Skip to content Skip to main menu
  • News
  • Events
  • Law Library
  • Giving
  • Alumni
  • Quicklinks

    • Academic Calendar
    • bCourses Overview
    • bCourses Link
    • Business Services
    • Schedule of Classes
    • View Evaluations
    • Identity Resources
    • RoloLaw
    • COVID-19 Protocols
    • Event, Catering and Food Policy
    • Emergency Info
    • Resource Hub for Faculty & Staff

    Support

    • Reporting Potential COVID-19 Cases
    • COVID-19 Remote Teaching Resources
    • Computing Support
    • Faculty Support Unit
    • Berkeley Law Events
    • Faculty Services (Library)
    • Human Resources & Academic Personnel
    • Instructional Technology
    • Phones
    • Room Reservations
    • Building Services
    • Resources to Respond to Sexual Harassment
  • Quicklinks

    • Academic Calendar
    • b-Line
    • Berkeley Law Facebook
    • Financial Aid
    • Faculty Profiles
    • Schedule of Classes
    • Teaching Evaluations
    • Final Exam Review Session Schedule
    • Exams
    • Final Exam Schedule
    • CalCentral
    • COVID-19 Protocols
    • Event, Catering and Food Policy
    • Emergency Info
    • Resource Hub for Students

    Student Services

    • Reporting Potential COVID-19 Cases
    • Student Services Office
    • Academic Skills Program
    • Student Organizations
    • Student Journals
    • Commencement
    • Bookstore
    • Wellness at Berkeley Law
    • Registrar
    • University Health Services
    • Resources to Respond to Sexual Harassment
    • Inclusive Restrooms
  • Search for People at Berkeley Law

