Vasily Stepin (1L)
Alaska Legal Services Corporation
Anchorage, AK
Vasily is working with the Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) in Anchorage, Alaska. The ALSC is a statewide non-profit organization that provides legal representation to low income individuals in the community free of charge. ALSC provides legal advice and representation to (1) help resolve serious legal problems of low-income Alaskans, (2) promote family, social and economic stability by upholding the rule of law, and (3) reduce the legal consequences of poverty. In addition to helping attorneys write letters, organize arguments, and conduct legal research, Vasily will be conducting client interviews on a weekly basis. Also, he will be researching Native American subsistence living in Alaska and the effect of both federal and state laws on the Native tribes.
July 31, 2011
The last several months have been a truly fulfilling experience. I feel that I have come a long way since I first came to Anchorage two months ago. I have learned a lot about the legal process in general: how to file a case in superior court; how to efficiently search for and find perspective defendants to serve them; how to find ways to meet a client's needs within the legal framework and a whole slew of other things. This is valuable knowledge and experience that I could not have gained in a classroom.
I have made two very important observations that I think will remain with me for the rest of my life. First, I have learned that often in legal disputes there is not necessarily a good and a bad party, there is not necessarily a right and a wrong party, and there is often no bright lines. I made this observation on two several occasions. Both cases involved a custody dispute between parents. I often found myself not being able to take a side because each party had a compelling story and each party really did love their child.
Second, I came to realize just how many people really need legal services who can't afford it. Because Alaska Legal Services functions on limited resources, they cannot represent every eligible applicant. The need for legal services is great and I am glad that I was able to provide some type of help, although probably miniscule, to people in the community. The experience was gratifying.
June 29, 2011
Several times I have been told by professors that I should really cherish law school because it will only get harder once I begin my practice. I was always skeptical of this notion because I could not imagine anything being more difficult than law school and law school exams in particular. After working for about a month at my internship I am starting to understand, what my professors meant.
From my extremely limited experience and from discussions I have had with attorneys at my office I have developed an understanding that a good attorney bears a constant load of responsibility for his or her client. This carries with it a degree of uncertainty, doubt, and perhaps even fear. As a law student, my efforts and my actions affect only my grades and my future in obtaining employment. An attorney, on the other hand, may affect the life of his or her client in ways the attorney may not even imagine. I realized that the difficulty of being an attorney is this burden of responsibility.
I have had the opportunity to work on several different things while at the ALSC. First, I am working on a research project in the area of Alaska subsistence living. Protecting subsistence as a way of life is one of the most pressing concerns among Alaska Native communities. Some say it is at the core of Alaska Native identity and culture. Without delving into great detail, Subsistence as basically the customary and traditional uses by rural Alaska residents of wild, renewable resources for direct personal or family consumption for food, shelter, fuel, clothing, or transportation." The laws of subsistence are somewhat difficult to understand due to a polarization of federal and state law and the overlap of both jurisdictions. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences so far.
Second, I recently began drafting a portion of a pamphlet that the Alaska Bar Association (ABA) will be publishing for youth and emancipated minors. The ABA is working on creating a document similar to California's and Montana's which provides youth a simplistic approach to the law. I have begun to draft a section on access to public benefits such as Medicaid/Denali Kid care, Food stamps, TANF/ATAP, etc. I have only recently begun this project but I feel it will be rewarding.
Finally, I have been working with clients on a day to day basis. I have done several initial client interviews and usually assist throughout the resolution of the problem. The cases vary greatly. Some are family issues such as a custody case or a divorce proceeding. Other cases involve topics you may typically see on a property exam such as eviction proceedings and even warranty of habitability issues. I enjoy this portion of my work for two reasons. First, I get a sense of fulfillment knowing that my work has an actual impact on someone's life. Second, I am able to get such a rich variety of exposure to different legal issues. Overall my experience has been great and I hope it will continue to be so rich and fulfilling.
