Centering Transgender Individuals: The Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic's New Initiative
Published August 15, 2023
What’s in a name? A lot. Social progress is increasingly measured by expanding inclusivity and equality. One way is ensuring that people can be legally recognized by a name that aligns with their identity. At the University at Buffalo School of Law, we rise to the challenge of addressing the emerging legal issues that result from changing societal norms. One outstanding example is the Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic's initiative to provide legal guidance and support to transgender individuals navigating the name change process. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the transformative work of this Clinic and explore how it centers transgender clients and exemplifies the University’s commitment to social justice.
A Beacon of Change
Since its inception, the UB School of Law’s Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic has fought for equality and social justice, particularly for historically marginalized clients. With a mission to advance civil rights and civil liberties, the Clinic offers law students a unique opportunity to work directly with clients, promoting transparency and accountability in various aspects of public life. Through its advocacy, the Clinic strives to create a more inclusive society by tackling discrimination and systemic inequalities.
Left to right: Paige Iovine-Wong (BestSelf), David Sell (NLS), Sean Brosius (BestSelf), Michael Reiser (NLS), Kirstin Sherman ’23 (UB Law student attorney), Daniel Kahl ’24 (UB Law student attorney), and Aparna Balakrishnan (NLS).
Addressing Transgender Needs
The Clinic recognizes the unique challenges faced by transgender individuals in obtaining legal recognition and affirmation of their identities, and has launched a new initiative to serve those clients. In partnership with BestSelf Behavioral Health and Neighborhood Legal Services, the Clinic advises clients through the legal name change process—a potentially empowering process that allows transgender persons to align their legal identities with their gender identities.
Zadaa Ziran Guo ’24 (they/them) is a student attorney, and they have a personal stake in the help they’re providing. “I am a non-binary trans woman, and this is personal for me,” they say. “This is very important right now in a climate of increasing transphobia and rollback of trans rights across the country. It’s good to help other trans people with this.”
Student attorneys meet clients on Saturdays at a BestSelf location. They conduct initial interviews, provide advice and counsel, and complete the required petitions. Student attorney, Danial Kahl ’24 (they/he), experienced the process first-hand and now provides similar counsel to others. Danial is a non-binary trans man who legally changed their name last year, assisted by law students running a similar clinic at Cornell. “Having the chance to pay it forward has been an excellent opportunity,” Kahl says. “It’s really meaningful to me to provide this legal help; I know first-hand how important it is.”
The Clinic also helps clients select a new gender marker, including the gender marker “X,” on their driver’s license under New York State’s new provision on official documents. Although these documents are available to complete online, having an attorney can streamline a potentially daunting process. The Clinic is there to guide and support clients through the process. “This is something our clients really, really want but can’t do on their own,” classmate Deja Graham ’24 (she/her) says. “We’re helping them be affirmed in their gender and getting them one step closer to true happiness. And they are so appreciative.”
The Power of Clinical Legal Education
The Clinical Legal Education program at the University of Buffalo Law School provides students with real-world experience and a comprehensive understanding of the legal profession. Law students can directly engage with clients and work on impactful cases, developing crucial skills including legal research, advocacy, and client counseling. This hands-on experience enables them to become effective advocates for marginalized communities and drive positive change in society.
“This is one of the most meaningful client experiences I’ve ever had, in terms of both serving our clients in an impactful lway and teaching law students trauma-informed lawyering” shared Professor Heather Abraham, director of the Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic.
A Holistic Approach to Advocacy
While the Clinic's new initiative focuses on serving transgender clients with name changes, its work expands beyond name changes. The Clinic represents a range of clients on a variety of civil rights issues at all stages of litigation, including people who are discriminating against in finding housing and employment. It also represents investigative journalists and news organizations, such as through requesting government documents through freedom of information laws. Moreover, it provides direct legal services to low-income tenants facing eviction and those seeking to set aside unlawfully secured default judgments in debt collection cases.
Through these efforts, the Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic demonstrates its commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. To support the Clinic’s valuable work, you can donate to its fund, enabling it to continue advocating for the rights of historically marginalized individuals.