Berkeley Law
    • Academics Home
    • Areas of Study
      • Social Justice and Public Interest
        • Curriculum
          • J.D. Path
          • LL.M. Path
        • Social Justice+Public Interest Community at Berkeley Law
          • Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation
      • Business and Start-ups
        • Business Law Curriculum
        • Business Law Faculty
      • Law and Technology
        • Student Activities
        • Law and Tech Curriculum
        • Law and Tech Faculty
      • Environmental Law
      • Criminal Justice
      • International and Comparative Law
        • Centers, Clinics, and Programs
        • Faculty
        • Student Activities
      • Constitutional and Regulatory
      • Law and Economics
        • Faculty
        • Prospective Students
        • Visiting Scholars
        • Law and Economics Fellowship
    • J.D. Program
      • First-Year Curriculum
      • Concurrent Degree Programs
      • Combined Degree Programs
      • Berkeley-Harvard Degree Programs
    • LL.M. Programs
      • Current Academic Calendars
      • LL.M. Executive Track
        • LL.M. Executive Track Academic Calendar
          • 2023 LL.M. Executive Track Academic Calendar
          • Past LL.M. Executive Track Academic Calendars
        • LL.M. Executive Track Courses
      • LL.M. Traditional Track
        • Current Academic Calendars
      • LL.M. Courses
      • Certificates of Specialization
      • Application & Admission
        • Steps to Apply
        • Application Forms & Deadlines
        • Eligibility & Admission Standards
        • Application Checklist
        • Admissions Policies
        • Check Application Status
      • Tuition & Financial Aid
        • Cost of Attendance
        • Scholarships
        • Ways to Fund Your Studies
          • Financial Aid Checklist for LL.M./J.S.D. Students
        • FAQ Financial Aid
      • Professional Development
      • Admitted Students
        • Visas
        • Housing for LL.M. Students
        • Cancellation & Refund Policies
      • Join an Event & Connect with LL.M. Staff
        • Recruiting and Informational Events
        • Visit Us!
        • Contact Us
      • Meet Our Students
        • LL.M. Thesis Track Student Profiles
      • Meet Our Partners
      • Questions? Start Here
    • Doctoral Programs
      • J.S.D. Program
        • Application & Admission
          • Steps to Apply
          • Application Form & Deadline
          • Eligibility & Admission Standards
          • Application Checklist
          • Check Application Status
        • J.S.D. Tuition & Financial Aid
          • Cost of Attendance for JSD
          • Robbins J.S.D. Fellowship
        • J.S.D. Student Profiles
          • Zehra Betul Ayranci
          • Ella Corren
          • Silvia Fregoni
          • George Lambeth Vicent
          • Sylvia Si-Wei Lu
          • Natsuda Rattamanee
          • Youngmin Seo
          • Abdullah Alkayat Alazemi ’21
          • Mehtab Khan ’21
          • Maximilien Zahnd ’21
          • Shao-Man Lee ’20
          • Alvaro Pereira ’20
        • Contact Us
      • Ph.D. Program – Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP)
        • Events Calendar »
    • Executive Education
    • Schedule of Classes
      • Two Year Curriculum Plan
    • Current Academic Calendars
      • 2023-2024 Academic Calendar
      • Past Academic Calendars
        • 2022-2023 Academic Calendar
        • 2021-2022 Academic Calendar
        • 2020-2021 Academic Calendar
        • 2019-2020 Academic Calendar
        • 2018-2019 Academic Calendar
        • 2017-2018 Academic Calendar
        • 2016-2017 Academic Calendar
        • 2015-2016 Academic Calendar
        • 2014-2015 Academic Calendar
        • 2013-2014 Academic Calendar
        • 2012-2013 Academic Calendar
        • 2011-2012 Academic Calendar
        • 2010-2011 Academic Calendar
        • 2009-2010 Academic Calendar
        • 2008-2009 Academic Calendar
      • Future Academic Calendars
        • 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
    • Registrar
      • Order of the Coif and Dean’s List
      • Academic Rules
        • Supplemental Academic Rules for Traditional Track LL.M. Students
        • Academic Honor Code
        • Academic Rules Petition
        • Academic Rule 3.06 – applies to the Class of 2010 and before
        • Credit Hours
      • Registration
      • Transcripts
      • Verification of Attendance
      • Registrar’s Forms
      • Ordering a Diploma »
      • J.D. Academic Guidance
        • 3L Requirements FAQ
        • 3L Degree Worksheet
      • Registrar’s Student FAQ
      • Bar Information
        • State Bar Swearing-In Ceremony Information
    • Admissions Home
    • J.D. Admissions
      • Applying for the J.D. Degree
        • Ready to Apply
        • After You’ve Applied
        • Transfer & Visiting Student Applicants
        • FAQs
      • Entering Class Profile
      • Connect with Admissions
        • Plan Your Visit
        • Virtual Engagement
        • Recruitment Events
        • View the Prospectus
        • Contact LL.M. Admissions
        • Contact J.S.P. Admissions
      • Meet Our Students
      • Studying at Berkeley Law
      • Living in the Bay Area
      • Diversity at Berkeley Law
      • Concurrent & Combined Degree Programs
      • Faculty Admissions Policy
      • Financial Aid
        • Prospective and Entering Students
          • Entering Student Registration & Financial Aid Information
          • Financial Aid for International J.D. Students
          • Financial Aid for Undocumented J.D. Students
          • Legal Resident Information
        • Types of Aid
          • Scholarships
          • Loans
          • Work-Study
          • Native American Opportunity Plan
          • Resources For Bar Related Expenses
        • How to Apply
          • Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Entering Students
          • Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Continuing Students
          • Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Incoming Transfer Students
        • Fees & Cost of Attendance
          • Cost of Attendance Adjustments
        • PDST-Increase Offset Awards (PIOAs)
        • Forms
        • Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)
          • LRAP Eligibility Guidelines
          • LRAP Eligibility Calculator
          • How to Apply for LRAP
          • LRAP Forms
          • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
          • News & Updates
          • LRAP & PSLF Testimonials
          • LRAP FAQs
        • Info Sessions & Presentations
        • Financial Literacy
        • Financial Aid – J.D. Concurrent Degree Programs
        • FAQ & Glossary
        • Requesting a Financial Aid Award for a Student
        • About Our Team
      • Outreach Partnerships
      • Admitted Students – First-Year »
      • Admitted Students – Transfer & Visitor Status »
      • For Current Berkeley Law Students
      • Admissions Policies
      • ABA Required Disclosures »
      • Our Role in Dismantling Systemic Racism
    • LL.M. Admissions
    • J.S.D. Admissions
    • Ph.D. (JSP) Admissions
    • Visiting Scholar and Visiting Student Researcher Admissions
    • Faculty & Research Home
    • Faculty Experts by Topic
    • Faculty Profiles
    • Deans Emeritus Lecturers
    • Recent Faculty Scholarship
    • Awards and Honors
    • Faculty on Social Media
    • Faculty in the News
    • Featured Research
    • Centers, Institutes & Initiatives
    • Experiential Home
    • Clinical Program
      • Apply to the Clinics
      • Death Penalty Clinic
        • About the Clinic
          • Faculty and Staff
          • Alumni
        • Clinic News
        • Projects and Cases
          • Death Penalty Clinic Amicus Curiae Briefs
          • Whitewashing the Jury Box: How California Perpetuates the Discriminatory Exclusion of Black and Latinx Jurors
        • Information for Students
        • Resources and Publications
          • Capital Defense Internships and Jobs
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • East Bay Community Law Center
      • Environmental Law Clinic
        • About the Clinic
        • Information for Students
        • Newsletters
        • Clinic News
        • Student Voices
        • Faculty and Staff
        • Alumni
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • International Human Rights Law Clinic
        • About the Clinic
          • Alumni
          • Faculty and Staff
        • Clinic News
        • Projects and Cases
          • Accountability and Transitional Justice
          • Promoting Human Rights in the United States
          • A Rights-Based Approach to Combating Poverty: Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
          • Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights
        • Family Members of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas vs. United States
        • Independent Investigation of the Murder of Berta Cáceres
        • Living with Impunity: Unsolved Murders in Oakland and the Human Rights Impact on Victims’ Family Members
        • A New Border Vision
        • Who Will Be Left to Defend Human Rights? Persecution of Online Expression in the Gulf and Neighboring Countries
        • Resources and Publications by Focal Area
        • Information for Students
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • New Business Community Law Clinic
        • About the Clinic
        • Information for Students
        • Our Work
        • Services to California’s Central Valley
        • New Businesses
        • Events
        • Apply for Services
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • Policy Advocacy Clinic
        • About Us
        • People
          • Georgia Valentine
        • Clinic News
        • Juvenile Fee Abolition in California
          • COVID-19 Action on Juvenile Fees
        • Resources and Publications
        • Information for Students
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic
        • About
          • Faculty and Staff
          • Clinic Alumni
          • Partners
        • Clinic News
        • Our Work
        • Information for Students
        • Access Reports
      • Clinical Program Annual Report
        • Annual Report Archive
      • The Brian M. Sax Prize for Excellence in Clinical Advocacy
        • Brian M. Sax
        • Recipients
    • Pro Bono Program
      • The Pro Bono Pledge
        • Definition of Pro Bono
      • Log Your Pro Bono Hours
        • Definition of Pro Bono
      • Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS)
        • How to Apply
        • Current Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects
          • Animal Law and Advocacy
          • Arts and Innovation Representation
          • Berkeley Immigration Group
          • Berkeley Law Anti-Trafficking Project
          • Berkeley Law and Organizing Collective
          • California Asylum Representation Clinic
          • Clean Energy Leaders In Law
          • Community Defense Project
          • Consumer Protection Public Policy Order
          • Contra Costa Reentry Project
          • Digital Rights Project
          • Disability Rights Project
          • Drug Policy, Education, and Decriminalization Project
          • East Bay Dreamers Project
          • Environmental Conservation Outreach
          • Family Defense Project
          • Food Justice Project
          • Foster Education Project
          • Free The Land Project
          • Gun Violence Prevention Project
          • Homelessness Service Project
          • International Human Rights Workshop
          • International Refugee Assistance Project
          • La Alianza Workers’ and Tenants’ Rights Clinic
          • Legal Automation Workshop
          • Legal Obstacles Veterans Encounter
          • Name and Gender Change Workshop
          • Native American Legal Assistance Project
          • Palestine Advocacy Legal Assistance Project
          • Police Review Project
          • Political and Election Empowerment Project
          • Post-Conviction Advocacy Project
          • Queer Justice Project
          • Reentry Advocacy Project
          • Reproductive Justice Project
          • Startup Law Initiative
          • Survivor Advocacy Project
          • Tenants’ Rights Workshop
          • Workers’ Rights Clinic
          • Youth Advocacy Project
        • How to Start a New SLP
