Service Matters

Academic ExternshipsGive Students Real-World Experience,

Job OpportunitiesThe Academic Externship Program offers a faculty-guided learning experience for students who work as interns in a variety of state, national, and international placements, serving disadvantaged clients, nonprofit agencies, courts, and government agencies.

The Externship Program gives students the opportunity to work in the field, then share their experiences with one another during a weeklyseminar. Under this model, students are introduced to practical topics and issues beyond their internship practice areas. Elizabeth Dennis, director of academic internships, says internships also give students a layer of exposure they don’t receive in the classroom or the clinic.

“Working in the field helps students identify the demands of the profession and the needs of the community,” Dennis said. “They can try on different roles to see what fits and what doesn’t fit their interests and desired future practice.”

Students are responsible for finding their ownplacements with the guidance of the clinics’faculty and career services staff. Most studentspursue two to three credit hours, or 120-180 working hours, per semester — a significant time commitment in addition to the average

course load. As a result, interns must devel-op crucial skills in time management and career building – both of which are essential to becoming practice-ready graduates.

Many South Texas interns go on to be hired at their placements after graduation. Jorey

Herrscher ‘12 was an intern at the Harris County Attorney’s Office, a position he secured after meeting a representative at the Law School’s public interest recruiting event.Now he serves as an assistant county attorney in the same office, and he attributes the Externship Program with helping him make a smooth transition from student to professional.

“I think [the Externship Program] is the best way that South Texas prepares its students to be lawyers,” Herrscher said. “Internships are where you actually do the work of an attorney. You interact with real clients and respond to actual situations on the spot.”

Leslie Schweinle Ginzel ‘08 spent her third year at South Texas as an intern at Beacon Law, the only legal aid program in Texas that specifically focuses on the needs of the homeless. She spent much of that time processing intakes at local shelters and

Clinic Spotlight:

“We thank you so very muchfor the wonderful service youprovided for us! We left youroffice simply amazed and thankful for the abundant envelopes fullof legal papers. We’re so at peace now at having our wishes legally recorded. We followed yoursuggestions and went straight tothe courthouse. We can’t thankyou enough.”

– Clients in the Winter Intersession Estate Planning Clinic

Client Perspectives:

Continued on page 8…

A Newsletter from the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics at South Texas College of Law/Houston

Spring 2016

In This IssueClinic Highlights

Celebrating NationalPro Bono Week

New Immigration Clinic

Community Connections

Staff Listing

Clinic Offerings

Jorey Herrscher

Leslie Schweinle Ginzel

Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Law Clinic

Veterans ClinicStudents expanded the Veterans Clinic’s range of legal service offerings to include working alongside faculty to appeal a denial of benefits to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. In addition to providing direct representation to service members and their families, clinic staff and students also conducted outreach activities in the community and within the law school.

In-house, the clinic celebrated Veterans Day with a panel discussion between South Texas faculty, exter-nal clinic partners in the legal services community, and clinic teaching fellows and staff.

32

During National Veterans Awareness Week, the team met with former service members at Goodwill, where they conducted intake for potential clients and offered advice and counsel on a series of civil legal issues.

In fall 2015, South Texas established the state’s first chapter of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Program. The fall clinic enrolled nine students who workedin four teams to teach constitutional lawand advocacy skills to high school studentsat Houston’s Yes Prep Academy, a groupof public charter schools that prepares low-income students for college success. Working with full-time and adjunct faculty, clinic students developed lesson plans, explored a variety of teaching techniques, and assessed student performance through-out the semester. This yearlong program will culminate with an intensive moot court experience in the spring.

National Veterans Awareness WeekAsylum/HumanTrafficking ClinicClinic students interviewed clients and witnesses, visited area detention centers, investigated factual claims of persecution, researched country conditions, drafted wit-ness statements and pleadings, and appeared in court as their clients’ advocates.

Actual Innocence ClinicDuring the fall term, students worked on a complex active case developing a case theory and arguments for a clinic client challeng-ing his murder conviction on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct. Some students also conducted a post-conviction “materi-ality review” for a writ claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. In what is becoming a clinic tradition, students also investigated expert witness qualification standards in a range of forensic science practice disciplines.

Mediation ClinicThe student/certified mediators in the Fall 2015 Mediation Clinics maintained a successful resolution rate of more than 90% as they assisted parties in over 50 disputes. Their work as third-party neutrals took place in area Justice of the Peace courts and with EEOC complaints. In addition to their work in the field, clinic students also assisted with ADR competition teams throughout the semester, giving them both an opportunity to hone their skills.

Patent ClinicDuring the clinic’s third semester of operation,students prepared design applications forfiling and met with three additional inventorsto assist them in developing their concepts. The Clinic continued its relationship with the USPTO Repository at Rice University’s Fondren Library, which both refers clients to the clinic and makes presentations to the students on topics such as how to conducta classification-based patentsearch for prior art.

