Aggies helping the impoverished
The Family and Veterans Advocacy Clinic
When Linda approached the Family and Veterans Advocacy Clinic in 2016, she was the only mother her nine-year-old grand-nephew had ever known. She had been caring for him since he was a newborn, because his mother was a drug addict with an extensive criminal history. Now, Linda wanted to legally adopt him.
Angela Green ’18 was the law student who made that happen for her in the summer of 2017. “It was rewarding on many levels,” said Green, who now works at a Dallas-area law firm. “I utilized every part of the law that I learned and saw why certain things are in the pleadings, why certain things aren’t and how it all works together. At the same time, after building rapport with her, it was so wonderful to help her with her dream—something she might not have achieved without our assistance.”
Every semester, the three supervising attorneys in the Family and Veterans Advocacy Clinic help each and every participating student feel that same sense of connection and accomplishment. The students represent low-income clients in handling divorces, child custody matters, protective orders, simple wills and an array of legal issues related to veterans, such as finding housing for homeless veterans.
One client, a disabled Gulf War veteran, was so moved by the work of students in the clinic that he donated $200 to help other clients. “You are training ‘elite attorneys,’” he wrote in his thank you note.
“Our students are not only learning and practicing law, but they’re also learning empathy and the importance of helping people in poverty,” said Celestina Flores, director of the clinic.
For the full article on our very own Angela Green, please click the link below:
