During 2020-2021, McGeorge Legal Clinics continued to represent individual clients in spite of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing essential services to vulnerable members of our community who have no place else to turn. There is no way our clients would have had access to the courts without the advocacy provided by our Legal Clinics. The grit, dedication, creativity, and resourcefulness of our Student Attorneys has been remarkable.
On campus, Community Legal Services, McGeorge’s year-round legal clinic, provides pro bono legal services to the greater Sacramento community in the areas of Immigration, Bankruptcy, and Elder & Health Law. This March, we celebrated one full year at our new home, on 2925 34th Street. Last year, CLS closed 236 cases for 586 low-income clients in the Sacramento area. Since 2019, CLS has recovered 2.75 million for financially exploited elders and 1.7 million in discharged consumer debt. Off campus, our Legislative & Public Policy Clinic, Prisoner Civil Rights Medication Clinic and Federal Defender Clinic students continue to show equally impressive results.
In June 2020, we welcomed our first-ever graduate legal fellows. Not only did they work diligently at CLS, they studied for and each passed the October bar exam. Four for four! I am so proud of their success and the contributions they have made and will continue to make to the legal profession.
Despite being isolated from friends, colleagues, professors, and resources, our Student Attorneys illustrated their commitment to social justice by providing zealous advocacy. Thank you to our students, staff attorneys, post-graduate fellows, legal coordinator and clinical colleagues for another successful and impactful year. Despite a most challenging year, you persevered in providing high-quality legal services to the community.