Trademark ClinicSpring Clinic students researched avail-ability, prepared and electronically filed 7 applications with United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Clinic’s clients are frequently small entrepreneurs and start up business, as well as nonprofits. Fall 2015was the seventh semester of the clinic’s operation. More than 75 applications have been filed, with a current success rate of more than 90 percent.

C L I N I C H I G H L I G H T S

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Law Clinic

Veterans ClinicStudents expanded the Veterans Clinic’s range of legal service offerings to include working alongside faculty to appeal a denial of benefits to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. In addition to providing direct representation to service members and their families, clinic staff and students also conducted outreach activities in the community and within the law school.

In-house, the clinic celebrated Veterans Day with a panel discussion between South Texas faculty, exter-nal clinic partners in the legal services community, and clinic teaching fellows and staff.

32

During National Veterans Awareness Week, the team met with former service members at Goodwill, where they conducted intake for potential clients and offered advice and counsel on a series of civil legal issues.

In fall 2015, South Texas established the state’s first chapter of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Program. The fall clinic enrolled nine students who workedin four teams to teach constitutional lawand advocacy skills to high school studentsat Houston’s Yes Prep Academy, a groupof public charter schools that prepares low-income students for college success. Working with full-time and adjunct faculty, clinic students developed lesson plans, explored a variety of teaching techniques, and assessed student performance through-out the semester. This yearlong program will culminate with an intensive moot court experience in the spring.

National Veterans Awareness WeekAsylum/HumanTrafficking ClinicClinic students interviewed clients and witnesses, visited area detention centers, investigated factual claims of persecution, researched country conditions, drafted wit-ness statements and pleadings, and appeared in court as their clients’ advocates.

Actual Innocence ClinicDuring the fall term, students worked on a complex active case developing a case theory and arguments for a clinic client challeng-ing his murder conviction on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct. Some students also conducted a post-conviction “materi-ality review” for a writ claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. In what is becoming a clinic tradition, students also investigated expert witness qualification standards in a range of forensic science practice disciplines.

Mediation ClinicThe student/certified mediators in the Fall 2015 Mediation Clinics maintained a successful resolution rate of more than 90% as they assisted parties in over 50 disputes. Their work as third-party neutrals took place in area Justice of the Peace courts and with EEOC complaints. In addition to their work in the field, clinic students also assisted with ADR competition teams throughout the semester, giving them both an opportunity to hone their skills.

Patent ClinicDuring the clinic’s third semester of operation,students prepared design applications forfiling and met with three additional inventorsto assist them in developing their concepts. The Clinic continued its relationship with the USPTO Repository at Rice University’s Fondren Library, which both refers clients to the clinic and makes presentations to the students on topics such as how to conducta classification-based patentsearch for prior art.

Trademark ClinicSpring Clinic students researched avail-ability, prepared and electronically filed 7 applications with United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Clinic’s clients are frequently small entrepreneurs and start up business, as well as nonprofits. Fall 2015was the seventh semester of the clinic’s operation. More than 75 applications have been filed, with a current success rate of more than 90 percent.

C L I N I C H I G H L I G H T S

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

South Texas students, staff share how they“Make Justice Happen”

4

In honor of Pro Bono Week, theRandall O. Sorrels Legal Clinicsinvited students and staff to sharethe ways in which they are makingjustice happen through their workin the Houston community.

C E LE B R AT I N G N AT I O N A L P R O B O N O W E E K October 25-31, 2015

One Voice Texas volunteers share personal experiences to helpSouth Texas students better serve youth in foster care In commemoration of National Pro Bono Month in October, South Texas hosted an access-to-justice panel by One Voice Texas, a health and human services collaborative in the Greater Houston area that works to meet the needs of all Texans. The topic of discussion was how attorneys and other legal representatives can aid youth who have or will age out of the foster care system.

The discussion was moderated by KatherineBarillas, director of child welfare policy atOne Voice Texas, and the panel was com-posed of three contributors: Steven Shaw and JD John, alumni of the Texas and Oklahoma foster care systems, respectively; and Chris Valdez, a court-appointed special advocate in Houston.

John and Shaw, both of whom aged out of foster care without being adopted, had very different experiences in the child welfare system. They agree that these differences are largely attributed to the work of the caseworkers and legal advocates in each of their cases.

Shaw said his experience is similar to many children in foster care. High turnover rates meant that he and his nine siblings had dozens of caseworkers throughout their lives; he lost count at 125.

“The caseworkers immediately separated me and my siblings,” Shaw said. “I never met the attorneys on my case or directly spoke to a judge. And I definitely wasn’t made aware of my rights as an equal stakeholder in my care as a teenager.”

For John, while his life as a youth in foster care often was unpredictable, consistency from his attorney and the two caseworkers he had throughout his experience gave him some solid ground on which to stand.

“My caseworker scheduled what she called‘Jimmy Time,’” John said. “For one hour everyFriday, we had a phone date to discuss any-thing and everything that I was experiencingat my current placement. If things were good,I could just say they were good and hang up. But I always knew I had that outlet.”