        • Inactive Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects
          • AI Legal Workshop
          • Berkeley Abolitionist Lawyering Project
          • Berkeley Immigration Law Clinic
          • Berkeley Students in Support of Arts and Innovation
          • Civil Rights Outreach Project (CROP)
          • Community Restorative Justice Project
          • Juvenile Hall Outreach
          • Karuk-Berkeley Collaborative Legal
          • Local Economies and Entrepreneurship Project
          • Prisoner Advocacy Network
          • Wage Justice Clinic
          • Workers’ Rights Disability Law Clinic
        • SLPS Champions
      • Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST)
        • Current Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST)
          • Alaska
          • Atlanta
          • Central Valley
          • Kentucky
          • Hawai’i
          • Mississippi
          • U.S./Mexico Border
        • Inactive Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips
          • Los Angeles
          • South Texas
          • Tijuana
      • Call for Necessary Engagement in Community & Timely Response (CNECT)
        • Berkeley Law Afghanistan Project
        • Current & Past CNECT Partners
          • Hub for Equity in Administrative Representation
          • Racial Justice Legal Research Bank Project
        • CNECT News
      • Independent Projects
      • Opportunities for LL.M. Students
      • Supervising Attorneys
      • Pro Bono Spotlights
        • Drug Policy, Education, and Decriminalization (DECrim) Project
        • Caity Lynch, JD ’25
        • Berkeley Immigration Group SLP Supervising Attorneys
        • Family Defense Project
        • Gabby Cirelli, JD ’24
        • Brooke D’Amore Bradley, JD ’23
        • Taiya Tkachuk, ’24
        • Emily Chuah ’24
        • Malak Afaneh ’24
        • KeAndra Hollis ’24
        • Maripau Paz ’24
        • Lucero Cordova ’23
        • Bharti Tyagi ’21
        • Benji Martinez ’23
        • Will Morrow ’23
        • Stephanie Clemente ’23
        • Francesco Arreaga ’21
        • Armbien Sabillo ’21
        • Kelsey Peden ’21
        • Jennifer Sherman ‘22
        • Professor Khiara M. Bridges
        • Professor Kristen Holmquist
      • Awards
      • Law Firm Pro Bono Programs
      • New York Bar Pro Bono Requirement
      • For Public Interest & Pro Bono Providers
    • Professional Skills Program
      • Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing Program
      • Elective Skills Courses
    • Advocacy Competitions Program
      • Eligibility by Class Year
      • Internal Competitions
        • McBaine Honors Moot Court
          • 2024 McBaine Competition
          • Previous Years’ McBaine Competitions
          • Past McBaine Winners
          • McBaine — Frequently Asked Questions
          • Helpful Materials
        • Halloum Negotiations Competition (Spring)
          • Competition FAQ
          • Previous Winners
        • Halloum Business Competition (Fall)
        • Bales Trial Competition
        • Pahlke Internal Trial Competition (PINT)
      • External Competitions (BOA)
        • BOA Tryouts
        • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Team
        • Moot Court Team
        • Tech & IP Team
        • Trial Team
      • Competition Videos
    • Field Placement Program
      • Testimonials
      • How to Apply
      • Judicial Externships
      • Civil Field Placements
      • Criminal Field Placements
      • Away Field Placements
        • Berkeley Law in The Hague
        • INHR Program
        • UCDC Law Program
      • For Supervisors and Host Organizations
        • BACE: Bay Area Consortium on Externships
      • Administrative Rules
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Startup@BerkeleyLaw
      • Law Students
      • Entrepreneurs
        • How to Start a Startup @ Cal
        • FORM+FUND
        • Startup Law Initiative
      • Investors
    • Domestic Violence Field Placement
      • About the Director
      • How to Apply
      • Companion Seminar
      • History & Impact
    • Veterans Law Practicum
    • Careers Home
    • For J.D. Students
      • Appointments and Drop-in Hours
      • Private Sector Careers
        • Explore Private Sector Careers
        • Find Private Sector Jobs
          • 2023 OCI: EIW & FIP
          • OCI Alternatives
          • SIP – Spring 2023
      • Public Interest Careers
        • Explore Public Interest
          • Public Interest/Public Sector Employer Events & Resources
        • Find Public Interest Jobs
          • PI/PS Interviewing Resources
          • Using Interview Programs to Land Your 1L Summer Job
          • Post-Graduate Public Interest Fellowships
          • PI/PS Job Search Videos
        • Finance Your Public Interest Career
          • Summer Funding for PI/PS Internships & Judicial Externships
          • Berkeley Law Bridge and Public Interest Fellowships
      • Public Sector Careers
        • Federal Government Careers
        • State & Local Government Careers (incl. CA)
        • Careers in Policy/Politics
      • Judicial Clerkships
        • Application Instructions & Resources
        • Clerkship and Interview Evaluations
        • Videos of Clerkship Programs
      • Judicial Externships
      • Academic Careers
        • FAQ
        • Further Reading
        • Alumni Contacts
        • Links
        • Webcasts
      • Alternative Careers
    • For LL.M. Students
    • For Employers
      • Berkeley Law Recruiting Policies
      • Employer Resources for Virtual Internship Programs
      • Non Discrimination and Non Harassment Policies
      • Grading Policy
      • Interview Programs
      • Posting Job Listings
      • Reaching Berkeley Law J.D. Students
    • PSJD »
    • For Alumni
      • For Recent Graduate Job-Seekers
      • Enrichment Opportunities for Recent Grads
      • Executive Education
      • CDO Online Resources
      • Alumni Resource Collection
      • Help the CDO
    • About CDO
      • CDO Staff News
    • Career Resource Library
    • Employment Outcomes
      • Employment Statistics
      • Judicial Clerkship Placement Statistics
  • Racial Justice
Home Articles News Spring Break Alternative Service Trips Build Skills, Cement Student Bonds

