Realizing Possibilities

By: Pat McDonnell

In his dreams, Jorge “Coco” Padilla had always wanted to be an immigration lawyer. His father’s family was from Peru and, although he was born and raised in Las Vegas, helping people find greater opportunity in their journey to U.S. citizenship appealed to the William S. Boyd School of Law student.

In January 2022, he became the inaugural extern in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine’s Learn, Experience and Progress (LEAP) partnership program with Boyd, Lee Business School and the School of Public Health. By April of last year, after working four months with Peter Navarro, the medical school’s chief compliance officer, Padilla was fascinated by a new prospective career path — healthcare compliance.

“I never thought I could become the chief compliance officer one day,” said Padilla, who earned his Juris Doctorate at Boyd in 2022 and recently celebrated passing the Nevada bar. “Doing that externship made me realize that’s a possibility. Pete demystified how to get there.”

This April, the State Bar of Nevada Board of Governors approved $13,389 in grant funding to support LEAP internships, furthering the partnership and supporting an academic healthcare compliance program.

“We can utilize this group for (UNLV’s) nursing school or dental school and help them with their policies. They’ll understand regulations and how to put that into practice,” said Elaine Aromin, who created the program in January 2022.

Aromin said LEAP broadens student understanding.

Students consider, she says, “If there is any violation in policy, what happens? It’s not just a linear way of thinking. It’s more in-depth thinking.” Padilla, for example, navigated legal documents
while researching family law. “It’s helped with my writing as a litigator,” he said.

The 25-year-old is a judicial law clerk for a magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for Nevada.