John’s attorney and caseworker also made the sometimes ten-hour roundtrip to pick him up for court hearings, and made a point to explain frankly the details of his case – something Shaw wishes he’d had.

“Honesty is what these young people need from lawyers, caseworkers and judges,” Shaw said. “Give the child a realisticunderstanding of their situation so they aren’t blindsided.”

John said this transparency was the most valuable key to helping him make the tran-sition of aging out of foster care. “My lawyer and caseworker sat me down and said, ‘statistically, it’s not likely you’re going to be adopted because you’re male, you’re gay, and you’re over 14. So, we’re going to start now in preparing you to be an adult’.”

The panelists shared some of their advice forfuture lawyers representing cases similar totheirs, much of which was based on the needfor clear and consistent communication. Other advice included:• Let your client know your time together

is important and that you are listening.They need to feel heard.

• Make an effort to develop a relationshipwith the child. Let him or her know youcan be trusted and relied upon.

• Use your access to the court to advocateon your client’s behalf and encouragejudges to listen to the child’s feedback.

• Be creative in developing opportunitiesfor your client to communicate directlywith the judge. For example, have thechild write a letter that is sealed untilthe judge opens it or arrange a videoconference.

• Meet with youth outside of the home,in a comfortable environment such as amuseum or pizza parlor. This gives thechild a sense of confidentiality and helpsthem let their guard down.

• Consider when it is or isn’t appropriatefor a child to be present in the courtroom,depending on the nature of the discussionsscheduled to take place.

Valdez, who works as a court-appointed advocate for bilingual youth, has witnessed firsthand the difference a well-informed attorney can make in child welfare cases.

“As an advocate, the attorney is my greatest ally,” he said. “They are the ones who can get things done because they can steer the discourse in the courtroom.”

5Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

South Texas students, staff share how they“Make Justice Happen”

4

In honor of Pro Bono Week, theRandall O. Sorrels Legal Clinicsinvited students and staff to sharethe ways in which they are makingjustice happen through their workin the Houston community.

C E LE B R AT I N G N AT I O N A L P R O B O N O W E E K October 25-31, 2015

One Voice Texas volunteers share personal experiences to helpSouth Texas students better serve youth in foster care In commemoration of National Pro Bono Month in October, South Texas hosted an access-to-justice panel by One Voice Texas, a health and human services collaborative in the Greater Houston area that works to meet the needs of all Texans. The topic of discussion was how attorneys and other legal representatives can aid youth who have or will age out of the foster care system.

The discussion was moderated by KatherineBarillas, director of child welfare policy atOne Voice Texas, and the panel was com-posed of three contributors: Steven Shaw and JD John, alumni of the Texas and Oklahoma foster care systems, respectively; and Chris Valdez, a court-appointed special advocate in Houston.

John and Shaw, both of whom aged out of foster care without being adopted, had very different experiences in the child welfare system. They agree that these differences are largely attributed to the work of the caseworkers and legal advocates in each of their cases.

Shaw said his experience is similar to many children in foster care. High turnover rates meant that he and his nine siblings had dozens of caseworkers throughout their lives; he lost count at 125.

“The caseworkers immediately separated me and my siblings,” Shaw said. “I never met the attorneys on my case or directly spoke to a judge. And I definitely wasn’t made aware of my rights as an equal stakeholder in my care as a teenager.”

For John, while his life as a youth in foster care often was unpredictable, consistency from his attorney and the two caseworkers he had throughout his experience gave him some solid ground on which to stand.

“My caseworker scheduled what she called‘Jimmy Time,’” John said. “For one hour everyFriday, we had a phone date to discuss any-thing and everything that I was experiencingat my current placement. If things were good,I could just say they were good and hang up. But I always knew I had that outlet.”

John’s attorney and caseworker also made the sometimes ten-hour roundtrip to pick him up for court hearings, and made a point to explain frankly the details of his case – something Shaw wishes he’d had.

“Honesty is what these young people need from lawyers, caseworkers and judges,” Shaw said. “Give the child a realisticunderstanding of their situation so they aren’t blindsided.”

John said this transparency was the most valuable key to helping him make the tran-sition of aging out of foster care. “My lawyer and caseworker sat me down and said, ‘statistically, it’s not likely you’re going to be adopted because you’re male, you’re gay, and you’re over 14. So, we’re going to start now in preparing you to be an adult’.”

The panelists shared some of their advice forfuture lawyers representing cases similar totheirs, much of which was based on the needfor clear and consistent communication. Other advice included:• Let your client know your time together is important and that you are listening. They need to feel heard. • Make an effort to develop a relationship with the child. Let him or her know you can be trusted and relied upon. • Use your access to the court to advocate on your client’s behalf and encourage judges to listen to the child’s feedback. • Be creative in developing opportunities for your client to communicate directly with the judge. For example, have the child write a letter that is sealed until the judge opens it or arrange a video conference. • Meet with youth outside of the home, in a comfortable environment such as a museum or pizza parlor. This gives the child a sense of confidentiality and helps them let their guard down. • Consider when it is or isn’t appropriate for a child to be present in the courtroom, depending on the nature of the discussions scheduled to take place.

