Clinic Highlights - Spring 2025

Dear Law School Community,

Please enjoy some of the highlights of our clinical program this spring. I hope you enjoy reading about the inspiring work of our law students. Congratulations to all our graduating students, and many thanks for their hard work on behalf of clients and communities here in LA and around the world! 

Best wishes,

Nina

Nina Rabin, Clinical Professor of Law
Director, Immigrant Family Legal Clinic
Director of Clinical Education

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION CLINIC

This semester, clinic students Maya Hernandez and Ian Bertrando, both 2Ls (pictured at left with their supervising faculty and legislative staff), helped develop SB 526 (Menjivar), a bill to protect Southland environmental justice communities from harmful aggregate recycling facility pollution. They testified before the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee on April 23—the bill passed committee and is now on to appropriations!

In addition, Advanced California Environmental Legislation Clinic students Jennifer Imm and Anirudh Krishna, both 3Ls, continued important work, ongoing since 2023, to ensure in-state carbon dioxide pipelines are operated safely. They are currently providing input on AB 881 (Petrie-Norris) and SB 614 (Stern).

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CLINIC

Clinic students Maeve Anderson and Mackay Peltzer, both 2Ls (pictured to the right), testified on behalf of client Surfrider Foundation at a California Coastal Commission hearing, arguing that the commission should not set a dangerous precedent by approving a local coastal plan that allows coastal armoring inconsistent with the California Coastal Act. One commissioner called out their presentation as “very persuasive,” citing it as one reason for his “no” vote on the proposal.

In addition, clinic student team Maria Beaucage (’25), Maya Hernandez (’26), and Brendan Wong (’26) drafted a petition on behalf of client Communities for a Better Environment, challenging the California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s management of a contaminated site cleanup.

DOCUMENTARY FILM CLINIC

The Doc Film Legal Clinic had a dynamic spring semester, with several clinic-supported films reaching wider audiences and gaining domestic and global recognition. Among the highlights, Shuffle—a film exploring the unintended consequences of profit-driven care in the addiction treatment industry—won the Grand Jury Award for Documentary Features at SXSW 2025. Fox Chase Boy, a deeply personal story of survival following clergy abuse, secured global distribution through The Guardian.  Other standout films included The Spies Among Us (featured at SXSW 2025 and the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival 2025), which follows the story of a former victim of East Germany’s notorious Stasi; Magic & Monsters (premiered at MSPIFF 2025), spotlighting the history of abuse at the renowned Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company; and To Use a Mountain, a film examining America’s nuclear waste disposal policies, which premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival 2025 and DOXA 2025 in Canada. This semester showcased our students’ talent and dedication, enabling the DFLC’s support of important stories and diverse filmmakers and furthering even more impactful work ahead. The photo above is of advanced clinicians Max Winlock, Jordon Williams, Isa Reisner, and Betty Li at the Big Sky Film Festival in Montana.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION PRACTICUM

In the Domestic Violence Prevention Practicum this semester, our students received four Domestic Violence Restraining Orders (DVROs) for survivors of domestic violence. In one case, the students negotiated a comprehensive settlement that included not only safety protections but also child custody, child support, spousal support, bill payment (even the pool cleaner!), and rehabilitative treatment programs for the respondent. In another case, the students delicately handled unexpected allegations of child sex abuse, obtaining a restraining order and a protective custody order after a hearing.

This semester, we tackled a novel issue for us. A client had filed for a DVRO, but the court dismissed her request because she had been declared a vexatious litigant after her abuser had repeatedly filed frivolous pleadings in her name in other actions. The students researched and prepared pleadings to remove the client from California's vexatious litigant list.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN ACTION

The Human Rights in Action Clinic traveled to Honduras in January and worked in collaboration with the Lenca organization COPINH on Indigenous land rights struggles. Clinic students documented community struggles to secure land rights with on-site visits to La Nueva Esperanza and El Achiotal, taking of testimony, gathering and organizing case files, and advocating with government agencies. Students continued their work over the semester with legal research in support of their claims, drafting a ministerial decree to facilitate titling, and providing support to the Interdisciplinary Group of International Experts appointed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on territorial reparation in the community of Rio Blanco.

IMMIGRANT FAMILY LEGAL CLINIC

This semester, ImmFam provided the RFK Community Schools with holistic legal services, staffed by a team of 11 advanced students, six new law students, three undergraduate interns, our new in-house social worker, two staff attorneys, and our office manager.  In addition to providing full representation to 33 students and family members (15 family units), ImmFam also stepped up our outreach to respond to the increased need for legal information and resources.  Law students provided Know Your Rights presentations and family preparedness workshops that reached over 100 families, 600 upper school students in a school-wide assembly, and trained over 70 staff and faculty members. Pictured above, Gina Le (JD ’26) presents to RFK teachers on the difference between administrative and judicial warrants, and Eleonora Penagos Dordevic (LLM) and Indi Schnicer (JD ’25) present to newcomer students on forms of immigration relief.

IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS POLICY CLINIC

This spring, the Immigrants’ Rights Policy Clinic worked with local and state stakeholders to advance immigrants’ rights in a challenging political climate. Niki Nguyen JD ’25, Mariam Elmalh JD ’25, and Stella Linardi JD ’26 worked with a coalition of Los Angeles-based organizations to advance sanctuary policies in local jurisdictions, culminating in the passage of a resolution in San Fernando protecting against the use of city resources and data for immigration enforcement. Soraya Morales-Nunez JD ’26, Alex Rodriguez JD ’26, and Victoria Calderon JD ’26 supported statewide legislative efforts to expand immigrant protections and defeat several bills that would strip away existing protections. They also developed a forthcoming toolkit for how individuals, organizations and the Attorney General’s office can uphold the CA Values Act (SB 54) in the face of challenges from both the federal government and local jurisdictions seeking to undermine the law. The students presented their recommendations in an April meeting at the attorney general’s office in Sacramento. Pelin Ensari JD ’26, Jesus Carreon JD ’25, and Sara Aringoli LLM ’25 worked with RFK Community Schools—where UCLA’s Immigrant Family Legal Clinic is based—to respond to urgent concerns about the potential for immigration enforcement on school campuses in light of the rescission of the ICE’s “sensitive locations” policy. Their work culminated in a presentation to school administrators and proposals for strengthening the schools’ existing policies to ensure a safe learning environment for all students.

The entire clinic also contributed to the launch of a community-based court watch program and traveled to Sacramento as part of the California Immigrant Policy Center’s Immigrant Day of Action (photo above of Alex Rodriguez JD ’26, Soraya Morales Nuñez JD ’26, and Victoria Calderon JD ’26 in Sacramento).

MEDIATION CLINIC

Students in the law school’s new Mediation Clinic provided pro-bono mediation services to five couples going through the dissolution of marriage or legal separation process in Los Angeles. Law students helped the parties resolve issues related to parenting plans and parental decision-making, the division of assets and debts, spousal support determinations, and changes in the parties’ living arrangements. Students also assisted the parties in preparing the paperwork necessary to initiate and finalize a dissolution of marriage case in California.

PRISONERS' RIGHTS CLINIC

The clinic prevailed in all five clinic cases decided by the federal courts of appeal in 2024. Three third-year students presented argument in two different Ninth Circuit cases. And the clinic obtained major published opinions in two cases, one about solitary confinement and the other about administrative exhaustion.

STREET LAW

The Street Law Clinic collaborated with nine high schools and 13 host teachers across Los Angeles. Collectively, 18 Street Law students taught thought provoking, engaging, and empowering lessons to nearly 400 high school students each week. Their lessons spanned a broad range of substantive areas, including know-your-rights, immigration, environmental, civil liberties, contracts, intellectual property, and many more. The cohort provided roughly 10,000 minutes of instruction over the course of the semester.

PATENT LAW CLINIC

The UCLA Patent Clinic engaged three new clients in the spring semester. For each new client, we drafted a non-provisional utility patent application that will be filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, we received a Notice of Allowance on a pending case related to an improved drain funnel. Pictured above are Clinic Director Eugene Chong with students Rachel Dumiak, Mary Tran, Cassandra George, Rain Sun, Cecilia Bain, Matthew Gerges, and Niloofar Farboodi.

SUPREME COURT CLINIC

In the Supreme Court Clinic, we won a case, Thompson v. United States. The case involved the issue of whether 18 USC 1014, which prohibits making a “false statement” to various federal agencies, also prohibits making a statement that is misleading but not false. We had cert granted in another case, Villarreal v. Texas, which involves whether a trial court infringes the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel by prohibiting the defendant from discussing his testimony with counsel during an overnight recess that takes place while the defendant is on the stand. The clinic also filed a cert petition in Solakyan v. United States, and wrote two cert petitions that will be filed soon (in Gilliam v. Gerregano and Pitts v. Mississippi).

TRIBAL LEGAL DEVELOPMENT CLINIC

With a small but mighty team, the Tribal Legal Development Clinic students drafted a domestic relations code for a tribe in New Mexico. Students met with the Tribe’s legislative committee multiple times through the semester to discuss the needs and focus of the Tribal code. The students seamlessly wove together western concepts of marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support with Tribal cultural norms and values. The students presented their work to the Tribe’s legislative committee and provided key feedback to the Tribal Court’s presiding judge.

Advanced students, Ann Caindec ’26 and Rayna Klugherz ’26, traveled to Geneva, Switzerland for the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC). (Photo to the left) Ann and Rayna supported the Indigenous Caucus with research and in drafting its opening statement, which Ann delivered on behalf of the Indigenous Caucus!

VETERANS' JUSTICE CLINIC

This semester, the clinic staffed a FEMA clinic, where students met with wildfire survivors to answer questions about FEMA applications and appeals. We analyzed VA Police Department use of force records to understand how the federal police force affects veterans’ access to healthcare. We also assisted veterans with record clearing issues by participating in a one-day Record Clearing Clinic, filing expungement petitions, and defending infractions in LA Superior Court.

VOTING RIGHTS PRACTICUM

The Voting Rights clinic has been hard at work this spring semester. With the help of our students, we successfully settled a case against the Public Utility District in Franklin County, WA, that challenged the district's hybrid at-large electoral system, which violated the WVRA. Similarly, a formal notice letter was issued to the Port of Pasco, WA, citing violations of the WVRA. Sent on behalf of Latino voters in the region, the letter challenges the port’s at-large voting system which dilutes Latino opportunity. The VRP is in the process of reviewing a Pennsylvania defendant’s first set of production for a case that challenges the Hazleton Area School Board’s at-large electoral system, which dilutes the voting strength of the district’s sizable Latino population. Lastly, the team is preparing to potentially file a lawsuit to challenge the unconstitutional enforcement of an executive order issued by our current administration--stay tuned for more details! A special thank you to our clinic students and community and university partners for all your efforts in supporting the VRP’s mission!