Student Experiences
Proyecto ACCESO gives students the opportunity to be in the heart of Latin America’s quest for justice and the struggle over globalization. Students have the opportunity to join the Chile Summer Program, where participants learn about Chilean culture and get hands-on experience on Chile’s legal sector, or participate in legal reform effort with countries throughout Latin America and the rest of the world. Here is some of what our students have to say:
Central America
During a trip to Honduras, Cedric Anderson has this to say.
“Thanks to a dedicated professor, Rodolfo Pagán, my trip was indeed worthwhile. Mr. Pagán set up three separate presentations at [Universidad Tecnológico de Honduras] campus for me, and I ended up speaking in front of around 150 students, faculty, and outside attorneys. Using a Spanish language presentation written by Professor Justin Brooks, I spoke to the separate groups about the causes of wrongful convictions and what can be done to help the wrongfully incarcerated.”
South America
“Working as a clinical intern for Tomasello y Weitz in Santiago, Chile was an amazing experience. I was fortunate enough to learn about Maritime law from a Chilean perspective. I became familiar with the Rules of Hamburg, and dealt with damaged cargo claims on the daily. Besides dealing with the initial cargo claims, I assisted in lifting a ship arrest, as well as participating in a panel series the firm had set up for attorneys, clients, and the general maritime public. I helped draft contracts both in Spanish and English. I spent quality time with clients in their office, and was able to establish perspectives not just from the attorney's point of view, but also from the client's practical standpoint. The ability to work under, and network, with such great international attorneys was also a large plus. I was fortunate to expand my legal Spanish, and currently feel confident in my ability to communicate legal concepts in another language. While the internship is now over, the firm has extended an invitation for me to return and provide a guest lecture at the University of Valparaiso Law School, since most of the attorneys in my office are also Professors of law. The practical experience gained during my time in Chile is one I highly value, and I would recommend the clinical internship program to every student at CWSL, specially in Santiago. Plus, winter time in Chile truly is beautiful.”
- Josefina V. Balistrieri
“Professionally, the Program gave me more than I could have expected. Not only did we learn about human rights, international law, and Chilean legal culture, we also had the unique opportunity of seeing it all play itself out right before our eyes…. Educationally, the Program allowed us to study under world-class professors that challenged us in their very own particular ways.”
- Rafael Hurtado
“Every day was different. Interning there was a not only unique experience through which I had the opportunity to learn about a foreign legal system, but I also gained a new perspective on the United States legal system. I had both the opportunity to learn about and observe how various entities work together toward the common goal of justice. Each individual had a way with working alongside their counterparts whether it was the local call center employee who gathered information regarding an incident, one of numerous professionals who investigated and discovered what really occurred, or an attorney who presented a case in court. It was really neat to not only learn, but also see first hand how everything worked.”
- Sarah Keagy
Daniel Washle while working in a Bolivian court house had this to say:
“After hanging around the office we went to the Congress since we had gotten special permission. At the congress I got to go into the La Camara de Diputados (House of Representatives) and meet the third highest ranking congressman. I then watched a heated debate over a wire tapping incident. Next we went to the senate and since it wasn’t in session I got to walk around it and look at things.”
Africa
Rebecca Tweneboah in Liberia had this to say:
“Sometimes my boss is a secretary, a gopher, or even a carpenter before he becomes a lawyer again. This irritated me at first, but now I rather enjoy how I literally am able to see projects through from beginning to end, and my boss gives me the freedom to make necessary decisions, even if those decisions require money from the German government! The downfall, you have to do everything! And micromanage everything! Nothing gets done if you are not constantly involved, making sure others follow the procedure you implemented.”
