3L Caitlyn Twyman talks about her experiences that led to an interest in immigration law and her recent acceptance to the Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program as a judicial law clerk for the Dallas Immigration Court.

My journey to law school was not one that started when I was eight years old. I was never the girl who stood up on Career Day as a kid and proudly proclaimed that one day I would be an attorney. The year before coming to law school I worked with a non-profit organization that provided a full range of assistance to victims of human trafficking. I loved it. But through that experience, and seeing some of the needs of the women we worked with, I came to realize what a powerful tool a law degree could be to address the needs of the underserved. I came to law school knowing that I wanted to use my degree to advocate for those who could not do so for themselves.

In January of 2012, I began working at the Immigrant Rights Project as a legal intern under the direction of Professor Elizabeth McCormick. My work included primary representation of crime victims by preparing immigration petitions on their behalf. After a just a few weeks I knew that I had found my niche. I enjoy the humanity of immigration law- of walking with young men and women and families through the immigration process. I have loved the intellectual challenge of winding my way through the immigration statutes and their application to each client. My work at the clinic also taught me how to better collaborate with experts, law enforcement, and social services agencies. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

As a result of my positive experience at the Immigrant Rights Project, I applied for and was recently accepted into the 2013 Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program as a judicial law clerk for the Dallas Immigration Court, which is part of the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). I am incredibly honored to be given this opportunity to continue to learn more about a field I have grown to love and that will equip me with the tools I need for a future serving the immigrant community.