USD Law Legal Clinics

The University of San Diego (USD) School of Law is proud to announce that The National Jurist has awarded USD Law an A+ for practical training, recognizing it as one of the country’s leading hands-on programs preparing students for real-world practice.

In this episode of At the Edge of It All, we explore the impact of USD School of Law’s Civil Clinic with supervising attorney Joe Villaseñor and alum Ian Pike.

SAN DIEGO (January 6, 2026) – Three members of the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law community have been named to the Association of American Law Schools’ (AALS) 2025 Pro Bono Honor Roll .  The Honor Roll highlights faculty, staff, and students who advance their law school’s delivery of free legal services. For AALS, “pro bono” means work that is legal in nature, performed without pay or academic credit, supervised by a licensed attorney, and provided to underserved communities facing barriers to justice. Congratulations to: Rosario Galindo, Administrative Support Specialist, Staff Award Logan Quessenberry, 3L, Student Award Maria Tapia-Hernandez, Adjunct Professor of Law, Faculty Award Galindo has worked with the USD Legal Clinics for seven years, advancing from a part-time temporary role to a full-time administrative support specialist. She manages day-to-day operations, including office processes, event coordination, cross-campus communication, while providing direct assistance to the Federal Tax Clinic and the Women’s Legal Clinic. As the first point of contact, she intakes callers and community members through and connects them with appropriate resources. “Receiving this pro bono award is deeply meaningful to me, and I’m very grateful for the recognition,” Galindo remarked. “I’m fortunate to work alongside dedicated attorneys, paralegals, staff, and law students who serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community with care and commitment. The effort behind every case reflects genuine dedication, and the opportunity to support this work and contribute to meaningful progress for our clients is what makes it so rewarding. On the best days, we see life-changing results, such as securing long-term protection from an abusive ex-partner, recovering long-denied benefits, or seeing the IRS concede a Tax Court case.” Quessenberry, a 3L law student and the USD Law Student Bar Association president, has completed two semesters in USD’s Immigration Legal Clinic, where he prepared adjustment-of-status filings and handled U visa matters for crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement. He also contributed to a successful asylum defense and will return next semester. The Immigration Legal Clinic provides free services to clients and their families, including work authorization, naturalization, derivative citizenship, U visas, and relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  Quessenberry noted, “The ability to provide services that help people while learning how to interact with clients and work with real humans with real problems is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had as a person, let alone as a law student. Working with Professor Tammy Lin at the Immigration Legal Clinic and the work we have accomplished is what I am most proud of in my two and a half years at USD Law.” Tapia-Hernandez, an adjunct professor of law, supervises USD School of Law’s Workers’ Rights Clinic in partnership with Legal Aid at Work (LAAW). Through the clinic and LAAW’s Community Legal Services Program, law students assist low-wage workers with employment law issues, including unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, medical leave, and unemployment benefits. She previously served as a fellow with LAAW’s Project SURVIVE, which advocates for the workplace rights of survivors of violence, and she has extensive immigration experience aiding immigrants seeking relief from removal and release from ICE custody. “Watching students grow from classroom learning to confidently advocating for real clients is incredibly rewarding. Their dedication is a powerful reminder that clinical education is not only about developing skilled lawyers, but also about instilling a lifelong commitment to equity, service, and access to justice. The students and clinic staff are truly the backbone of the clinic’s success, and this work would not be possible without the invaluable support of Sarah Jaimes, Analisa Hernandez, Rosario Galindo, and Eric Austin,” Tapia-Hernandez stated.

SAN DIEGO (December 10, 2025) – The University of San Diego (USD) School of Law shined brightly at Lawyers Club of San Diego’s 25th annual Fund for Justice Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 20 where, once again, the Women’s Clinic was honored to be a recipient of a Fund for Justice grant from Lawyers Club of San Diego. Levin said, "The Women's Legal Clinic is a proud recipient of the Lawyers Club Fund for Justice award. This grant allows us to continue our critical work providing legal services to low-income family law litigants, including domestic violence and human trafficking survivors. This grant also provides that USD Law Students continue to have the opportunity to gain real world legal experience while helping clients who would otherwise not have access to justice or legal representation. We are grateful to the Lawyers Club for their generosity, support and recognition.” The USD Law Women’s Clinic meets the legal needs of women, men, and families who are the victims of human trafficking and others by helping with domestic violence restraining orders, child custody and guardianship matters, and dissolution cases.