Spring Break Alternative Service Trips Build Skills, Cement Student Bonds

Students standing in front of mural with hand and messages of justice
BLAST Atlanta students Shahmeer Ahmad ’25, co-leader Ariane Walter ’24, Lorena Ortega-Guerrero ’25, Ella Maiden LL.M. ’23, Tayyaba Riaz ’25, Anya Mansoor ’25, Gaurav Lalsinghani ’25, Dominick Williams ’25, and Kendrick Peterson ’24 (front) at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights during their trip.
  • Share article on Facebook
  • Share article on Twitter
  • Share article on LinkedIn
  • Email article

By Gwyneth K. Shaw

Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST) give students a prime chance to get out of the classroom and gain hands-on legal experience all over the country. Intensity is a hallmark of the trips — both at work and at play. 

Kendrick Peterson ’24, who co-led this year’s Atlanta trip, says his experience expanded the circle of students he feels in community with. That closeness lasts far beyond the return flight, he says. 

“We have a team of 10 students that cover multiple countries, multiple areas and practice specialties, multiple passions, and they all have the ability to sustain and do that work,” he says. “Since we’ve come back to campus, we still have a group chat and we talk a lot about how our work impacted those communities in Atlanta, but also how our different focuses can impact individuals moving forward. 

“The biggest thing that I took away from this trip is that community that I built with students who I otherwise would not have ever interacted with.”

BLAST is part of the school’s Pro Bono Program, which also includes 40 Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects, and Call for Necessary Engagement in Community & Timely Response, which pairs students with community partners to help meet urgent needs. Students log thousands of collective pro bono work hours each year, and repeatedly call the program integral to their student experience. 

The Pro Bono Program funds BLAST trips to ensure they’re accessible to all students. Each group is co-led by two students, who build and maintain relationships with the supervising attorneys they work with as well as handling travel logistics and helping to foster the relationship between students. 

“These students invest their time and their hearts into this service learning experience,” says Deborah Schlosberg, Director of the Pro Bono Program. “The lessons they learn in BLAST stay with them long after the week of work and the skills they build, both legal and leadership, will serve them well as they continue at the law school and as attorneys in the future.”

Ami Shirriff ’24 took her second BLAST trip this spring. After spending time in her home state of Hawai‘i as a 1L, she co-led the trip to Alaska with classmate and Alaska native Drake Goodson. 

“BLAST is a great way to apply what you’ve learned in law school to the real world,” she says. “I have loved being able to get to know wonderful organizations in Hawai’i and Alaska and building community. Being able to see how the work we do in law school translates to focus areas I’m passionate about is motivating as well. 

“We also spend time during the week meeting with various organizations and attorneys, which is really helpful in trying to figure out where you want to work after graduation.”

