Interview: Spring 2020 Away Field Placement Program

Berkeley Law’s Away Field Placement Program grants J.D. students academic credit for legal work performed for a non-profit or government agency outside the Bay Area. The Robbins Collection provides financial support for students working in a country, region, or city outside the U.S. that is characterized by civil or religious law traditions and institutions. 


Alexia Diorio, JD ’20

Alexia Diorio, JD ’20

Why did you choose to apply to the Centro de los Derechos del Migrante?

I applied to Centro de los Derechos del Migrante (CDM) for a semester externship because I wanted to learn more about the issues migrant workers face and improve my Spanish skills. I was of course also excited about the possibility of living in Mexico City. I came to law school most interested in workers’ rights, especially issues like wage theft, and continued to focus on that area in law school. The work that CDM does was right in line with my legal and career interests. Additionally, the opportunity to practice Spanish in an immersion setting was invaluable, and living in Mexico City was amazing.

 

What was a typical work day like?

Most days at CDM involve legal research and writing, communicating with workers on the phone, and assisting with a variety of other projects such as policy efforts or community outreach. On a typical day I might follow-up with a worker I spoke to previously to better understand the facts of what happened at work, and conduct some legal research to determine their potential claims. One day a week I was assigned to answer phones and conduct intakes with workers, and this involved speaking to workers who may have experienced workplace abuses while working in the United States or who suspected fraud in job postings.

 

How did your placement correlate with a civil law system?

While CDM assists workers primarily with their legal rights after abuses occur in workplaces within the United States, the system of migrant work is quite complicated and involves international law as well as the laws of Mexico. Many workers face abuses, such as recruitment fraud, before they even get to the United States. I learned about how these aspects all interact, and the variety of ways to hold employers and recruiters accountable in both Mexico and the US.

 

What is something you took away from your field placement that you never would have gotten from a typical classroom?

One thing I loved about my experience at CDM was that it involved an area where different aspects of the law intersect: workers’ rights, international law (such as treaties like NAFTA), and immigration law. In law school, we often focus on these issues separately. Also, hands-on legal experience is so important in law school, and it complemented the things I had already learned in the classroom.

 

What will you be doing after graduation?

After graduation, I will clerk for Justice Steven González on the Washington State Supreme Court for one year. I hope to work in direct legal services after that.

 

 Do you have any advice to give to current J.D. students?

Even though there is a lot of pressure to specialize and stick to your chosen legal track in law school, don’t be afraid to be open to new ideas and opportunities. I had no idea prior to law school that an away placement was a possibility, and I could not have imagined that I would spend a semester in Mexico City. I’m so happy I found out about it from another student and had the opportunity to go.

 

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience?

I was able to go on an outreach trip to San Luis Potosí to meet with workers in their home communities. This was definitely a highlight of my time in Mexico, and something I could not have easily done as a tourist. I learned so much about what workers experience and go through to work in the US, and I loved assisting with know-your-rights trainings as these help provide workers with additional tools to vindicate their legal rights.