client stories escaping abuse continued from page 3 or prosecution of the crime perpetrated against them. This fall, one of the MLP Clinic’s law students sought U-Visa certification in Lourdes’ case from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. Not only did they agree to provide the certification, the head of the department said he was so impressed by the MLP model and the effort put into the certification request that he is going to give the MLP Clinic a presumption of certification on all future applications. The MLP Clinic is finalizing and preparing to submit Lourdes’ U-Visa application now. If it is approved, she and her children will be eligible for legal immigrant status and work authorization, allowing Lourdes the ability to support her family so that she can remain independent from her abuser.
hoping for the best, preparing for the worst continued from page 3 Lydia is relieved to know that if her health continues to deteriorate, caring individuals in her life will have the authority to make health care and financial decisions on her behalf and on behalf of her daughter. As one of the law students noted this fall, “When a client decides to use our clinic for an end-of-life issue, it is often because they are facing health problems that are, or could easily be, terminal. In a very short time frame, our clinic can draw up the necessary documents to decide the future course of a client’s health care. The real control over health care decisions is extremely valuable, but the more intangible control our clients gain by eliminating the stress of the unknown is equally important. With all of the legal areas we work in, reducing stress is one of the most significant, and yet probably unrecognized, ways legal work can impact health.”
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LOOKING AHEAD spring semester 2013 This spring, the MLP Clinic students will be participating in the Kansas Conference on Slavery and Human Trafficking, where they will engage in an advocacy working group to discuss solutions to this problem.
human trafficking is something that occurs here in the United States, and I believe if more people were aware of its prevalence here in the United States, the occurrence of human trafficking could be prevented.”
In preparation for this conference, one MLP Clinic student noted, “When I hear people talk about human trafficking issues, it is easy to think that it is something that only happens in third-world countries. However,
The upcoming semester will focus on policy and advocacy work that the MLP Clinic can do to identify and assist victims of human trafficking and to help prevent the practice in the future.
spring events jan 31 - feb 1
feb 26
Kansas Conference on Slavery and Human Trafficking
Law School Clinic Information Session 12:30-1:20, 104 Green Hall
feb 7
april 11 - 12
MLP Clinic Information Session 12:30-1:30, 107 Green Hall
National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership Annual Summit, Bethesda, Maryland
MLP CONNECTION | KU LAW | FALL 2012