How One Clinic Client Confirmed That Immigration Law Is For Me – Guest Post by Law Student Jasmine Pope

Guest post by Jasmine Pope, 3L at University of Baltimore School of Law

This past semester, I embarked on an incredible journey as part of the Immigrant Rights Clinic (IRC) at the University of Baltimore School of Law. I set out to learn more about an area of law that interests me, to become a zealous advocate for my client, and to learn how to grow, not only as an individual, but also as a future lawyer.

When I was first assigned Bessy’s case, I was nervous, yet determined. I was excited that I was given the opportunity to try her asylum case. While I already had some prior experience working on immigration cases, I had never worked on an asylum case before. I wanted the opportunity to not only broaden my exposure to immigration issues, but to challenge myself as well. 

From the beginning, I was anxious to meet Bessy. I was nervous about whether she would like me and whether she would deem me competent and capable to represent her. Yet, at the same time, I was determined to do my best by this client -a woman I had yet to meet, whose story I had yet to fully understand. Bessy was the woman who would send me on the journey of my life.

From the moment I first read Bessy’s story, I was determined to bring her justice. Bessy, a transgender woman from El Salvador, had endured decades of abuse, simply because of the person she knew she was. From an incredibly young age, Bessy had known that she was a woman. The only thing Bessy had done was be herself. 

Once I met Bessy, all of my nervousness and anxiety faded away. She was kind, sweet, and composed. She seemed to immediately trust me, and knowing that I had her trust, allowed me to open myself up more to our representative-client relationship. Once I heard her story, rather than reading it on a piece of paper, one thing became incredibly clear to me – Bessy was resilience personified. I have never met a person, man or woman, who has experienced all that she has experienced and yet somehow managed to wake up every day and live her life. In the face of adversity, hate, discrimination, homophobia, and transphobia, Bessy remained strong and pushed forward.

 If I could envision the perfect asylum client, Bessy would be it. She was fully invested in her case, how the court process works, and all the possible outcomes. She believed in me every step of the way. Moreover, she was beyond deserving of asylum. She had suffered more than what any one person should ever had to endure, the system simply had to work in her favor.

 And yet, this semester was not always a smooth ride. As I began to research Bessy’s asylum claim and familiarized myself more with her story and the law, I was terrified of what could happen. The more confident I became in my knowledge of Bessy and asylum law, the more terrified I became that no matter how hard I worked and how deserving I believed my client to be, the system could work against us. I struggled with the idea that I could give my all, put everything I had into trying to win her case, and somehow come up short in Immigration Court. This thought was frightening to me. However, I am forever grateful for my amazing clinic partners, class mates, supervisors, family and friends. At no point during my clinic experience did I ever feel like I was completely on my own to work through my emotions or to work through a legal issue. 

One of the most amazing things about the Immigrant Rights Clinic is the ability to reach out to anyone in the clinic and know that they will not only understand my frustrations and doubts, but also be able to comfort me, offer me advice, and help me work through things. Emotionally, I would not have survived this semester without the understanding and support of my classmates and supervisors. 

Then, on November 6, 2017, months of hard work came into fruition. The stars in the sky aligned and the universe sent good vibes Bessy’s way. Bessy was granted asylum!

WE WON! There have been very few times in my life where I have been at a loss of words, and that day was one of those times. My emotions ranged from shock, excitement, pride, relief, and gratefulness. But looking at Bessy once she realized the gravity of the judge’s decision truly humbled me.

That moment, of watching the nervousness leave my client’s body, and of seeing a grateful and content smile adorn her face, are images forever engrained in my mind. Nothing could ever come close to that feeling. Nothing. It made me realize that being a zealous advocate for your client should not be for one’s own self, but for the benefit of your client. Ultimately, they are the most important piece of the equation. It is their life, their emotions, their wants, that matter most. 

Perhaps the most important thing that this clinic has taught me is how to always keep my client’s best interest in mind. The concept of client-centered lawyering is one I wish to take with me moving forward. Additionally, I am still of the belief that the law, while at times can be the almost impossible burden for our clients to overcome, can work for us if we let it. As lawyers, it is our job to work with the law, and if we find that the law does not work or is a hindrance to justice, we must work to change it.

-JKoh