September 2019 Dean’s Corner - UCI Law Students Making an Impact in the Nation’s Capital

by L. Song Richardson

For this column, Dean L. Song Richardson has asked Director Nicole V. Lehtman to write about UCI’s participation in the UCDC Law program.

On the heels of celebrating its own tenth anniversary, I am thrilled that UCI Law is part of the tenth anniversary celebration of the University of California District of Columbia (UCDC) Law Program. The collaborative program, available to students from UCI, Berkeley, UCLA, Davis, and Hastings, is the only one of its kind where students from different law schools come together for a full-time, semester-long experiential program. “In keeping with the goal of providing our students opportunities to change the world and make direct impacts on individuals’ lives, UCI Law is proud to be part of UCDC Law now and in the years to come,” says L. Song Richardson, Dean of UC Irvine School of Law.

Established in 2009, the UCDC Law Program combines a full-time externship with a weekly seminar in Washington, D.C. The Law Program provides students the opportunity to gain valuable experience working in a federal government agency, nonprofit, or advocacy organization—enabling students to learn how federal statutes, regulations, and policies are made, changed, and understood. “UCDC is an integral part of the experiential learning curriculum at UCI Law,” says D’lorah Hughes, UCI Law Director of Externships. “Our students praise UCDC for the pragmatic learning experience at high-impact organizations as well as for the networking opportunities with law students from other schools.”

Crystal Adams, Attorney, National Center for Youth Law, UCI Law ‘15, externed at the Department of Education during the Fall of 2014. “Prior to entering law school, I knew I wanted to work in D.C. I had interned on the Hill in college and I wanted to return in law school. I was thrilled that I would be able to attend UCI Law, and have the ability to participate in the UCDC Law Program.” Adams further explained:

The Program empowered me to pursue my dream career as a civil rights advocate in D.C. I could not have asked for a better opportunity. Nearly five years later, I continue to love working in D.C. and I maintain valuable connections with people I met while I was in the Program. The UCDC Law Program helped me achieve the fulfilling public interest career I have today.

Renowned judges and practitioners, including U.S. Supreme Court Justices, high-level government attorneys, and directors of national non-profit organizations, are frequent guest lecturers during the Program’s seminar, often meeting with students. Shirley Diaz, UCI Law ‘18, externed at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Diaz, who is currently an associate at Skadden Arps in Washington, D.C., was in awe of the caliber of speakers she had the opportunity to engage with during the UCDC Law seminar. Diaz recalls, “Over the course of the semester, I had the opportunity to meet some of the best attorneys in Washington, D.C. who practice at the highest levels of the federal government and non-profit organizations. Through their guest lectures, I was exposed to many practice areas that are unique to Washington, D.C.”

For many semesters I had the privilege of co-teaching the seminar with former Associate Deputy Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice and current Chief of Staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Robyn Thiemann. We saw first-hand how students gain confidence and traction within Washington’s work environment. “There’s no better way to determine whether government or public service in D.C. is for you than to spend time here experiencing it,” Thiemann says. “And for those students who know that D.C. is where they want to be, a semester here provides them the opportunity to meet and network with people who may well later be in their professional orbit. That is truly priceless.”

Thiemann enjoys watching the students learn from one another by sharing their unique life experiences and perspectives from their externship placements. She calls those group discussions one of the most valuable aspects of the seminar. “It’s not unusual to see students respectfully challenging and pushing each other to consider alternate viewpoints,” Thiemann says. “In each case, something positive comes of it. As a result, students may adjust their views or better refine the justifications for their original views. In either case, that’s central to the learning that happens in the seminar, and well-prepares the students for similar work-related experiences.”

Sean Lobb, Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable John D. Early in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, UCI Law ’18, externed at the Department of Justice, Criminal Division. Lobb says:

Working full-time at the Department of Justice was a terrific experience that helped prepare me for my work now as a judicial law clerk. It gave me great research and writing experience that has translated into my work as a law clerk. It also helped broaden my knowledge of how the government functions on a national scale, which has increased my level of awareness as a federal government employee.

I find it continually gratifying to see how much current students enjoy the Program and how much past students reap the rewards of their experiences. The most rewarding part of my job is the ability to observe firsthand how the UCDC Law Program has a positive impact on students’ law school experiences, not only the day-to-day learning through their externships, but also the unique networking opportunities they are able to enjoy with other students, UC alumni, and leading practitioners. The future of the Program is incredibly bright and I very much look forward to the years ahead.

Nicole V. Lehtman is the Director of the UCDC Law Program and Lecturer for the Law Program.