2024 CLEA Awards for Outstanding Clinical and Externship Students: Maryland's Nicholas Gallo and Carolyn Wetzel

Each year, the Clinical Legal Education Association invites law schools to nominate students as their Outstanding Clinic Student or Team and Outstanding Externship student. This series includes submissions from law schools celebrating their outstanding students. 

From the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law: 

Outstanding Clinical Team: Nicholas Gallo and Carolyn Wetzel

I would like to nominate Nicholas Gallo and Carolyn Wetzel for the CLEA outstanding student team award.  Nick and Carolyn were students (and partners) in the Clinic in the fall of 2023, and returned as Clinic II students in the spring of 2024.  Nick and Carolyn excelled in the seminar and classroom component of the clinic, and provided excellent representation to multiple clients in the fall.  In one case, they were assigned a case with a little over a week before trial.  They immediately began reviewing the case and meeting with the client.  Nick and Carolyn’s analysis determined that the landlord, who was trying to evict their client, was not entitled to use the statute under which the action had been filed.  Their research involved extensive review of land records, leases, and rent payment history.  Nick and Carolyn drafted a Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice, arguing that because the landlord could never be entitled to the relief sought, he should be barred from ever bringing this kind of action.  At trial, the Court thoroughly reviewed their Motion, and Nick and Carolyn explained their argument in detail.  After deliberation, the Court granted the Motion, and dismissed the action with prejudice.  Throughout their representation, and after the Court date, Nick and Carolyn were in constant communication with the client so that they could assess her goals and plans, and craft their representation to what the client wanted.  They also took extensive time to explain the law, and what the client could do going forward. 

As Clinic II students, Nick and Carolyn provided same-day representation in Baltimore City Rent Court every Friday.  Working both individually and as a team, they provided same-day representation to 15 tenants in rent court.  In some of their cases, Nick and Carolyn determined that the client had been withholding rent due to hazardous conditions in their residence.  In those cases, Nick and Carolyn would represent the client in a collateral Rent Escrow action.  Through their diligent representation, the malfeasant landlords would be ordered by the Court to make the necessary repairs.  In some cases, due to Nick and Carolyn’s persuasive argumentation, the Court would order that the Tenant was entitled to either a reduction in rent owed, or that the tenant was awarded a significant chunk of the money held in the Court’s escrow account.  Their advocacy did not change based on occasional interactions with hostile or disinterested Judges, and they firmly held their ground when pressured by either the Court or the landlord’s representative to dismiss their case or reduce their demands. 

Beyond their courtroom advocacy, Nick and Carolyn also served as mentors and instructors to the current Clinic students.  Clinic students are required to take shifts acting as same-day paralegals for the Clinic IIs.  In their role as Clinic IIs, Nick and Carolyn would effectively delegate tasks, supervise their peers, and provide active guidance for best practices, all while preparing for cases before the District Court.  They saved Matilda and I a lot of time and work in their enthusiastic and thorough work with their student peers.  Nick and Carolyn displayed excellent leadership and professionalism, and were an asset to our pedagogical program.  They also prepared and presented a Know Your Rights presentation for the UMB partnership with Lexington Market, and are currently preparing a presentation for health care providers at Kennedy Krieger in order for those providers to help notice and effectively refer patients and families that may be facing housing issues. 

Despite working with Matilda and I for an entire academic year, and representing (between both semesters) 18 clients across 20 different cases, I never once heard Nick or Carolyn complain about the workload or what we required of them.  They brought a professional, client-centered, and enthusiastic attitude to every case and every case meeting.  They treated each new client like that person was their first client, which is something unusual in legal services work.  There was a lovely moment midway through this semester when I was observing a same-day representation day, and I saw Carolyn discussing her case with the landlord’s representation, and Nick reviewing the court filing with a student paralegal.  In that moment, I realized that they were wholly comfortable in Court, that they had total command of the material and their advocacy options, and that they knew how to provide client-centered, professional representation.  All of their hard work had paid off not so much in some big case or final crescendo, but in the realization that despite being 2Ls, who 8 months ago had not so much as spoken to a client, they belonged and were attorneys.  I could go on with the various compliments and positive observations that I received from members of the bench or other tenant advocates, but I think this is long enough already.