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For Paul Choi, the Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic (JIFS) has been an eye-opening experience, deepening their understanding of the flaws in the legal system and how they can be addressed. With strong mentorship, a collaborative peer network, and hands-on experience, JIFS has reinforced his passion for criminal law and commitment to meaningful reform.
What inspired you to join JIFS and how has this experience shaped your understanding of the legal system?
I’ve always been interested in criminal law, but I’ve never seen myself as a trial lawyer. JIFS is post-conviction work—mostly sentencing law and parole hearings—which is an immensely important realm of criminal law that often gets overlooked. Accordingly, JIFS handles a lot of messier topics that can’t really be learned in a standard lecture environment. Mass incarceration, culpability (or nonculpability) of juveniles, rehabilitative programming, and much more come to mind. JIFS was a perfect fit for me because I’ve always known the system was beyond problematic, but here I can learn why it is the way it is in practice and how we can improve it.
How have your clinic colleagues and the mentorship from professors and staff attorneys in the clinic supported your growth as a law student and future advocate?
I think I can speak for all clinical students at LLS when I say mentorship here is top tier. Clinics are necessarily very small, especially when compared to normal classes. As a result, you get a lot more one-on-one help from the professors and staff attorneys. Feedback flows aplenty, and everybody’s always willing to provide more if you need it. It also doesn’t hurt that, given the specialized nature of individual clinics, everyone in the clinic is in the exact same boat as you. Your immediate peers and upperclassmen are all fonts of wisdom for whatever field you’ve chosen.
In JIFS, for example, several of my fellow students have already started focusing on particular areas of the work. If I need help with a parole hearing, I can ask my friend who’s on his third year already. If I need help navigating the Racial Justice Act, I know exactly who to ask. The list goes on. Criminal law is a relatively small world compared to civil law, so all the collaboration we do in JIFS is great practice for our future careers.
Would you recommend this clinic to other students, and what advice would you give to those considering joining?
I'd recommend JIFS to 1) anyone interested in criminal law, 2) anyone who prefers written advocacy over oral advocacy (though you get both in JIFS), or 3) anyone who's serious about fighting mass incarceration and systemic injustice. JIFS is a lot of work, no doubt, but it's important and fulfilling work. The kiddie gloves come off really quick, and you're talking to clients almost immediately. But JIFS sets you up to succeed. You'll have help and support and an incredibly tight-knit community with shared values. If this is what you want to do, you'll find no better place to do it.