2024 CLEA Awards for Outstanding Clinical and Externship Students: UDC's Andrew Martell, Julian Hunter Pendarvis, Neena Qureshi and Tanner Carlson

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 UDC David A. Clarke School:

Outstanding Clinic Student and Team: Julian Hunter Pendarvis and Neena Qureshi and Tanner Carlson

The Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Clinic Student Award for exceptional clinic fieldwork and thoughtful, self-reflection in the Clinical Program is presented to Julian Hunter Pendarvis for his unparalleled work in the Tax Clinic. Hunter represented low-income clients with tax controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service, District of Columbia, and the Comptroller of Maryland. Hunter and his clinic partner worked tirelessly to ensure that their incarcerated client received his economic impact payment. The District of Columbia Public Defender's office also worked onwith the client's criminal case and was pleased with Hunter and his clinic partner's success on the tax matter. In addition, Hunter has demonstrated the ability to handle complex tax issues and has a deep understanding of tax law. Professor Sakinah Tillman nominated Hunter describing him as “an excellent leader, highly conscientious, and deserving of this award!” Hunter says, “During my time in Tax Clinic, under the supervision of Professor Tillman, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of our tax code, and how to use it to advocate for low-income clients seeking to lower their tax liability. Clinic gave me my first real chance to practice real world advocacy skills and helped prepare me to become a zealous advocate in the future.”

The UDC David A. Clarke School of Law also presented its own UDC Outstanding Clinic Team Award to a clinical team who displayed excellence and thoughtful reflection while working collaboratively in contributing to the clinical community at the law school, legal community, and broader community. This year’s winners are Neena Qureshi and Tanner Carlson for their exceptional collaboration, client-centered lawyering, and zealous advocacy representing a detained client in a complex crimmigration and asylum case while in the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic. As a team, they represented a detained client in removal proceedings. They successfully challenged the criminal grounds of their client’s removability, and valiantly fought their client’s asylum case, which is now on appeal. They exhibited client-centered lawyering and dedication to their work. They have both accepted 2-year post-graduate fellowships with the prestigious Immigrant Justice Corps, which places new graduates with organizations across the country to serve immigrants in need, particularly children.

Outstanding Externship Student: Andrew Martell

Andrew Martell received the Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Extern Award for his distinction in fieldwork and thoughtful self-reflection in his externship. He received highest honors serving at the Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor whose mission is to provide legal advice, rulemaking, and litigation to the Employment and Training Administration. A sample of his work included drafting: a response to the IRS concerning the Inflation Reduction Act; a Touhy subpoena response; and a memo addressing the use of TikTok in Federal Government programs and contracts. Andrew is dedicated to public service, completing summer internships at DC Superior Court and U.S. Congress. His academic accolades include: associate editor of Law Review, SBA Parliamentarian (he rewrote the Constitution), and student attorney in the Community Development and Whistleblower Protection Clinic; his work is acknowledged in an article on the BP Oil spill. Andrew says, “My externship at the Office of the Solicitor provided me with invaluable insight into the administrative process. Dedicated to public service, I aspire to use my experience to fight the arduous process of turning policy into law to protect and advance rights for American workers, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds.”