Student spotlight: Immigration Law Clinic experience paves the way to first job
Cerena Ibara-Cech is a third-year student at The University of Akron School of Law who will be beginning her law career as an associate attorney at Benos & Larson, an immigration law firm in the Cleveland suburb of Independence. She is from Warren, Ohio, and earned her B.A. in English at The Ohio State University.
Here is what she had to say about her experience at Akron Law:
Cerena Ibara-Cech
As an immigration attorney at Benos & Larson, I will practice before the Cleveland Immigration Court and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) representing clients in asylum cases, helping them with the process of becoming permanent residents or citizens, and defending them from deportation.
My time at Akron Law has been instrumental in helping me find my passion for immigration law. The summer after my 1L year, I decided to explore some elective courses. I knew I wanted to explore public interest when I applied to law school and, given that immigration was suddenly all over the news, I decided to take the immigration summer primer clinic.
For our very first class, we met at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (NEOCC) in Youngstown, which is a private, for-profit prison that houses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees. That first class was one of the most intimidating situations I’ve found myself in during law school. None of our clients spoke English, the prison setting was very uncomfortable, and I was learning about a complex area of the law that was unlike anything I’d encountered so far in law school.
Since that first day, I’ve taken two more semesters of the Immigration Clinic, representing multiple clients before both the Immigration Court and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Under the incredibly helpful and knowledgeable supervision of Professor Elizabeth Knowles, I’ve gained so much experience that I’m confident of the advocacy I’ll be able to provide when I begin to appear in court on my own. I’ve also found many other classes offered at Akron helpful, such as administration of criminal justice, asylum law, and immigration law.
During school, I interned with both the International Institute in Akron, focusing on a pro bono project for ICE detainees at NEOCC, and at the Cleveland Immigration Court, writing decisions for five judges. My time at the court was particularly helpful, as it also allowed me build relationships with the people at the court that I will be appearing in once I’m licensed.
My experiences at Akron Law have allowed me to find an area of law that I enjoy being a part of. Immigration is such a worthwhile field to work in, as many clients need effective, intelligent counsel. In some cases, it can quite honestly be the difference between life and death. Akron has trained me to be ready to rise to the demand in the field and hopefully make a positive impact.
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