Name: Julia Broulidakis
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Year of Participation: Summer 2019
What was the most valuable thing you learned or accomplished in the program?
It is hard to say what the most valuable thing I learned or accomplished during my time with the ACLU was, because I was exposed to a plethora of projects and worked with many different people in various capacities. I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to civil rights litigation and working at a nonprofit. My time at the ACLU definitely impacted my decision to work for a nonprofit after law school. At the ACLU, I was able to draft an amicus brief that went to the Law Court, as well as research and draft legal memoranda regarding various novel issues. This experience allowed me to sharpen my legal research and writing skills, as these tasks required me to review the law and craft arguments that may have not been advanced yet in our jurisdiction. It helped me to think creatively in not only what the current law is, but how expanding or changing the laws could affect Mainers. I loved experiencing how forward-thinking the ACLU, and civil rights litigation, is. I was always thinking about what the law could be, and how we as legal advocates could make that happen.
What have you done since being involved in the ACLU program?
Since my summer with the ACLU, I was an extern with the United States Attorneys' Office in Portland, drafting motions and making court appearances on behalf of the United States. I also served as a student attorney with the University of Maine School of Law's Refugee and Human Rights Clinic, in which I worked with an asylum client to prepare them for their merits hearing in Boston. While the hearing was ultimately delayed due to COVID, I was able to draft a legal brief, hone my skills in developing a trusting and collaborative client relationship, preparing my client for their court testimony, gathering witness statements, filing motions with the court, and expanding my expertise in immigration law.
What are your plans for the future?
Since graduating from the University of Maine School of Law in May 2020, I passed the Maine Bar Examination in October 2020 and I am admitted to the Maine State Bar. I am currently an immigration attorney with Catholic Charities in Portland. I counsel clients on anything from permanent residency and citizenship to family member reunification petitions for asylees and refugees.
