Message from the
Executive Director
Loyola Law School was among the institutions acknowledged last month by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for responding to the post-pandemic eviction crisis. He recognized law students as the “next generation to whom the torch of the legal obligation is passed” to support equal justice. As our clinics continue to serve clients living with the consequences of COVID-19, the LSJLC also recognizes that the communities disproportionately harmed by the pandemic are those already facing myriad systemic inequities in the administration of justice. During Black History Month as we look back to celebrate contributions made by Black Americans, we must also acknowledge that to this day, as Garland observed, for too many people, “the promise of equal justice rings hollow.”
Thus, we continue to work to expand our services into justice gaps hitting these communities the hardest. We could not do any of this work without you. We thank all of our supporters for coming together in the name of justice, and we are grateful to share with you some of the work your support helps us achieve.
-Elizabeth Bluestein
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 LLS Project for the Innocent Debunks Use of Junk Science Loyola Project for the Innocent (LPI), together with the California Innocence Coalition, sponsored a bill to address the continuing use of “junk science” in criminal courts to obtain guilty verdicts (SB 467). In January, SB 467 passed the Senate and moved to the Assembly.
LPI is all too familiar with the injustice caused by the use of junk science in convictions after years of fighting client Jane Dorotik’s wrongful 2001 conviction based on junk science: a purported “bloodstain pattern analysis” that LPI has now proved was little more than smoke and mirrors. In investigating the case, LPI uncovered significant irregularities in the crime lab that called into question the reliability of the lab’s work on Dorotik’s case and others. Follow the LPI on social media for calls to action as SB 467 is considered in the Assembly.
| |  | Pro Se Mediation Clinic Ups Students’ Negotiation Skills
When aspiring family lawyer Zoe Jeon ’22 was searching for ways to gain practical experience while in law school, the Pro Se Mediation Clinic was at the top of her list. Her participation did not disappoint.
“Since a lot of our [family law] cases are settled in mediation or are required to go through that process, I thought it would be a great way to get my foot in the door,” said Jeon, who was able to practice her negotiation and advocacy skills in the clinic.
For the past five years, the Pro Se Mediation Clinic has given LLS students immersive first-hand experience in negotiating complex settlements outside of court, advising clients in mediation in front of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. More>> | |
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In Debut Year, RISE Students Find Success for Survivors of Crime
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For Christineh Gasparyan ’23, timing was everything. Just as she was seeking opportunities to advocate on behalf of survivors of crime, the law school launched the Rights in Systems Enforced (RISE) Clinic. Participating in RISE’s inaugural class, she not only provided crucial legal support for a survivor of labor trafficking during the federal prosecution of her trafficker; Gasparyan was also able to secure $20,000 in compensation for her client through the California Victim Compensation Board.
RISE Clinic students like Gasparyan and Viveka Ray-Mazumder '23 engage in legal representation through a critical race and gender lens based in trauma-informed advocacy. More>>
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 Juvenile Justice Center Welcomes Rhyzan CroomesRhyzan Croomes ‘19 joined the LSJLC as the Supervising Staff Attorney at LMU Loyola Law School’s Juvenile Justice Clinic, where she represents L.A. County youth in criminal defense proceedings.
The Juvenile Justice Clinic is part of the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, and provides holistic, client-centered advocacy for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. For Croomes, the new position is a homecoming of sorts. She received her J.D. from Loyola Law School with a Criminal Justice Concentration and a Public Interest Concentration. More>> | |  Court Commends Students' Work On Immigration Relief for YouthLoyola Immigrant Justice Clinic (LIJC) students do double duty to help clients obtain the protection of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), which requires arguments in state court as well as petitioning to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This semester, student Jaime Jimenez '22 won praise from the court for his preparation and advocacy following a hearing in which he obtained a legal guardianship and SIJS findings from the court for his young clients.
The LIJC has a long history of finding immigration relief for clients with special circumstances, with its advocates seeking immigration relief for those who have been trafficked, were survivors or witnesses of crimes and more.
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| CJLP Report on Sheriff's Gangs Spurs Legislation & Investigation
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 | Experiential Learning Fair Coming in March 2022
Students will have the opportunity to learn about Loyola's 20+ clinics, field placements and practica at the Experiential Learning Fair (also known as ELF) being held virtually March 21-April 1. The clinics will host an Open House on March 29 to provide interested students an opportunity to meet clinical faculty and staff, check out the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic space and nosh on free treats. In addition to learning more about the programs themselves, both of these events will offer details on program admissions processes (enrollment for many of them is by application only, due April 4) and LLS’ unparalleled commitment to social justice.
| |  Law Students’ Housing Work Recognized by White HouseLoyola Law School was one of a select group of law schools recently recognized by the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice for its response to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s call to action for pandemic-related eviction prevention. Among other opportunities for students to provide support, Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution's Housing Options Counseling Project assists tenants and landlords in navigating the landlord-tenant relationship in the wake of the pandemic. In 2021, LCCR assisted in over 50 housing matters and trained more than 35 students to conduct housing options counseling. In addition, LSJLC’s Shriver Landlord Tenant Clinic assisted over 100 tenants in responding to eviction lawsuits.
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LSJLC In The News: Recent Highlights
- California Democrat Wants To Crack Down On Employers That Exploit Workers. Will This Help?, Sacramento Bee, Feb. 9, 2022
- 'Impostor' Performs COVID Tests On Kids After Security Breach At L.A. Juvenile Hall, Los Angeles Times, Feb. 4, 2022
- Who Qualifies as a Courtroom Gang Expert?, The Imprint, Jan. 31, 2022
- California Law Schools Recognized for Assisting People Facing Evictions, The Daily Journal (subscription required), Jan. 21, 2022
- La Pandemia Hizo Invisible La Trata De Personas (The Pandemic Made Human Trafficking Invisible), La Opinión, Jan. 25, 2022
- Two Decades Later, Jane Dorotik Again Presses Innocence Claim in Vista Court, San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan. 23, 2022
- ‘I Spent 19 Years And 10 Months In Prison For A Crime That I Absolutely Did Not Commit,’ Claims Keira Newsome, Dr. Phil, Nov. 26, 2021
- Problems in San Diego Crime Lab Come to Light In Audits And Internal Documents, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 21, 2021
- $14-Million Payout Approved in L.A. Wrongful-Conviction Case, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 3, 2021
- The San Diego County ‘Mean Girls’ Crime Lab Drama, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19, 2021
- Criminalists in Jane Dorotik Murder Case Record of Problems in Lab, Defense Says, San Diego Union-Tribune, Oct. 4, 2021
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