USC Housing Law & Policy Clinic students take classroom lessons to the community
Under the leadership of Professor and Director Deepika Sharma, the USC Gould School of Law’s Housing Law and Policy Clinic has emerged as a frontline defense for tenants navigating Los Angeles’ complex housing crisis. Through its hands-on, community-based model — offering legal representation, policy advocacy and Know‑Your‑Rights workshops — the clinic has already assisted hundreds of tenants, many of them monolingual Spanish speakers, facing harassment, eviction or economic instability.
“We’re not just teaching the law, we’re training students to be community advocates,” says Sharma, clinical associate professor of law at USC Gould. “Our students step into the field and stand side‑by‑side with tenants, addressing complex housing issues and gaining confidence in developing legal strategy for their cases.”
Several law students, like JD Class of 2025 members Nick Perez and Ian Finley, have joined the clinic in their second year and remained through their 3L year, taking a more prominent role in the clinic’s community work.
“I think the thing that has been most rewarding for me is that we get to work with tenants one-on-one,” Finley says. “We get to meet them in person at clinic, establish contact and really build a relationship with them. It takes a lot of trust to help a client because you’re learning intimate details about their life.”
Getting to help the community was important for Perez, who cited his language skills and desire to keep in touch with his culture as a strong reason for participating in the clinic.
“It’s also a great way to get practical experience,” he adds. “I think clinics are very unique from other courses because you actually get to practice in the field and replicate what you learn in the classroom. A typical day in the clinic varies, based on if we’re working with clients that week or if we’re following up with different cases.”
Together with their classmates, Finley and Perez have drafted lease‑enforcement letters, coordinated with legislative staff on rent‑control measures, and delivered multilingual “Know Your Rights” workshops — directly impacting more than 500 individuals since the clinic’s 2022 inception.
Finley reflects on his time in the clinic: “I can say with great confidence that I’ve never done anything more meaningful in my career than the housing clinic. To anyone who feels jaded about the law, Professor Sharma’s clinic will remind you what it means to work with real people.”
Perez adds: “My two years in the Housing Law and Policy Clinic were the most fulfilling part of my law school experience. … I gained practical skills while helping those who often have the least access to the legal system. It was an experience that shaped not only my legal education, but also my sense of purpose as a future attorney.”
Looking ahead, Sharma hopes each student carries forward the clinic’s ethos of community‑centered lawyering, whether through public interest, private practice with pro bono hours, or future advocacy work.
“Our impact isn’t just immediate, it’s lasting,” she notes. “Every tenant we assist and every policy we shape is a small step toward housing justice in Los Angeles.”
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