Week 5: A Welcome Pause

This past week we had the entire week off, a rare but welcome pause, and I found myself thinking a lot about growth.

At the beginning of the summer, I barely had a grasp on the legal landscape of immigration law. I didn’t know the difference between a T visa and a U visa, and I had only a vague idea of what an asylum claim actually required. Fast forward to now, and I’ve helped draft two legal memos in support of asylum claims, a letter requesting the removal of an ankle monitor, a certification request, a derivative addition request, and so much more.

It’s not just the technical skills I’ve developed, though that’s been an important part. It’s also the shift in confidence, in feeling like I can look at a problem and figure out how to support someone through it. I still have a long way to go, but I’m no longer afraid of the complexity. Instead, I’m energized by it, and by the opportunity to serve clients through it.

Reflection weeks are quiet, but they hold a kind of power. They remind you of where you started, and how far you’ve come, even when you didn’t realize you were moving forward.