Valdez, who works as a court-appointed advocate for bilingual youth, has witnessed firsthand the difference a well-informed attorney can make in child welfare cases.

“As an advocate, the attorney is my greatest ally,” he said. “They are the ones who can get things done because they can steer the discourse in the courtroom.”

5Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

I M M I G R AT I O N C L I N I C S O U T H T E X A S L A U N C H E S G E N E R A L

Meet the Immigration Clinic Staff

Kristin Zipple-SheddKristin returns to both teaching and direct client representation with her work in the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic. Prior to joining ourImmigration Initiative, Kristin helped establish the Houston office of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, a nonprofit child advocacy organization housed on the law school’s ninth floor. During her tenure with the Young Center, Kristin brought together key stakeholders from the federal government, civil legal service providers, and child welfare orga-nizations. She also recruited and trained volunteer Child Advocates and submitted briefs on issues that impact unaccompanied children to a wide array of critical decision makers. Kristin holds a J.D. and a Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago. For six years, she served as super-vising attorney in Catholic Charities’ Crime Victims Program, representing noncitizen clients — both adults and children who were victims of domestic violence andhuman trafficking — in seeking immigrationrelief. Kristin is proficient in written and verbal Spanish.

Aimee Maldonado,Staff AttorneyA decade after her graduation from South Texas, Aimeereturns to the law school as a staff attorney for the Immigration Initiative, bringing with her a wealth of practice experience and passion forimmigration law. Aimee earned an under-graduate degree in international business and marketing from Baylor University.As a law student, Aimee actively lobbied for

an onsite immigration clinic to supplement intern placements. She has worked in both private firm and public interest settings,including five years as a solo practitioner; her work always has been centered on immigration. Most recently, Aimee was a supervising attorney for Catholic Charities in its Unaccompanied Minors Program, where she led a staff of attorneys, legalcaseworkers and law clerks and alsoconducted trainings for pro bono attorneys. Aimee is active in local bar associations and community initiatives, and often invites her contacts to speak to students who are interested in immigration law. She is fluent in Spanish. On a personal note, Aimee is an avid traveler and a fountain of information about local eateries.

Karen Baker,Clinical FellowKaren joins the Clinicsas a fellow in theImmigration Initiative,where she conducts research and directly represents clients in both state and federal courts. Karen has long had an interest in immigration. After earning a degree in Latin American Studies from Vanderbilt, she spent 13 months in rural Guatemala, where she served as a program director for a community developmentnonprofit organization called Manna Project International. Karen then earned her J.D. from the University of Texas, where she was editor-in-chief of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. Following law school graduation, Karen obtained a master’sdegree in Public Health from Harvard, where her primary research centered on themental health implications of the experiencesof unaccompanied immigrant children. Karen has advanced Spanish language ability. She is an avid marathon runner and a former competitive swimmer.

Burt Johnson,Intake SpecialistBurt brings Spanish language proficiency and years of language training to his role as intake specialist for the ImmigrationInitiatives. He often is the first point of contact for potential clients in theImmigration Clinic and the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic, and his work requires him to gather detailed client infor-mation through both in-person and phone interviews. Burt has worked around the world, teaching language skills in countries as far-flung as Korea, Thailand, Spain, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. His work experienceincludes training international students, members of the military, and business executives representing multinational conglomerates and private companies. His undergraduate degree in English is from the University of California, Irvine. In his spare time Burt enjoys a range of water sports, including scuba diving and surfing.

Natalie Romero,Paralegal A Houston native, Natalie traces her interest in immigra-tion issues to her family’s flight from civil war in El Salvador in the 1980’s. Spanish was Natalie’s first language and she particularly enjoys working directlywith clients and the community when she can use her language skills. Natalie is a 2014 graduate of St. Thomas University with a political science major. She joined the clinic team following an internshipwith Kids in Need of Defense. In her free time, Natalie likes to spend time with her younger sisters, go to concerts, and indulge in epic movies.

In fall 2015, the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics established a new Immigration Clinic, thanks in part to a grant of nearly $200,000 from the Houston Endowment.

The clinic focuses on helping immigrants with basic benefits such as naturalization and green cards as well as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). South Texas already is home to the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic, which handles more complex immigration issues.

“This really is a win, win, win,” Associate Dean Catherine Burnett said. “First, this new clinic responds to a tremendousdemand in the Houston area. It also will give our students who are interested in immigration law the valuable tools they need to begin their own practices after they graduate. Finally, the clinic will provide other students with important volunteer opportunities, which we believe is critically important to the law school experience.”

During the clinic’s inaugural semester, students worked on 15 direct representation cases. They also engaged in communityeducation about naturalization and deferred-action childhood arrivals by participating in workshops throughout the Greater Houston

area. Workshop partners included United We Dream, Catholic Charities, Neighbor-hood Centers, and Boat People SOS. The clinic sponsored three brown bag lunches for students interested in immigration law, with presentations by law school alumniand area practitioners.

