A Message from the Executive Director
Our clinics resist that entrenchment, even—especially—in the face of adversity. This summer, without pause, the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic faculty, staff, students, volunteers, alumni and community partners have stepped up to face those divisions.
It takes a village of attorneys, social workers and students to support one young man as he works to exit the delinquency system and graduate from high school. It takes strong partnerships and flexible colleagues to create rapid responses to pandemic-related legal needs. It takes courageous clients and creative advocates to hold our systems accountable. We are grateful to the many students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends who support our work and empower us to make meaningful change.
We are proud to share with you a few ways in which our clinics continue to work toward racial and social justice, to address the effects of the pandemic and to pave the way for the next generation of community lawyers.
For further updates, please follow us on Twitter @LLSJustice.
-Elizabeth Bluestein
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|  | Another Loyola Project for the Innocent Client Walks Free
At the age of 21, Johnathon was a promising college student working at the Apple Store. After experiencing severe depression, he was prescribed a medication that is known to trigger psychotic episodes. After taking the medication, Johnathon suffered an episode during which he assaulted a dear friend. Thankfully, she was not seriously injured, but as a result, Johnathon was sentenced to life in prison. Read more>> | |  | Center for Juvenile Law and Policy Clinics Secure Client Victory
In March, the Juvenile Justice Clinic (JJC) and the Youth Justice Education Clinic (YJEC) secured the release of 16-year-old crossover client Mark M. just hours before Los Angeles juvenile detention centers were closed to family visits and days before schools across the county were closed indefinitely. Two weeks ago, Mark had his day in court, represented in his WebEx hearing in a socially distant way by recent clinical graduate Victoria (Tori) Hirsch ’20. Read more>> | |
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California Wellness Foundation Funds Innovative Gang Expert College at Center for Juvenile Law & PolicyTo challenge law enforcement’s chokehold on how courts interpret gang involvement, the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy (CJLP) has partnered with the California Wellness Foundation to launch the first-of-its-kind Forensic Gang Expert College. Scheduled for spring 2021, this in-depth training program will graduate a cohort of independent forensic gang experts from a wide range of fields who will be able to assist defense counsel in building rapport with gang-involved youth; rebutting incorrect police gang-expert testimony; and mounting a defense to draconian gang enhancements. Ultimately, these efforts aim to make it more likely that a youth could transition from conditions that associate them with gangs to the pursuit of educational and employment opportunities. Read more>>
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|  | Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic Client Secures U.S. Citizenship Despite COVID-19 Delays
Daysi Vivar has been a beloved member of the Dolores Mission Church community for more than three decades. She makes a living as a street vendor outside of the church gates, where she sells an assortment of snacks and drinks. Daysi was a Lawful Permanent Resident for the last 15 years and decided to apply for naturalization because she wants to vote in the 2020 presidential election.
After a successful interview right before the stay-at-home order in March, Daysi, like many, waited for the process to pick up so she could participate in the oath ceremony and receive her naturalization certificate. Read more>> | |  | Summer Clinical Opportunities Respond to Increased COVID-19-Related Legal Needs in Unemployment and Bankruptcy
This spring, as the school year came to a close, our legal aid partners reported increased client need and limited resources to expand services. Many LLS students wanted to use their summer to help clients affected by COVID-19 but had no prior experience in the relevant fields.
LLS faculty quickly stepped in to bridge the gap, offering training and supervision. By June we had created two new summer clinical opportunities, both of which are now in full swing, with support from Professors Anne Wells and Gary Williams. Read more>> | |
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LLS Students Called to Volunteerism During Pandemic
The question of who is most likely to benefit from emergency government relief efforts has an answer that the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic knows all too well: Such relief tends to be most easily accessible by people and businesses who already have the legal infrastructure, advisory network or financial relationships required to navigate the application process. For that reason, in response to two recent COVID-19 relief efforts, the LMU Loyola Law School student community answered the call for volunteers to help small businesses and community members find and access aid. Read more>>
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LSJLC In The News: Recent Highlights
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