Every summer, Inland Counties Legal Services offers a summer law clerk program for law students who are interested in public interest litigation and legal aid. This year, the program saw 12 exemplary students from across the region, each who was integrated into a different ICLS practice group to learn about client intake, interviews, research and discovery, document preparation, and so much more.
After ten weeks of vigorous legal training, our class graduated from their summer program. The class included: Andrea Diaz, Colin Whittington, Emily Gomez, Frances Montemayor, Joseph Madere, Kaiya Daniels, Kaley Rivanis, Karina Gupta, Ke’Andre Starling, Kylie Thornburg, Marissa Jauregui, and Taylor Hawkins.
“These students really exemplified true commitment to justice. Each of them decided to use their legal expertise to help others, and we are proud to have given them a platform to learn, to grow, and to serve their communities,” ICLS Pro Bono Coordinator Paulette Gray said. “We can’t wait to see these students become leaders in the legal community.”
Scholastically hailing from Chapman University School of Law, LMU Loyola Law School, Pepperdine Law School, Western State College of Law, UC Irvine School of Law, and University of La Verne College of Law, these Juris Doctorate candidates executed their assignments like pros.
They analyzed client declarations and public policy issues, prepared and attended court settlement and motion hearings; observed a guardianship court calendar and civil trial; conducted specialized trainings, drafted memorandums, prepared petitions, performed client interviews, and followed through on detail-oriented legal tasks which made them an integral part of providing high-quality legal services to our clients and an indispensable part of our legal aid organization this summer.
Not only did the work of these twelve individuals shine, but so did their characters, clearly demonstrated by their congenial attitudes in and outside of the workplace. Whether working on a case or hosting a webinar, our summer law clerks proved a commitment to justice that will serve future generations well.
“The legal needs in our community remain high, and our ability to meet those needs depends on legal aid staff and pro bono volunteers,” Gray said. “I am confident that our students will take the skills they’ve learned during our summer program with them in their careers and will continue serving those in need once they graduate law school.”
The law clerks were given a proper farewell at ICLS’s 2023 Summer Law Clerk End of Program Celebration. Truly, we would like to commend our 2023 Summer Law Clerks for their undeniable dedication and exceptional work.
Special thanks to Riverside Superior Court, Judge Irma Poole Asberry, for her powerfully encouraging words to our 2023 Summer Law Clerks.
