Clinic students utilized their knowledge of Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections and the criminal justice system.
During Spring 2021, DePaul law students participating in the Croak Community Criminal Justice Clinic presented to eighteen participants in Growing Home's job readiness program, which serves individuals experiencing systemic barriers to employment. About 90% of individuals working with Growing Home have interacted with the criminal justice system. Based on meetings with the organization to discuss legal needs, clinic students designed and presented an hour-long legal presentation on the legal rights of individuals during encounters with law enforcement. Amelia Nawn, Growing Home's Program Operations Coordinator, stated:
The presentation by the DePaul Community Lawyering clinic offered our Production Assistants tangible, realistic tools to utilize in all kinds of interactions with police, as well as offered them an opportunity to get accurate, informative answers to questions they had about related issues.
Clinic students utilized their knowledge of Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections and the criminal justice system locally to develop a presentation complete with hypotheticals to lead an audience-engaged workshop. 3L Clinic student Mitch Pearl reflected:
The opportunity to present to an organization like Growing Home was an eye-opening and humbling experience. Not only was I able to self-evaluate my own privileges, but I was also able to tune my communication to a crowd that has been through more than I could imagine. This real-world experience to explain the law through means other than legalese was invaluable, and I look forward to the next opportunity to present.
After this presentation, Clinic students also led a separate community workshop addressing the ongoing permanent punishments individuals encounter after interaction with the criminal justice system.