After ten weeks of immersive, hands-on legal experience, Inland Counties Legal Services’s 2025 Summer Law Clerks, Dayanna Arana, Elizabeth Hwang, Katheryn Walk, Sophia Mahamde, Stephanie Peralta, and Victor Bocanegra, shared about their work and their impact this summer at a culminating end-of-program summit.
The summit held last month served as both a celebration and reflection on their journey—highlighting the lessons they learned along the way, the summer projects they managed and collaborated on, and the impact the program has had on them and their young careers. It also provided an opportunity for the clerks to present their work, share insights with peers, and connect with legal professionals dedicated to public service.
Surrounded by ICLS staff and board members, our brilliant clerks shared about the robust curriculum designed to strengthen both their legal skills and their understanding of client-centered advocacy. Learning lessons on essential topics such as effective client interviewing techniques, trauma-informed lawyering, and the unique aspects of transactional law practice, the cohort reflected on how they assisted in the construction of pro bono clinics, how they fostered constructive relationships with opposing counsel, and navigated the nuances of responding to special interrogatories.
Beyond formal training, clerks gained invaluable practical experience, this summer, by contributing to projects across multiple practice areas, including consumer, family, housing, immigration, pro bono, and small business law. Each lesson was grounded in real-world application, giving clerks the confidence to approach their future legal work with empathy, professionalism, and precision.
Throughout their presentations, the students mused on their work which ranged from drafting critical legal documents, attending hearings, reviewing legal memorandums and developing educational materials, to performing language translations for clients and shadowing experienced attorneys in court and client meetings.
By the end of the program, participants had not only expanded their legal knowledge but also developed the skills and insight needed to serve diverse communities effectively.
We thank these shining young advocates for choosing to spend their summer at ICLS, for their contributions to advancing justice for our clients, and we wish them all the very best in their bright futures.