When alumna Maribel Susano ’20 came to John Jay College, she knew she wanted to study the law, but she was unsure of what path in the legal profession she should take. Then she interned at the nonprofit Safe Passage Project and with the Honorable Francois Rivera, a justice of the Kings County Supreme Court. “Interning at Safe Passage and with the Honorable Francois Rivera gave me the opportunity to gain greater insight into the law. It deepened my passion for social justice and granted me firsthand knowledge of the current laws in place, especially for immigrant and underserved communities,” says Susano. “Both internship opportunities reiterated for me my desire to attend law school and become a public interest attorney one day.”

Deepening Her Passion for Justice
As a child of immigrants from Mexico, Susano, who earned her degree in Humanities and Justice and Spanish and minored in Latin American and Latinx Studies (LLS), readily understands the obstacles many immigrants face. “Being the daughter of immigrants and seeing how the language barrier prevented my parents from accessing certain services shaped my desire to want to help people. I grew up translating and interpreting for my parents, that’s why I majored in Spanish because I wanted to improve my language skills, and it’s why I want to become a lawyer. I want to be able to help Spanish-speaking clients get justice,” she says. Being a first-generation college student, made Susano purposeful in her pursuit of experiential learning opportunities while earning her degree at John Jay. During her time as an APPLE Corps student, she took advantage of the professional development opportunities the program provided students—events and resources that helped improve her resume and interview skills, and made her transition between student life and a fulfilling career even smoother. And in the classroom, she turned to her trusted professors for guidance on internship opportunities that would boost her knowledge and skill set.

Interning at Safe Passage
In 2018, with the help of LLS Associate Professor Isabel Martinez, Ph.D., and through CUNY Service Corps, Susano learned about an internship at Safe Passage, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to refugee and immigrant children in the New York City area. “It was an internship experience that was really focused on helping and advocating for the immigrant community,” says Susano. “At Safe Passage, I helped clients complete their immigration forms, translated documents, and interpreted for clients and attorneys during meetings. I was really proud to be in the room interpreting and helping clients. When you have someone in your corner who speaks your language, you feel more comfortable and you have a greater sense of competency and faith in the people that are working on your behalf. Being able to give that boost in confidence and comfort to clients meant a lot to me.”

Before interning at Safe Passage, Susano didn’t fully understand the array of immigration relief resources a skilled professional could present to clients. “I was fortunate to gain a deeper understanding of the different services and reliefs that were available and learn how they can help members of the immigrant community,” says Susano. “Safe Passage gave me a glimpse into what being an attorney is like. The laws are constantly changing, and you have to be so detail-oriented. It’s work that requires a lot of time, a lot of energy, and really a lot of love for the work you’re doing.”

Learning More About the Law
During her final semester at John Jay, Susano learned about a judicial internship opportunity with the Honorable Francois Rivera at the Kings County Supreme Court. “I learned about the internship through the Ronald H. Brown program, where they provided guidance and helped me with the application process,” explains Susano, further noting that the internship began just two weeks prior to Covid-19 lockdowns. “I had the chance to see Justice Rivera in person twice before everything closed down,” she recalls. “Being able to sit in Justice Rivera’s courtroom was a profoundly moving experience. There I was a child of immigrants, working with a justice of the New York State Supreme Court. I knew then how incredible this internship opportunity was for me.”

When lockdowns began, Susano expected the internship to end, but she quickly learned how dedicated Justice Rivera was to this learning opportunity. “Justice Rivera and his team really went above and beyond to make sure we had a great internship experience despite Covid-19. They quickly went virtual, enabling me and his other interns to continue the internship online,” says Susano. “Through Zoom, Justice Rivera would assign cases and as an intern it was my job to essentially break the cases down like a first-year law student. That opportunity, learning how to break down a case, was really empowering for me and helped my confidence grow. Before interning for Justice Rivera, I had never read actual law school materials. This internship was my first time reading through real cases. While it was challenging and a lot of hard work, it was definitely a learning experience I’m so grateful for.”

Empowering Others
Reminiscing about both her internships, Susano marvels at how they reiterated her passion for social justice and her desire to become an attorney. “Interning at Safe Passage and with Justice Rivera gave me an opportunity to work with the law for the first time in my life. During each experience, I learned more about the law and what it takes to be effective in the legal profession.” While she doesn’t have a specific law school in mind yet, Susano is prepping herself for the LSAT in hopes of going to law school in two or three years. Currently, she’s continuing her in-the-field experience, working with underserved communities. “I recently started working as a paralegal in the Tenants’ Rights Unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group [NYLAG], where I’m conducting intakes, interpreting for clients and attorneys, and I’m advocating with government agencies on behalf of clients,” says Susano. “The opportunity perfectly aligns with my passion of working to help marginalized communities through the law. And it’s an opportunity I feel better prepared for thanks to my two internship experiences.”