Joyce Lopes JD/MSW '24 is the first student to work in the Criminal Defense Clinic as part of the School of Social Work's fieldwork requirement.
Joyce A. Lopes ’24 always knew she wanted to go to law school, but an undergraduate internship with the Baltimore County Public Defender’s Office revealed a missing piece to her plan.
When Lopes heard a social worker share mitigating information on the background of a juvenile being sentenced for murder, she wondered if an early intervention could have kept the defendant from reaching that point.
Lopes decided to pursue a dual degree in law and social work would give her a more complete approach to helping people. She brought that approach to UConn School of Law’s Criminal Defense Clinic this academic year.
Recognizing that clinic has many clients with mental health and social service needs, Director Anna VanCleave reached out to the School of Social Work to offer field placements to students like Lopes who are pursuing a JD and a master’s degree in social work. VanCleave believes the criminal defense field has been slow to recognize the need to adopt interdisciplinary elements in criminal defense lawyering.
“Our partnership with the School of Social Work dramatically improves our ability to serve our clients’ legal needs, and Joyce’s impact in particular has been immeasurable,” VanCleave said. “Her training and experience as a social work student help us to tell our clients’ stories to courts and prosecutors and to find resources...
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