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Once you actually get to work with clients,
it really helps you remember why you came to law school in the first place. I was just
really interested in how I could learn and be educated on how I could better serve my
community. It's actually the first time that I've done anything where I've been able to
say I am making a difference. I wanted a chance to get my foot in the door and experience
some actual legal work and alternative spring break allows you to do that. SPRING BREAK
FOR MANY STUDENTS AT THE CECIL C. HUMPHREYS SCHOOL OF LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
IS NOT A TIME FOR A VACATION. Alternative spring break is a program that we do here
at the law school, it is very special, we are the only law school in the country to
bring in students from other law schools. It is a program that benefits the Memphis
community. We provide pro bono legal services for those who are in the most need. OVER 40
STUDENTS, FROM LAW SCHOOLS AS FAR AWAY AS VERMONT, SPEND THEIR SPRING BREAK WORKING
IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE LAW FOR THE WEEK, MEETING REAL CLIENTS OR DOING RESEARCH
TO HELP SHAPE BILLS THAT WILL GO IN FRONT OF THE TENNESSEE STATE LEGISLATURE. We have
immigration here and one in Knoxville, they are doing the deferred action clinic here
and in Knoxville they are doing U-visas and here we also have a family law track that
deals with pro se divorce, we also have an elder law track that deals with advanced directives
as well as writing wills and such, and we have a few research tracks, we have one dealing
with human trafficking where we are partnering with operation broken silence. Human trafficking
is not just a national issue, but it is one that is particular to memphis and I feel that
our school is well situated to deal with that, once I heard what was being offered for alternative
spring break, I knew that it was something that I wanted to do. THE STUDENTS ARE RESEARCHING
CURRENT STATUTES ON HUMAN AND ORGAN TRAFFICKING IN OTHER STATES AND SEEING HOW THEY CAN BE
IMPLEMENTED HERE IN TENNESSEE. The final product is something that is real and can affect individuals
and that really makes you check every site, go through statutes more thoroughly, reading
the language, looking through case law, making sure that you are not missing anything. I
am hoping that this experience will be sort of a fire that will burn to the ends of the
earth. If we can learn how to deal with the issue on a local and a statewide level, we
may be able to impact what is a worldwide issue. THE STUDENTS WORKING IN THE IMMIGRATION
TRACK MET WITH REAL CLIENTS WHO WERE BROUGHT TO THE US BY THEIR PARENTS BEFORE THEY WERE
16, AND ARE TRYING TO GET DEFERRED ACTION FOR TWO YEARS ON THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
It is immediately rewarding when they are immediately thanking you for your time and
immediately thanking you for all that you are doing for them. NO MATTER WHICH TRACK
THE STUDENTS CHOSE, THEY ALL SAY THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WELL WORTH THEIR TIME. It definitely
helps my education, I mean actually working with clients and learning the procedures and
everything, and techniques you need to go through in interviewing and rules of confidentiality,
it is real life practice. An awakening I think is the best way to put it. It opens your eyes
to see that you really are helping people, it is not just reading the books, it is not
just applying law, you are actually assisting people. It's been definitely very helpful
and very eye opening and, I mean, it is only a spring break, it is not like you are making
a huge commitment. People always talk about getting outside of the classroom, and particularly
for 1L's who won't have jobs the first year, this is a great way to gain experience. Taking
a week out for a greater cause is, at the end of the day, is going to be something that
is going help you in the long run. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC ACTION LAW SOCIETY,
THE STUDENT GROUP THAT SPONSORS ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK, AND THE CECIL C. HUMPHREYS SCHOOL
OF LAW, PLEASE VISIT MEMPHIS.EDU/LAW. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS, I AM JUSTIN WOOTEN,
EXERCISE AND SPORT SCIENCE MAJOR.