Student Perspectives on the Refugee Clinic
Participating in the refugee clinic has been one of my most enlightening experiences in law school. Not only have I put the skills I've learned in the classroom to practical use, but I've seen the end result of one human being helping another at his or her most vulnerable.
Our client is from the highly unstable Democratic Republic of the Congo where human rights violations occur regularly and often go unpunished. Prior to his arrival in the U.S., our client was a socially active, hardworking man who opposed the arbitrary rule of the DRC government. He suffered severe torture at the hands of the government because of these political beliefs and became so fearful for his life that he left the Congo to avoid any further persecution. Because of the instability of the Congo, he does not know what has become of his family since arriving in the U.S.
Speaking with our client is challenging at times since we must use a translator, but from our conversations I can tell he is survivalist. He refuses to let national boundaries prevent him from preserving his own life. He is desperate but places plenty of faith in the humanity of our country. Our client's situation is very much like the cases I've read in the Refugee Law Seminar I've been taking with professor Maluwa, so it's interesting learning the law and practicing it concurrently.
— Ryan Navarra, Third Year Student
Our client originally hails from Haiti, and due to pending removal proceedings, he is currently seeking withholding of removal and convention against torture relief. During the course of the project and well after submitting my brief, I kept thinking, “There is a man waiting for my words to keep him from returning to the torture and mass killing of everyday citizens in Haiti.” I thought, “This is what doctors must feel like when they have their patient’s life in their hands.” Sometimes that understanding can be overwhelming—but that is the type of intensity a clinic experience provides. I am determined now more than ever to advocate in honor of human rights worldwide.
— Amina Hamida Shafi, Class of 2007
