“We helped homeless people. Whether it’s trying to find someone’s birth certificate or Social Security card, these documents can prevent someone from getting a lease or other necessities. That taught me that you can take small strides to really make a difference in someone’s life.
I’ve done an externship with the 9th Circuit Solicitor’s Office at the Berkeley County office. It was amazing. There were many Charleston alumni who worked there. All of them were very passionate about what they did.
I was an Ackerman fellow for Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services, and I worked with the attorneys and the staff. It was able to get my hands into landlord-tenant law and family law. I loved it. I was working with the victim’s rights attorney. That was a cool experience to see how the law is practiced beyond the classroom.
The Transactional Law Team has done an amazing job preparing me for the practice of law. It has taught me how to draft and negotiate contracts through a thorough, in-depth process, which has become evident in the work I’ve done over my two summers as a law clerk.
It’s a great way to get involved. It’s a great way to meet your peers and network with other attorneys. I was in several different organizations. President of the student ambassadors, vice president of external competitions for the Trial Advocacy Board, and Student Bar Association Senator.
I love that students get such a practical experience when participating in a clinic. They not only get to go out and observe what the attorneys are doing, but they get to have this hands-on learning experience where they’re doing the work, the research, and talking with the clients. They’re gaining experience with responsive, timely feedback.
The Family Law Clinic at Charleston Law was an incredible experience for me. I don’t think I would feel as confident and comfortable in my job right now had I not gone through that experience. I had the opportunity to stand in a courtroom before a judge, question a witness, and represent the client.
The competitions that the Transactional Law Team is great at teaching you the stuff you can’t learn in a classroom. We can talk about the theory, we can talk about the process, but until you do it, you just don’t know what you don’t know.
Our experiential learning programs at Charleston School of Law offers students practical, hands-on experience. Students have the opportunity to learn and serve through our clinical partnerships, externships, and more than 150 pro bono sites locally, regionally and nationally.