Emma Griffin is a member of the JD class of 2028, is in Section 5, and is from Savannah, GA.
Q: When did you join PLAP and why? I joined PLAP during the fall semester of 1L because I wanted to see how what we were learning in class would look like in practice. I had worked at a public defender’s office for a semester in undergrad, but I wanted to gain more experience in post-conviction work. It was immensely gratifying to be reminded of why I came to law school in the first place and have the opportunity to work directly with clients again.
Q: What was the first case you worked on like? What happened in the case? The first case I worked on was a contraband case in which our client was accused of stealing food from the cafeteria despite having permission from one of the DOC staff members to take it, as well as having a medical accommodation allowing him to have food in his room. In his defense, we highlighted this medical accommodation, and we used video surveillance footage to show other DOC staff members allowing him to walk by with the food in plain sight. We were able to get a majority of his charges dropped, and we are currently working on his appeal.
Q: What was the best part of working on this case? The best park of working on this case was getting to know our client and ensuring he felt heard. He was understandably very surprised when he received a D-Ticket for behavior that he had been given permission to do, so making sure he felt he had proper recourse to tell his side of the story was important. I really enjoyed speaking with him and working with him to incorporate what he thought the most important parts of his defense should be into our hearing script.
Q: What was the hardest part of working on this case? How long it ended up dragging on. Due to having to coordinate schedules, waiting to view in-person evidence, and having to take time off for winter break, our client had to wait a few months for a resolution. Thankfully, my PLAP mentors, Daniel Sorkin and Patrick Healy, were incredibly responsive, and we were able to assure our client that we were continuously advocating for him.
Q: What are you working on now? I am now mentoring a case for another PLAP member, and I am excited to see how the experience is different from a mentor perspective!
Q: What has been the most impactful part of PLAP for you? The most impactful part of PLAP has definitely been getting to meet other law students interested in public interest work, specifically surrounding incarceration. While the work can be emotionally taxing, working with dedicated and passionate individuals helps keep me motivated, and I’m excited to continue meeting new members as they join!