Reflections from the Field (Part 1)

This past summer, UBSPI (in conjunction with the Maryland Legal Services Corporation and the University of Baltimore School of Law), funded 15 UB Law students to intern at public interest organizations to gain first-hand legal experience serving a variety of communities.  Over the next few months, their stories will be highlighted on Out in the Streets.

1Ls and 2Ls:  Are you interested in applying for a $4,000 grant to support your public interest work this summer? 

Sara Cimino, 2L, University of Baltimore School of Law - MVLS / Project Heal

I spent the past summer working with Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), a partnership between the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), and the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.  Project HEAL provides free legal services to low income families and developmentally disabled children who are receiving services from KKI and The Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

My internship experience was truly holistic as I was exposed to all facets of providing legal representation to a vulnerable community, including: (1) direct legal representation; (2) consultations with health professionals; (3) community advocacy; and (4) community and professional trainings.  I spent most of my time working on special education cases where I was able to help advocate for the appropriate educational program and placement for children with disabilities.  Often times I would follow a case from start to finish, participating in in-take meetings, drafting correspondence, reviewing records, and attending IEP meetings.  The parents I met were often discouraged from their own unsuccessful advocacy efforts, or the overwhelming feeling that comes from not knowing what to do to help their children.  For me, it was an incredibly rewarding feeling to give a parent the peace of mind and sense of hope that comes with knowing that someone is going to help them advocate for their child.

Ultimately, I learned how crucial it is that attorneys continue to serve their communities through public interest law.  If organizations like Project Heal didn’t exist, hundreds of families and children would suffer.  Everyone deserves an advocate.  Applications for 2012 grants are available here.  Remember:  Much of our funding comes from our annual public interest auction, to be held this year on March 9.  (More information will be available shortly).