6 7Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

I M M I G R AT I O N C L I N I C S O U T H T E X A S L A U N C H E S G E N E R A L

Meet the Immigration Clinic Staff

Kristin Zipple-SheddKristin returns to both teaching and direct client representation with her work in the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic. Prior to joining ourImmigration Initiative, Kristin helped establish the Houston office of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, a nonprofit child advocacy organization housed on the law school’s ninth floor. During her tenure with the Young Center, Kristin brought together key stakeholders from the federal government, civil legal service providers, and child welfare orga-nizations. She also recruited and trained volunteer Child Advocates and submitted briefs on issues that impact unaccompanied children to a wide array of critical decision makers. Kristin holds a J.D. and a Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago. For six years, she served as super-vising attorney in Catholic Charities’ Crime Victims Program, representing noncitizen clients — both adults and children who were victims of domestic violence andhuman trafficking — in seeking immigrationrelief. Kristin is proficient in written and verbal Spanish.

Aimee Maldonado,Staff AttorneyA decade after her graduation from South Texas, Aimeereturns to the law school as a staff attorney for the Immigration Initiative, bringing with her a wealth of practice experience and passion forimmigration law. Aimee earned an under-graduate degree in international business and marketing from Baylor University.As a law student, Aimee actively lobbied for

an onsite immigration clinic to supplement intern placements. She has worked in both private firm and public interest settings,including five years as a solo practitioner; her work always has been centered on immigration. Most recently, Aimee was a supervising attorney for Catholic Charities in its Unaccompanied Minors Program, where she led a staff of attorneys, legalcaseworkers and law clerks and alsoconducted trainings for pro bono attorneys. Aimee is active in local bar associations and community initiatives, and often invites her contacts to speak to students who are interested in immigration law. She is fluent in Spanish. On a personal note, Aimee is an avid traveler and a fountain of information about local eateries.

Karen Baker,Clinical FellowKaren joins the Clinicsas a fellow in theImmigration Initiative,where she conducts research and directly represents clients in both state and federal courts. Karen has long had an interest in immigration. After earning a degree in Latin American Studies from Vanderbilt, she spent 13 months in rural Guatemala, where she served as a program director for a community developmentnonprofit organization called Manna Project International. Karen then earned her J.D. from the University of Texas, where she was editor-in-chief of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. Following law school graduation, Karen obtained a master’sdegree in Public Health from Harvard, where her primary research centered on themental health implications of the experiencesof unaccompanied immigrant children. Karen has advanced Spanish language ability. She is an avid marathon runner and a former competitive swimmer.

Burt Johnson,Intake SpecialistBurt brings Spanish language proficiency and years of language training to his role as intake specialist for the ImmigrationInitiatives. He often is the first point of contact for potential clients in theImmigration Clinic and the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic, and his work requires him to gather detailed client infor-mation through both in-person and phone interviews. Burt has worked around the world, teaching language skills in countries as far-flung as Korea, Thailand, Spain, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. His work experienceincludes training international students, members of the military, and business executives representing multinational conglomerates and private companies. His undergraduate degree in English is from the University of California, Irvine. In his spare time Burt enjoys a range of water sports, including scuba diving and surfing.

Natalie Romero,Paralegal A Houston native, Natalie traces her interest in immigra-tion issues to her family’s flight from civil war in El Salvador in the 1980’s. Spanish was Natalie’s first language and she particularly enjoys working directlywith clients and the community when she can use her language skills. Natalie is a 2014 graduate of St. Thomas University with a political science major. She joined the clinic team following an internshipwith Kids in Need of Defense. In her free time, Natalie likes to spend time with her younger sisters, go to concerts, and indulge in epic movies.

In fall 2015, the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics established a new Immigration Clinic, thanks in part to a grant of nearly $200,000 from the Houston Endowment.

The clinic focuses on helping immigrants with basic benefits such as naturalization and green cards as well as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). South Texas already is home to the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic, which handles more complex immigration issues.

“This really is a win, win, win,” Associate Dean Catherine Burnett said. “First, this new clinic responds to a tremendousdemand in the Houston area. It also will give our students who are interested in immigration law the valuable tools they need to begin their own practices after they graduate. Finally, the clinic will provide other students with important volunteer opportunities, which we believe is critically important to the law school experience.”

During the clinic’s inaugural semester, students worked on 15 direct representation cases. They also engaged in communityeducation about naturalization and deferred-action childhood arrivals by participating in workshops throughout the Greater Houston

area. Workshop partners included United We Dream, Catholic Charities, Neighbor-hood Centers, and Boat People SOS. The clinic sponsored three brown bag lunches for students interested in immigration law, with presentations by law school alumniand area practitioners.

6 7Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

Clinic studentshelp lay thegroundwork forAssisted Pro Seproject

The Harris County Law Library Assisted Pro Se project kicked off with training volunteer corporate attorneys and STCL students. Expected to be operational in the spring semester, this proj-ect is a collaborative effort with Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the Houston Bar Association, and the Harris County Law Library. It is designed to help pro se family law parties with their document preparation.

