Like most clinic alumni, I remember my first client. She had multiple disabilities and was a survivor of domestic violence. She called me every day. She was extremely grateful for my help and confident in my abilities, even though I had no experience.

I did have one secret weapon: The best supervisor on the planet. Professor Jane Johnson (L’74), then the Director of the Tulane Civil Clinic, was a master of constructive feedback. She would let me know what I was doing wrong while inspiring me to keep working and fighting for my clients.

As we commemorate 40 years of clinical legal education, we celebrate a program that reflects the very best of Tulane Law School, emphasizing client-centered practice, access to justice, and academic excellence. Students learn now, as they have for four decades, how to give marginalized clients a voice; how to be creative and interdisciplinary in finding solutions; how to tend to the less glamorous aspects of the legal practice; and, most importantly, how to never, ever give up.

Stacy Seicshnaydre (L ’92)
Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Public Interest Programs