During the 2018–2019 academic year, Paladin had the privilege of helping students from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law manage their pro bono work. We were blown away by their incredible engagement and asked a few of Northwestern’s Class of 2019 Public Service Stars about their favorite part of doing pro bono work:
Getting to know and building trust with clients:
My favorite part of doing pro bono work is getting to know clients. The adversarial legal system — especially the criminal court system — often tries to reduce individuals to a sum of bad decisions. Building a relationship of trust in such an atmosphere can be challenging, as many vulnerable members of the community are distrustful of the legal system. Working through that distrust and figuring out how to tell their stories persuasively within the constraints of legal rules is not always easy, but it has been one of most rewarding experiences of my time in law school. Their stories are nuanced, complex, and need to be heard. It is a privilege to be a friend and an advocate for them as they navigate some of the most stressful experiences of their lives.
— Eva Derzic
Sharing knowledge as power:
My favorite part of working pro bono was sharing my legal knowledge with the community. I learned to translate the fancy, historical language I paid thousands in tuition payments to learn into everyday language. While the law can seem removed from everyday life, both in general and especially in the classroom, I learned how seemingly insignificant details or changes in language can have real-world consequences for the most vulnerable. I learned that the best way to learn the law is to be tasked with explaining it.
— Nicole Steinberg
Seeing a case through to completion:
My favorite part of working pro bono was seeing the culmination of my work and being able to follow an entire project or case from start to finish. While interning with DCFS in my third year, I had the opportunity to fully manage one of the department’s administrative hearing cases. Under the supervision of a staff attorney, I was able to represent the department throughout the entire administrative hearing process; from interviewing witnesses, to case preparation and ultimately to handling the hearing itself. Through my pro bono work I saw how even the most ordinary assignments can make transformative change in the lives of clients and the community as a whole.
— Matthew Lee-Own
Developing deeper ties to the community:
Throughout law school, I complemented my legal studies by serving the Chicago community. As a native Texan, pro bono service allowed me to integrate into the greater Chicago area. Some of the organizations I volunteered with include: Neighborhood Legal Assistance Project, Lakeview Pantry, Chicago Board of Elections, and WITS Power Lunch. In particular, my favorite service event occurred at Pritzker Elementary School, where I participated in Lawyers in the Classroom and taught sixth graders the rule and spirit of the law. This experience was both humbling and exciting because it reminded me why I chose the path to law school, as I encouraged young students to pursue their own paths.
— Henna Jalal
Northwestern Law Class of 2019 Public Service Stars on Their Favorite Part of Doing Pro Bono was originally published in Paladin on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.