A Leap of Faith

BY SHARINE XUAN J.D. ’21

Although Santa Clara University wasn’t my first choice for law school, I quickly realized that sometimes life has a way of guiding us to where we truly belong.

My last job before attending law school was working for a finance company as a business development associate. I had never even heard of Santa Clara University until the company sent me to work in Santa Cruz for two weeks. I was scheduled to go home early on Saturday morning, and my hotel was right next to the San Jose airport. On a whim, I decided to drive down to check out Santa Clara Law (I googled “law schools near me”) at 4:30 pm on a Friday afternoon.

I walked into the now-defunct Bannan Hall at 4:45 pm and was surprised when I was not only greeted by a live human being in the Admissions Office (Annemarie Scott), but Assistant Dean Bryan Hinkle actually welcomed me into his office. He stayed late speaking with me—a potential student that did not have an appointment and had never reached out before that day—until close to 6:00 pm on a Friday. That was my first sign that things are different at Santa Clara Law.

I went to law school with the goal of helping the less fortunate. While I acknowledge that there are many other stellar law schools in the country and excellent social justice programs, I do not believe that I would have received the same level of support in pursuing my aspirations and ventures from the faculty and the institution as I did at SCU.

As a 2L, I convinced Professor Emeritus Ellen Kreitzberg to help me establish a criminal record clearance clinic at SCU. Professor Kreitzberg connected me with resources and experts in this area of law, and we successfully established a volunteerrun clinic in 2019. The clinic was then offered as a one-unit course in 2020, taught by Santa Clara County Public Defenders Meghan Piano and Jake Rhodes.

In 2020, I drafted and sponsored SB1045, a senate bill that proposed to seal records of dismissed convictions. The bill was introduced by Senator Steven Bradford, but unfortunately did not make it to a vote due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My work on this issue would not have been possible without the support of Professor David Ball, Professor Melissa O’Connell, and a team of nearly 20 students that volunteered to conduct outreach, gather support, and research relevant issues.

I graduated from Santa Clara Law in 2021 with honors and a Public Interest and Social Justice Law Certificate. In my last semester, I took a wild leap of faith and founded Elevate Community Center (“Elevate”), a 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial literacy education and legal services to lowincome individuals in Santa Clara County and surrounding areas.

Creating and working at Elevate has literally been a dream come true for me. When I was applying to law school, I never imagined that I would be able to work in a field that I am so passionate about, making a tangible and meaningful impact each day in the lives of the underprivileged, all while being surrounded by a remarkable team of intelligent, driven, and like-minded professionals who share a common purpose.

At Elevate, we offer a range of legal services to low-income individuals, including criminal record clearance, domestic violence/family law, landlord/tenant disputes, legal services for small businesses, and general civil litigation. Since its inception in 2021, Elevate has provided legal services to over 600 individuals and currently receives an estimated 450 legal service requests per year. We not only provide advising and limited-scope services, but also provide full-service representation in complex matters such as enforcement of restraining orders, requests for child and spousal support, elder abuse, and wrongful eviction. Our work is driven by the belief that everyone deserves equal access to justice, regardless of their income or social status.

Our team is made up of predominantly Santa Clara Law alumni and current students. Our pro bono panel also has a high percentage of Santa Clara Law graduates. This is not by design, but likely as a consequence of the extensive presence and dynamic network of Santa Clara Law graduates thriving within the Bay Area.

Today, I still speak to my Santa Clara Law professors regularly. Professors Ellen Kreitzberg, Thiadora Pina, and Scott Maurer have provided me with guidance and support since the early stages of Elevate. My experience in Santa Clara Law’s clinical courses, such as the Entrepreneur’s Law Clinic and the Litigation Skills Clinic at the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, was also crucial in developing Elevate’s programs, services, and legal framework.

Would I still be successful if I went to a different law school than Santa Clara? Yes, I’m sure I would be. However, would I enjoy such a fulfilling career, built such meaningful personal and professional relationships, and founded an organization dedicated to pursuing my passion? I’m glad I don’t know.