Earlier this month, ICLS hosted six interns from Southwestern Law School for our Spring Break Experiential Learning Program – providing an opportunity for the students to get real world experience, research legal topics affecting our communities, and see the impact legal aid has on those in need.
During their spring breaks, the students helped our Expungement, LGBTQ+ Services, Public Benefits, and Small Business programs through direct client services and legal research topics. Some students participated in client intakes, aided in reviewing case materials, and researched the clients’ legal rights.
This year, the students worked on issues ranging from CalFresh eligibility and enrollment for students in need to small business entity selection to potential reasons for name change denials. They worked directly with ICLS legal staff to find legal arguments, research case history and rulings, and to make sense of what their findings mean for clients.
ICLS aims to provide a hands-on learning experience to students through our internship and educational programs, showcasing the importance of legal services in our communities. We are proud to help uplift the next generation of attorneys through this partnership with Southwestern Law School.
They presented their research findings to ICLS advocates at the end of the program and provided data and information that ICLS can utilize to better serve clients.
Thank you to Southwestern Law School for being our partner in justice and to the students who chose to spend their spring breaks at ICLS.