8 9

Connecting to the Practicing Bar and Legal CommunityClinic faculty and staff are committed to student experiential learning and to best practices in client representation. Thatdedication is supported through interaction with legal service organizations, bar associa-tions, and attorneys in practice. Involvement in the legal community helps the Clinic team stay current with practice trends, identify legal needs in the community, and expand student opportunities.

Community Partnerships The law school served as the venue for community outreach and collaboration,primarily with the public interest nonprofits located on the law school’s campus:Human Rights First, K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Defense), and The Young Center.These groups were joined this fall by the ABA’s new expert legal resource center:the Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA). CILA serves both legal serviceproviders and pro bono attorneys who are representing unaccompanied children inimmigration-related proceedings in Texas.

Clinic staff members also volunteered a week of their time to help mothers andchildren detained in the South Texas detention facility in Dilley, Texas. Their workincluded client intake as well as credible fear and reasonable fear preparation.

During the fall 2015 semester, our staff was active in the following organizations:

C O M M U N I T Y C O N N E C T I O N S

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

conducting extensive interviews to find out what kinds of legal issues affect Houston’s homeless. She discovered a passion for this specific practice area, signing on for a second semester at the end of her first term.

“I loved the work,” Schweinle Ginzel said. “I was too passionate

about it to not continue. The work can be exhausting, but the results are thrilling.”

Schweinle Ginzel became the organization’sfirst full-time staff attorney, and is now theprogram director, supervising operations and staff, including interns. She strives to provide a valuable learning experience to the interns under her charge, recognizing

the potential impact it could have on their careers.

“Interns learn to research case law, preparearguments, ask the right questions, and approach the client-attorney relationship as a collaboration,” she said. “Those are skills you just can’t get in the classroom.”

… continued Clinic Spotlight from page 1

Fe y Justicia Worker CenterBoard Member, Elliott Tucker

Harris County Domestic ViolenceCoordinating CouncilExecutive Committee, Kimberly Ashworth

Houston Immigration Legal Services CollaborationExecutive Committee Members,Catherine Burnett and Vinh Ho

K.I.N.D.Houston Advisory Board Member,Catherine Burnett

Legal Services to the Poor in CivilMatters, State Bar of TexasMember, Vinh Ho

Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters, State Bar of TexasChair, Catherine Burnett

Tahirih Justice CenterBoard Member, Elizabeth Dennis

Clinic studentshelp lay thegroundwork forAssisted Pro Seproject

The Harris County Law Library Assisted Pro Se project kicked off with training volunteer corporate attorneys and STCL students. Expected to be operational in the spring semester, this proj-ect is a collaborative effort with Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the Houston Bar Association, and the Harris County Law Library. It is designed to help pro se family law parties with their document preparation.

8 9

Connecting to the Practicing Bar and Legal CommunityClinic faculty and staff are committed to student experiential learning and to best practices in client representation. Thatdedication is supported through interaction with legal service organizations, bar associa-tions, and attorneys in practice. Involvement in the legal community helps the Clinic team stay current with practice trends, identify legal needs in the community, and expand student opportunities.

Community Partnerships The law school served as the venue for community outreach and collaboration,primarily with the public interest nonprofits located on the law school’s campus:Human Rights First, K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Defense), and The Young Center.These groups were joined this fall by the ABA’s new expert legal resource center:the Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA). CILA serves both legal serviceproviders and pro bono attorneys who are representing unaccompanied children inimmigration-related proceedings in Texas.

Clinic staff members also volunteered a week of their time to help mothers andchildren detained in the South Texas detention facility in Dilley, Texas. Their workincluded client intake as well as credible fear and reasonable fear preparation.

During the fall 2015 semester, our staff was active in the following organizations:

C O M M U N I T Y C O N N E C T I O N S

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

conducting extensive interviews to find out what kinds of legal issues affect Houston’s homeless. She discovered a passion for this specific practice area, signing on for a second semester at the end of her first term.

“I loved the work,” Schweinle Ginzel said. “I was too passionate

about it to not continue. The work can be exhausting, but the results are thrilling.”

Schweinle Ginzel became the organization’sfirst full-time staff attorney, and is now theprogram director, supervising operations and staff, including interns. She strives to provide a valuable learning experience to the interns under her charge, recognizing

the potential impact it could have on their careers.

“Interns learn to research case law, preparearguments, ask the right questions, and approach the client-attorney relationship as a collaboration,” she said. “Those are skills you just can’t get in the classroom.”

