Congratulations Class of 2016!

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Emma Chapman
5 years ago
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1 Congratulations Class of 2016! Your dedication to pro bono work and service for others reflects optimism and hope for a brighter future. Best wishes on all of your future endeavors. SLS Levin Center

3 Pro Bono at SLS has been an immensely gratifying experience! It provided me an opportunity to help real people by applying some of the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom. It helped me use the law to effect positive change and witness the difference it made in ordinary people's lives. Aishwarya Nair 16

4 Working with refugees through IRAP gave me an experience of what being a lawyer, at its best, is all about standing with clients in the midst of real need and helping them navigate their legal challenges. Drew Dragstrem 16

5 Listening is hard to master, but great public interest work depends on it. Pro bono is where students get the best practice. Marcus Bourassa 16

Public service is first and foremost an ethical commitment. But it is also the space where we debate our values and our visions for a stronger collective future.

7 Public service is first and foremost an ethical commitment. But it is also the space where we debate our values and our visions for a stronger collective future. My pro bono internship at the North Carolina Legal Aid Society allowed me to witness how those debates manifest in people's daily encounters with the legal system. And it provided a platform from where I could work in a community about which I care deeply. Gagan Gupta 16

8 It is a gift to advocate for those with no voice the trees that shade us, the water that feeds us, and the air that gives us life. John Drdek 16

10 I still remember the way one of my first clients looked at me after I assisted her during an immigration pro-bono session in CLSEPA. She escaped extreme poverty, abusive partner, and dangerous environment all circumstances I have never imagined to be in. I feel like I made a real impact on someone s life for the first time and wherever I go after my graduation, I will always be committed to help people like her. Andhari Zairina 16

11 Pro Bono showed me my true calling: advocating for youths caught in our broken justice system. I want to represent them, and then I want to fix the system. Lilah Hume 16

12 Pro bono work transformed my experience at SLS. I am so grateful for the opportunity to make an impact while learning from amazing people. Shereen Griffith 16

14 So many people are left to navigate the legal system alone and for so many of them, so much hangs in the balance. It is asking so little of law students and lawyers to spend a few hours to help. Amy Heath 16

15 For me, pro bono was praxis: experiencing the impact of my work prompted critical reflection on my role and kept me grounded in the communities I came here to serve. Emi Young 16

17 The Immigration Pro Bono confirmed that I wanted to work in immigration law after school. This allowed me to seize opportunities relating to immigration since 1L. Cindy Garcia 16

18 Pro bono, as specific projects and as an idea more broadly, serves as the basis of why I came to law school. Knowing you can have a positive impact on somebody's life is equally empowering and daunting, and this drive and responsibility are fundamental to how I approached law school and will continue to approach my career and life after I graduate. Pro bono is both a duty and a joy, and I feel lucky to have been able to contribute, even in the small ways that I could. Swain Uber 16

19 All of my pro bono work, especially my experience with the Housing Pro Bono, has motivated me and shaped my career goals. Working with low-income immigrant families to keep them in safe, clean, affordable housing was one of the most rewarding experiences of law school. Ginny Halden 16

21 Because law is integral to society, public service must be the lifeblood of our profession. Students can learn this maxim through pro bono. Vincent Mazzurco 16

22 My Pro Bono work allowed me to advocate for some of our most vulnerable members of society, and it taught me a great deal about how the law works in practice. Jennifer Oxley 16

Pro Bono: A Gift not a Chore

Pro Bono: A Gift not a Chore Pro Bono: To whom much is given, much is expected. As lawyers, we are given the opportunity to make a difference in someone s life especially for those who are underserved and have no financial access