Our Mission
The mission of the Survivor Clinic is to provide client-centered and trauma-informed legal representation to people experiencing (or at risk of experiencing) traumatic violence. Traumatic violence may include intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, and/or state violence. We represent individuals seeking protection orders, name changes, and record sealing. We also represent incarcerated clients in initial parole hearings and clemency and pardon proceedings. We also teach legal education classes to women in the Clark County Detention Center’s SOAR Program. The purpose of the clinic is to engage in high-quality legal work and, in so doing, to develop insights into justice and what it means to engage in the practice of law.
The Survivor Representation & Advocacy Clinic is dedicated to offering no-cost legal assistance to survivors and those at risk of traumatic violence. We collaborate with the following partners to engage and connect with the local community:
- Clark County Family Court
- SafeNest
- Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
- Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty
- ACLU of Nevada
- The Care Center- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Clark County Detention Center's SOAR Program
Student Spotlights
“A highlight of my clinic experience was the Parole Project that my classmate, Ciara Clark, and I developed under Professor Cross’s guidance during our first semester. Since there is no right to free legal representation in parole hearings, we sought to create a way to assist individuals at Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center and Jean Conservation Camp with their parole hearings at no cost.
We developed this project from scratch–learning about the parole process in Nevada and identifying ways to support those in need. That semester, we represented four individuals in their parole hearings, advocating for their release before the Nevada Parole Board. It was incredibly rewarding to work closely with our clients, their families, and supporters to ensure a successful reintegration into the community.
As advanced students returning for a second semester, Ciara and I continued representing more clients in parole hearings. I am proud to say that all of our clients have been granted parole.”
Toree Robinson (‘25)
“My clinic partner, Toree Robinson, and I were fortunate enough to create the Parole Project within the clinic under the guidance of Professor Cross. This project focused on representing parole-eligible individuals at their initial hearings. I loved working with our clients, getting to know them, and supporting them through the preparation process.
Through the Parole Project I was able to represent a man at his initial parole hearing who was granted Clemency by the Nevada Pardons Board. He had been incarcerated for over 34 years. He thought he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison, so preparing him to be granted parole was a surreal experience that I am so grateful to have been a part of.
Every law student, regardless of their planned specialty, can benefit from direct client interaction and real-world impact offered by clinical education. The work you do in the clinic is a small drop that creates a positive ripple effect in the community.”
Ciara Clark (‘25)
“I loved representing clients in court and providing them with trauma informed assistance during a frightening and unfair time for them. The most valuable aspect of the clinic was seeing how much strength and self-love they gained throughout their case. I plan to carry the knowledge of trauma informed lawyering throughout every aspect of my career and my life.”