… continued Clinic Spotlight from page 1

Fe y Justicia Worker CenterBoard Member, Elliott Tucker

Harris County Domestic ViolenceCoordinating CouncilExecutive Committee, Kimberly Ashworth

Houston Immigration Legal Services CollaborationExecutive Committee Members,Catherine Burnett and Vinh Ho

K.I.N.D.Houston Advisory Board Member,Catherine Burnett

Legal Services to the Poor in CivilMatters, State Bar of TexasMember, Vinh Ho

Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters, State Bar of TexasChair, Catherine Burnett

Tahirih Justice CenterBoard Member, Elizabeth Dennis

10 11

O U R FA L L 2 0 1 5 C L I N I C A L T E A M

Teaching Faculty Our full-time clinical faculty members are professors whose sole teaching assignments are in the clinical program. There is one full-time clinical professor in each major area: civil practice clinics (Family Law Advanced Clinic and Estate Planning Clinic), special focus clinics (Actual Innocence Clinic and Domestic Violence Clinic), and academic externships.• Catherine Burnett• Elizabeth Dennis• Betty Luke

Tenured Full-time Doctrinal Faculty members also teaching in the clinics: • Phillip Page• Sharon Finegan

Clinical Teaching Fellows in the Civil Practice Clinics:• Eric Kwartler• Alec Lawton• Andrew Milne

Clinical Adjunct Faculty• Kevin Jones, Patent Clinic• Tim Shen, Trademark Clinic• Hon. Bruce Wettman, Mediation Clinic• Tomer Yoked, Marshall-Brennan Clinic• Kristin Zipple-Shedd, Asylum/Human Trafficking Clinic

Immigration Initiative Fellow• Karen Baker, Civil Practice Clinics

Public Interest Attorneys • Vinh Ho, Managing Attorney, Civil Practice Clinics; Director, Immigration Initiative• Kimberly Ashworth, Civil Practice Clinics• Aimee Maldonado, Immigration Initiatives• Elliott Tucker, Civil Practice Clinics

Support Staff Paralegals• Christa Bynam, Civil Practice Clinics• Natalie Romero, Immigration Initiatives• Liz Scallan, Civil Practice Clinics

Intake Specialists• Burt Johnson, Immigration Initiatives• Lyther Walker, Civil Practice Clinics

Program Administrators• Ben Santillan, Clinic Administration, Academic Externships and Pro Bono Honors Program

Civil Practice Clinics The law school’s Civil Practice Clinics provide free legal assistance for low-income and disadvantaged populations throughout the Houston metropolitan area. Clinic legal services include direct client representation, legal advice and counsel, outreach and com-munity education, and pro se assistance.

Clients are represented by teams of faculty, staff attorneys, paralegals, and law students. Students develop their practical lawyering skills, learn about challenges facing poor Texans in obtaining access to justice, and give back to our community. These are the clinics we offered:

Estate Planning Clinic: preparing end of life documents — powers of attorney, advance directives, and final wills.

Family Law Basic Clinic: representingdivorcing couples with no substantialproperty and no children.

Family Law Advanced Clinic:representing divorcing couples withchildren; modification of custody/conservatorship/support; original suits affecting parent-child relationship; and amicus appointments.

Guardianship Clinic: seeking guardianshipand other alternatives for incapacitated adults and special needs minors.

Probate Clinic: providing representation forthe post-death transfer of property, includingsmall estate affidavits, independent adminis-trations, and dependent administrations; as well as advice and counsel in Tax Court for real property forfeiture proceedings.

Veterans Clinic: assisting Veterans withpreparing and filing applications for benefits,discharge upgrades, and assisting Veterans and service member families with basic civil legal services.

Transactional Clinics Patent Clinic: assisting inventors filefor patents, as part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’sCertification Program

Trademark Clinic: assisting individuals, nonprofits and small businesses in filing trademark applications, as part of theUnited States Patent and TrademarkOffice’s Certification Program.

Special Focus Clinics Actual Innocence Clinic: investigating and assisting in preparing post-conviction challenges based on claims of innocence and wrongful conviction, and studying and recommending criminal justice reform.

Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic: representing vulnerable populations in state and federal jurisdictions, with an emphasis on litigation, investigation, and community awareness.

Marshall-Brennan ConstitutionalLiteracy Clinic: teaching local highschool students the basics of constitutional law and helping them build advocacy skills in preparation for a national moot court competition.

Immigration Clinic: representingimmigrants in securing basic benefitsand pathways to citizenship, such asnaturalization, green cards, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Mediation Clinic: serving as third party neutrals to help disputants resolve conflict in a variety of settings, ranging fromsmall claims court suits to employment discrimination claims.

Academic Externships Academic externships offer a faculty-guided learning experience in which students work in the field and study the delivery of justice under the direct supervision of a judge or attorney. Placement opportunities in these externship clinics are local, state, national and international.

