Hispanic Bar Association of DC

Reflection on Semester with CAC … cont’d.
The process of moving from law student to
lawyer takes much longer than three months. In
Clinic, I had responsibility for someone else’s
life. I had to navigate real courts, real people and
create a strong work product out of messy facts.
You also learn that legal solutions are not the
only solutions; sometimes, the law can’t give
your client everything they need, and you have
to consider non-legal tools. Clinic takes you
outside of the classroom/textbook experience.
As difficult as it was, I am grateful. Next year,
when I’m handed a piece of paper with a
client’s contact information, regardless of the
type of case, I will know how to begin to build the
file. I will know that creating that initial contact and
relationship is important, and I will be able to piece
together fact, law and process. Of course, I’ll still
need help. But imagine if I didn’t know where to
begin?
My time in the Civil Advocacy Clinic ended in
December 2015, but my journey as a Student
Attorney hasn’t really ended. As lawyers, we are
lifetime learners; I will always continue to learn
new things. Most people don’t get the chance to
learn how to practice law before they graduate.
With the help of the Clinic, I got a great head start.
Gidget G. Benitez is a J.D. 2016 graduate from the American University Washington College of Law
and the Program Coordinator at WCL’s Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property. She
was the 2015-2016 Editor in Chief of the American University Intellectual Property Brief and a recent
ABA-IP Spring Meeting Law Student Reporter. Gidget is also an avid volunteer with Gifts for the
Homeless, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that serves the homeless in Washington, D.C.
Support the HBA-DC Foundation
The mission of the HBA-DC Foundation includes supporting the law student community by providing
fellowships for law students working during the summer for public interest legal organizations serving
the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Working under the supervision of experienced attorneys, the
students gain valuable work experience as they assist with providing legal or advocacy services to the
individuals or groups that the sponsoring organizations serve.
In addition to the Fellowship Program, the Foundation holds an annual graduation celebration called
PASOS, which takes place in the spring of each year. PASOS is a celebration attended by graduating
law students, their families and friends, members of the Hispanic Bar, and others from the community.
We acknowledge the many Hispanic students who are graduating that year from all law schools in the
DC area. To make a tax deductible donation, please visit: http://www.hbadc.org/donations/.
HBA-DC Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2016