This guest post was written by Melanie Barber, a second-year student at BC Law.

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In the fall, I participated in BC Law’s Civil Litigation: Housing Justice Clinic. I enrolled in the clinic because I was personally motivated by the work. I (like many Boston-area students) have collected my fair share of landlord horror stories and I relished the opportunity of holding landlords accountable. I also wanted to strengthen my understanding of civil procedure, which was not my strong suit when I took it as part of the 1L curriculum. Most importantly, I felt a growing obligation to use my legal education to critically consider access to justice issues.

Before our first seminar, my professor asked us to read an essay from Atul Gawande’s Complications. In this essay, titled Education of a Knife, Gawande reflects on his experience as a surgical resident learning to place a central line. He writes of his self-doubt and mistakes. It was an interesting read, but I remember thinking: what is my professor trying to suggest here? I am only a 2L trying to navigate the first few weeks of Evidence and Professional Responsibility. My professor isn’t going to throw me into a trial, right?

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