Public Interest: traditional nonprofitplacements, whether for the direct provision of services or study and advocacy efforts

Government: state and federal agency placements

Judicial: state and federal Chambers, at both trial and appellate levels

Criminal: prosecution and defenderplacements

Hospital: general counsel’s officeplacements

International: judicial, public interest, criminal and non-governmentalorganization placements

O U R FA L L 2 0 1 5 C L I N I C S

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

10 11

O U R FA L L 2 0 1 5 C L I N I C A L T E A M

Teaching Faculty Our full-time clinical faculty members are professors whose sole teaching assignments are in the clinical program. There is one full-time clinical professor in each major area: civil practice clinics (Family Law Advanced Clinic and Estate Planning Clinic), special focus clinics (Actual Innocence Clinic and Domestic Violence Clinic), and academic externships.• Catherine Burnett• Elizabeth Dennis• Betty Luke

Tenured Full-time Doctrinal Faculty members also teaching in the clinics: • Phillip Page• Sharon Finegan

Clinical Teaching Fellows in the Civil Practice Clinics:• Eric Kwartler• Alec Lawton• Andrew Milne

Clinical Adjunct Faculty• Kevin Jones, Patent Clinic• Tim Shen, Trademark Clinic• Hon. Bruce Wettman, Mediation Clinic• Tomer Yoked, Marshall-Brennan Clinic• Kristin Zipple-Shedd, Asylum/Human Trafficking Clinic

Immigration Initiative Fellow• Karen Baker, Civil Practice Clinics

Public Interest Attorneys • Vinh Ho, Managing Attorney, Civil Practice Clinics; Director, Immigration Initiative• Kimberly Ashworth, Civil Practice Clinics• Aimee Maldonado, Immigration Initiatives• Elliott Tucker, Civil Practice Clinics

Support Staff Paralegals• Christa Bynam, Civil Practice Clinics• Natalie Romero, Immigration Initiatives• Liz Scallan, Civil Practice Clinics

Intake Specialists• Burt Johnson, Immigration Initiatives• Lyther Walker, Civil Practice Clinics

Program Administrators• Ben Santillan, Clinic Administration, Academic Externships and Pro Bono Honors Program

Civil Practice Clinics The law school’s Civil Practice Clinics provide free legal assistance for low-income and disadvantaged populations throughout the Houston metropolitan area. Clinic legal services include direct client representation, legal advice and counsel, outreach and com-munity education, and pro se assistance.

Clients are represented by teams of faculty, staff attorneys, paralegals, and law students. Students develop their practical lawyering skills, learn about challenges facing poor Texans in obtaining access to justice, and give back to our community. These are the clinics we offered:

Estate Planning Clinic: preparing end of life documents — powers of attorney, advance directives, and final wills.

Family Law Basic Clinic: representingdivorcing couples with no substantialproperty and no children.

Family Law Advanced Clinic:representing divorcing couples withchildren; modification of custody/conservatorship/support; original suits affecting parent-child relationship; and amicus appointments.

Guardianship Clinic: seeking guardianshipand other alternatives for incapacitated adults and special needs minors.

Probate Clinic: providing representation forthe post-death transfer of property, includingsmall estate affidavits, independent adminis-trations, and dependent administrations; as well as advice and counsel in Tax Court for real property forfeiture proceedings.

Veterans Clinic: assisting Veterans withpreparing and filing applications for benefits,discharge upgrades, and assisting Veterans and service member families with basic civil legal services.

Transactional Clinics Patent Clinic: assisting inventors filefor patents, as part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’sCertification Program

Trademark Clinic: assisting individuals, nonprofits and small businesses in filing trademark applications, as part of theUnited States Patent and TrademarkOffice’s Certification Program.

Special Focus Clinics Actual Innocence Clinic: investigating and assisting in preparing post-conviction challenges based on claims of innocence and wrongful conviction, and studying and recommending criminal justice reform.

Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic: representing vulnerable populations in state and federal jurisdictions, with an emphasis on litigation, investigation, and community awareness.

Marshall-Brennan ConstitutionalLiteracy Clinic: teaching local highschool students the basics of constitutional law and helping them build advocacy skills in preparation for a national moot court competition.

Immigration Clinic: representingimmigrants in securing basic benefitsand pathways to citizenship, such asnaturalization, green cards, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Mediation Clinic: serving as third party neutrals to help disputants resolve conflict in a variety of settings, ranging fromsmall claims court suits to employment discrimination claims.

Academic Externships Academic externships offer a faculty-guided learning experience in which students work in the field and study the delivery of justice under the direct supervision of a judge or attorney. Placement opportunities in these externship clinics are local, state, national and international.

Public Interest: traditional nonprofitplacements, whether for the direct provision of services or study and advocacy efforts

Government: state and federal agency placements

Judicial: state and federal Chambers, at both trial and appellate levels

Criminal: prosecution and defenderplacements

Hospital: general counsel’s officeplacements

International: judicial, public interest, criminal and non-governmentalorganization placements

O U R FA L L 2 0 1 5 C L I N I C S

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston

South Texas College of Law/Houston1303 San Jacinto StreetHouston, Texas 77002-7006www.stcl.edu

Trending for Spring/Summer 2016

Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter

Look out for our Spring/Summer newsletter for more on these topics:

Veterans Clinic Expands Outreach

Harris County Law Library Assisted Pro Se ProjectComes Online

Immigration Clinic Expands Collaborative Projectsfor Community Presentations and Workshops

DNA Mixture Forensic Science Commission Project

Third Annual VITA[Volunteer Income Tax Assistance] Program

USPTO campus visit

Pro Bono Spring Break Activities