Here’s what this year’s BLAST students tackled: 

Atlanta

Students in a row leaning on Civil Rights sign
BLAST Atlanta students mixed challenging legal work with cultural education and off-hours fun and exploration.

This group, which affectionately dubbed the trip “BLASTlanta,” worked with Atlanta Volunteer Legal Foundation’s Safe & Stable Families Project and Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), doing real-time advocacy at the most elemental level: helping victims of domestic violence get restraining orders and helping children avoid deportation. 

“That is direct, and it speaks to our objective, which is not voluntourism or to try and make us feel good,” Peterson says. “Our objective is to try and help and sustain as many people as possible as quickly as possible in the week that we have within Atlanta.” 

The combination of intense legal work and personal bonding means students have to switch modes quickly, he adds, but that also builds a skill set wholly different from what they’ve been learning in law school. 

“We’ll be at the Waffle House or the aquarium and then we’re writing restraining orders and helping children,” Peterson says. “You have to be able to protect yourself, protect your mental health, protect your value, and be sure you can sustain yourself — but also do the important work that can change someone’s life. And you have to be able to go in every day and every hour and be able to oscillate between those two realities.” 

Alaska

Students under the Solicitor General sign
BLAST Alaska students (Back row) Blythe Brauer LL.M. ’23, Ellie Rubenstein ’25, Geoffrey Bacon ’23 (far right). (Front row) Leila Hooshyar ’25, Rachel Lee ’25, Daija Chambers ’25, Ami Shirriff ’24, and Drake Goodson ’24.

Half the group worked with the Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG) to address important legal needs in several areas, including consumer justice and environmental justice. The other half worked with the First Alaskans Institute to support Alaska Natives through indigenous sovereignty research and environmental and resource issues. 

Shirriff says she was excited to help Goodson bring a group of students to his native state and loved working with AKPIRG. 

“Our supervising attorney, Alyssa, was so kind and helpful,” she says. “It was incredible getting to know her and the work AKPIRG does, along with getting to meet with other attorneys in Anchorage doing meaningful environmental justice work.”

Students were also able to mingle with Berkeley Law alums at an evening event, and enjoyed leisure activities like hiking to Portage Glacier, visiting the Anchorage Museum and Alaska Native Heritage Center, and group dinners. 

California’s Central Valley

Students smiling in front of Central Cal Legal Services buildling
Dilraj Singh ’25, Alyssa Meurer ’24, Emily Hunt ’24, and Greg Margida ’24 traveled to California’s Central Valley, where there aren’t enough attorneys to serve the people.

This part of the state is drastically underserved by legal practitioners and is an annual BLAST destination — part of Berkeley’s Law mission as a public law school. As part of the larger effort to bring critical legal help to a large and underserved population, one group of students worked with Central California Legal Services in two areas: staffing a domestic violence clinic and a clinic for incarcerated folks re-entering the community, and conducting research on housing rights with natural disasters and working on “know your rights” materials for the community. 

Another group worked with the local KIND chapter, researching immigration laws and helping to file asylum applications for children living in the area.

Students say their supervising attorneys did a great job preparing them for the work, empowered them as a team, and offered great feedback. And the work itself was hugely rewarding. 

“BLAST Central Valley reaffirmed my passion of working with a community organization that does immigration advocacy and desire to work with a group that truly helps clients holistically,” Alyssa Young ’25 says.

Hawai‘i

Students working in field
BLAST Hawai‘i members (Back row) Jamie Floyd ’25, Washakie Tibbetts ’25, (Middle row) Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation Litigation Director Kirsha Durante, Kaleinani Nallira ’24, Bailey Malveaux ’25, (Front, facing away from camera) Tatiana Bedi ’25.

Working under the supervision of the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i, students provided direct client services. Through the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC), they did legal research on cases affecting Native Hawaiian cultural and land rights. In the months leading up to the trip, students focused on Hawai‘i’s history and culture and emphasized the anti-colonial approach to human-centered pro bono work. 

Kaleinani Nallira ’24 chose the location to pay homage to her Native Hawaiian roots — an imperative passed down from her grandmother. Working with supervising attorneys from the same background was her favorite part of the experience. 

“Seeing this representation is so special, and feeling so welcomed and embraced the moment I stepped into NHLC’s office made me forever grateful to the amazing NHLC attorneys and staff,” she says. “Each day, someone from the office would take time out of their day to engage in a cultural activity with us, such as lei making, explaining the significance of the activity, while inviting us to participate in it too. 

