3L Teresa Smith Honored With Pro Bono Publico Award

September 28, 2018

Lewis & Clark Law School student Teresa Smith was honored with the national 2019 Pro Bono Publico Award, recognizing her exceptional pro bono contributions to the community.

Smith was selected for this prestigious honor from a large pool of candidates representing law schools throughout the nation.

Smith developed her passion for immigrant rights early in her life and she has continued to pursue it in law school, volunteering at detention facilities in Texas and Tijuana, Mexico.

At one detention facility in Karnes, Texas, Smith spent the week before Christmas working 10-hour days assisting women and children. Using her Spanish and Portuguese language skills, she listened to the often tragic stories, explained the law, and prepared the women for their “credible fear” interviews, the first step on the path to asylum.

Smith is also a leader at the law school. As the Immigration Student Group (ISG) director, she is responsible for raising money for students to volunteer at the detention centers. She has served as a communications chair for the National Food Law Student Network and, with the help of two of her classmates, launched the Food & Agriculture Law Society (FALS).