D. candidate with a great interest in Water Law, I was so lucky to find and read Prof. John Peck’s profile on the KU Law website. I learned that he is a Water Law expert with abundant academic knowledge and practical experience. I emailed him to explore the possibility of being a visiting student, conducting my research under his guidance.

2. What are your professional goals for your time at KU Law? What will be your next career step after your time here? 

My professional goals at KU Law include studying American law, conducting Sino-U.S. comparative legal research in the specific area of ecological compensation in inter-basin water transferring, and preparing my doctoral dissertation on Environmental Law from a Marxist perspective. I hope to earn my doctoral degree and obtain a faculty position in China after my time here.

I believe my experience at KU Law will enable me to conduct comparative legal research and analysis between Sino law and American law and introduce the latest legal developments in U.S. Water Law to China, which will definitely play an important role in the pursuit of my legal and academic career.

Xiu "Monica" Huang at home in China3. How does the academic and research environment at KU Law differ from your home culture / institution?

At KU Law, teachers are always encouraging students to make comments or ask questions about the content of the lesson. Students here are very self-confident, always willing and positive to express their opinions and thoughts. Teachers here care about every student in their classes including the auditing ones. They guide students in terms of forming an effective learning style, doing plenty of readings before the class, absorbing knowledge and solving problems during the class, and continuing further research work after class. I appreciate the wonderful presentations given by the students in some classes. The Wheat Law Library provides abundant research resources as well as comfortable conditions. Areas for cooperative work, discussion, and quiet, independent work are well designed. All the faculty here are gentle or graceful, always ready to give a hand and solve the problem with high efficiency.

4. What are your favorite things about Lawrence? What about home do you miss the most?

Lawrence is a wonderful place. I enjoy its quietness and peace very much. Blue skies and white clouds can easily be seen. The air is fresh and clean, though a little bit dry. The weather here is totally different from my hometown of Wuhan, but quite similar to Beijing where my families live. Most people I meet in Lawrence are fairly friendly, warm-hearted and willing to help. I am deeply impressed with their politeness and consideration of others. I have been in Lawrence for no more than two months, so I guess there must be lots of things for me to explore and experience here.  I believe I could find more and more favorite things about Lawrence.

As I am alone here, the toughest thing for me to conquer is separation from my family, relatives and friends in my homeland. I miss my parents and siblings in Wuhan a lot. Who I miss most are my adorable 2-year-old baby girl and hardworking husband in Beijing. I feel sorry or even guilty leaving them so far away, especially when she or he gets sick.

5. What advice would you offer to other scholars who may want to do research abroad?

As far as I am concerned, if you decide to do research abroad, you’d better get yourself ready in terms of foreign language, research proposal and so on. With regard to the foreign language, it is the basic requirement of doing research in a foreign country. First, you have to gain the foreign language skills in listening, reading, writing, speaking and translating. Second, you should set a particular academic goal and make a detailed research proposal during your time abroad. With the goal, you could overcome the difficulties with your will and mind. You would be able to carry out your work step by step according to the plan without disturbance and confusion. Third, find a university and a school which could provide you with an excellent academic environment and resources, with professors capable of offering you wisdom, knowledge and support, and with other helpful faculty members. Last but not least,  even though your time and energy abroad are rather limited, it’s necessary and helpful to audit some classes not just to learn, but also to experience the foreign language teaching and learning style.

–Xiu “Monica” Huang is a Ph.D. scholar at Huazhong University of Science & Technology.  While at KU, she is conducting research on the legalities of water allocation and usage in China.