“I am honored to have worked with NHLC and take part in the amazing work they do for the Native Hawaiian community.”

U.S.-Mexico Border/Tucson, Arizona

Four students in the desert surrounded by cacti
Jocelyn Gomez ’24, Meredith Sullivan ’25, LiHsing Hsu ’23, and Megan Noor ’24 enjoying the desert landscape in Tucson.

This group worked with the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which provides free legal and social services to detained adults and children threatened with deportation. Students visited the physical border, which is just an hour’s drive from Tucson, including the 30-foot fence at the border crossing into Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. 

Mississippi

Students smiling in a group
Mississippi BLAST students Ridhima Saxena ’23, Hope Gardner ’24, Jack Malsin ’24, Cameron Brown ’24, Niki Kates ’25,Liz Mooring ’25, Leia Walker ’25, Ortal Isaac ’25, Sophie Lomabardo ’24, and Lily Braunstein ’25.

Students worked with the University of Mississippi Law School’s MacArthur Justice Center under the supervision of Professor Cliff Johnson, who leads the center and its litigation efforts. 

A lasting impact

For Peterson, BLAST is the perfect complement to coursework. 

“In law school, we really focus on things like civil procedure, contracts, and other doctrinal law,” he says. “Quite easily, you lose the feeling and the empathy that you’re supposed to extend to the people we’re talking about. In cases, the people are lost almost immediately. BLAST really fixates on the individuals who are impacted by the law quite directly.”

He recalled the old adage, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu.” As a Black man, Peterson says he sometimes sees his community reflected in the subject of a case in class. His BLAST work reversed that equation.  

“It’s a very, very different situation to be in a position of power, and then utilizing that power to assist and help people who look and sound like me who could benefit from the things that I’ve learned,” he says. “When you do BLAST, and you do the substantive legal aid and research work, you have a seat at the table. 

“And now you have enabled us to dictate what is ordered from that menu — to find a way to stop marginalizing communities that are in danger of being on the plate right now.” 

Like Peterson, Nallira values the personal connections forged during the program. 

“During my first semester of law school, finding community was harder than I expected. Even with mods, I had difficulty finding close friends,” she says. “Through BLAST, not only did I find close friends, I found family. I felt truly accepted by my amazing BLAST team.” 

“The BLAST program is a special, caring, and genuine space where students can find their place and find others who are just as passionate about serving underrepresented communities.”

04/27/2023
Topics: Diversity, Experiential, Public Mission, Racial Justice, Social Justice and Public Interest, Student News

News

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
    • Berkeley Law COVID-19 Protocols
    • Event, Catering and Food Policy
  • Transcript Magazine
    • Transcript Archive
      • Transcript Spring 2021 Online Edition
      • Transcript Fall 2020 Online Edition
      • Transcript Spring 2020 Online Edition
      • Transcript Fall 2019 Online Edition
      • Transcript Spring 2019 Online Edition
      • Transcript Fall 2018 Online Edition
      • Transcript Spring 2018 Online Edition
      • Transcript 2017 Online Edition
      • Transcript 2016 Online Edition
  • Podcasts
  • On Display
  • Media Highlights
  • News Archive
    • 2023 Archive
    • 2022 Archive
    • 2021 Archive
    • 2020 Archive
    • 2019 Archive
    • 2018 Archive
    • 2017 Archive
    • 2016 Archive
    • 2015 Archive
    • 2014 Archive
    • 2013 Archive
    • 2012 Archive
    • 2011 Archive
    • 2010 Archive
    • 2009 Archive
    • 2008 Archive
    • 2007 Archive
    • 2006 Archive
    • 2005 Archive
    • News Briefs
    • Alumni Newsletter
  • Trailblazing Women
  • Social Media
  • Communications Office
    • Identity Resources
      • Ordering Printed Supplies
    • Media Release Form
  • Law School Images »
Berkeley Law
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • About
  • Getting Here
  • Contact Us
  • Job Openings
  • ABA Required Disclosures
  • Feedback
  • For Employers
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Privacy Policy
  • UC Berkeley

© 2023 UC Regents, UC Berkeley School of Law, All Rights Reserved.