Yevgenia Baranov is serving as a clinical attorney fellow at The John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic.
“I never thought litigation would be something I’d like, but through my time as a student at the clinic I really found it to be interesting. And, I wanted to come back to the clinic because it instills a sense of service,” she said.
Now Baranov is sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with clinic students. Her one-year appointment began May 9, 2011.
“This past summer semester was been both challenging and rewarding,” Baranov said of her first few months at the clinic. “The students are eager to learn and work hard to assist with cases and it is a pleasure to watch their hard work pay off.
“I put them to task on a case involving the denial of a reasonable accommodation for our client’s support animal,” she explained. “After assisting me with composing two strongly-worded letters to opposing counsel, I received a phone call from him requesting to settle the case. Our persistence helped end two years of litigation and gave our client peace of mind.”
Before graduating in 2008, Baranov spent three semesters at the clinic. From her experiences, she was able to transfer to her career as an attorney.
“There are many things that law school classes can teach a student, but they certainly cannot teach you how to work under the pressure of a desire to win for a client, or argue a motion in front of a judge, or deal with opposing counsel,” she said. “Unfortunately, most law students graduate without having any idea of how the real legal world works or any idea how to navigate it.
“When I was a student, I was given the chance to practice law with my Illinois 711 license and work on the high-profile Bloch litigation case drafting pleadings and helping prepare oral arguments,” she recalled. “Now, as a supervising attorney, I can offer the same experiences to the students and encourage them to learn as much as they can from our Fair Housing Legal Clinic practice.”
Baranov’s first job out of law school was at a general practice firm. She then worked at a boutique bankruptcy firm. During that time, she never lost touch with the staff at the clinic and was delighted to be chosen for the fellowship.