Learning by Doing: My Law School Practicum Experience

During the fall semester of my second year of law school, I enrolled in the Human Rights Practicum, led by Professor Paul Linden-Retek and Professor Tara Melish. That semester, the Human Rights Practicum focused on the human right to adequate housing. My classmates and I went to the Buffalo Housing Court each week to observe landlord/tenant eviction court and housing violations.

The human right to adequate housing includes six important factors: legal security of tenure, habitability, affordability, accessibility, location, and cultural adequacy. Our class mainly focused on the right to legal security of tenure, habitability, and accessibility. This included examining the eviction process, ensuring tenants maintained their right to remain in their homes throughout court proceedings, ensuring housing met the Buffalo Housing Code, and improving accessibility for tenants attending court.          

Throughout the semester, my classmates and I worked on writing a report on the Buffalo Housing Court. We drafted a list of concerns that we witnessed, including inconsistencies between judges applying the law, different treatment between landlords and tenants, and settlement protocols pushing for parties to settle outside of court, which tends to favor landlords over tenants. We then drafted recommendations for changes the court should make. For example, combining eviction court with housing court so both eviction cases and housing code violations can be heard at the same time by the same judge. This would make it easier for tenants to stay in their homes and ensure habitability issues and housing code violations are resolved before they are evicted from their homes.

At times, my classmates and I felt discouraged. The inequities we observed were extensive, and it was easy to wonder whether a single report could truly make a difference. But after meeting with Judge Nowak, a former Housing Court Judge and current Appellate Justice, we realized that meaningful change can occur in Housing Court. Judge Nowak explained how he structured his Court to ensure fair outcomes for all parties. His approach gave us hope that if one judge can make such a difference, our report might also spark further reform in Housing Court. 

During the spring semester of my second year of law school, I enrolled in the Asylum Appellate Advocacy Practicum, where we assisted Professor John Giammatteo in researching applicable immigration law and drafting memos and briefs for his cases.

As students in this practicum, we researched case law related to asylum, withholding of removal, and convention against torture (CAT), the three main ways for non-U.S. citizens to request relief and stay in the U.S. We also drafted motions, briefs, and memos analyzing our research and explaining how it can support our clients’ cases. In addition to assisting with Professor Giammatteo’s appellate case, we attended lectures by prominent immigration attorneys in Buffalo and gained insight into the inner workings of the federal immigration court and U.S. Court of Appeals.

Professor Giammatteo also spent one class with us discussing trauma-informed care, as many immigration clients suffer from some type of PTSD due to the persecution, torture, or traumatic events they experienced in their home country. As attorneys, we must learn how to provide trauma-informed care so we can represent clients without triggering their PTSD. As a result, many immigration attorneys suffer from burnout or secondary trauma because they hear countless stories about what clients have endured. They may feel defeated if they can’t help their clients stay in the U.S. or feel weighed down by their clients’ trauma. One of the most important lessons I learned in this practicum was that caring for yourself is just as important as advocating for your clients. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t help your clients to the best of your abilities. Immigration is a heavy area of law. But, as long as you can see the good in the world, immigration law can be extremely rewarding. 

My experience in the Human Rights Practicum showed me how legal research and policy advocacy can influence real-world issues. The following semester, I explored a very different area of law through the Asylum Appellate Advocacy Practicum, where I learned the importance of taking care of yourself so you can successfully advocate for your client. While these practicums both focused on different areas of law, I developed a deeper understanding for how the courts work both in Buffalo and federally.  

Practicums are an excellent way for students to explore a specific area of law. I learned so much about housing court, landlord/tenant law, immigration law, and how federal immigration courts function. If you are interested in gaining hands-on experience, representing clients as a student attorney, and learning about different areas of law, I recommend checking out UB’s Clinics and Practicums to see all that UB has to offer!