Carlene Buccino

What is your motivation to become a lawyer?     

I applied to law school with the goal of working as a public defender. The criminal legal system is confusing, can be scary, and often punishes individual people for systemic inequities and failures. Everyone deserves an advocate who can help navigate this complicated process. I grew up in Baltimore, a highly segregated city with a strong legacy of civil rights advocacy, and am a graduate of its public school system. I have seen up close how unfairly our criminal justice system treats members of communities that are over-surveilled, over-policed, and over-incarcerated. I want to make sure people with the fewest economic resources have the same access to high-quality representation and advocacy as wealthy people do. 

What experiential learning experiences (clinics, externships, etc.) did you participate in, and how did they contribute to your legal education? 

The Criminal Defense Clinic with the Defender Association of Philadelphia was an incredible experience to represent people accused of misdemeanors and felonies in the city’s courts. I participated during my 2L spring while enrolled in Temple’s ITAP program. Definitely recommend for any student interested in defense or litigation in general! 
 
The Federal Defense Clinic was an interesting contrast to the Defenders clinic because of the major differences between federal and state practice. Federal defenders, investigators, and mitigation specialists spoke to us about their work, and we got to observe several federal criminal trials (relatively rare). Each intern worked on motions and legal research for the office’s clients.  
 
I also participated in Professor Sibley’s Systemic Justice Clinic, which focuses on collateral consequences of criminal convictions and removing barriers to reentry, for three semesters. My classmate Martha Abrams and I worked on a Parole Preparation Project, partnering with incarcerated people and their families in their applications for parole and providing trainings and resources to groups of people in prisons across the state to spread the word about how to prepare.  
 
Finally, I was an intern with the Federal Reentry Court clinic during my entire 3L year. Judge Restrepo, Judge McKee, and partners from the federal defenders, US Attorney’s Office, and Probation have created a unique program supporting individuals returning home from federal custody. Interns work with participants to clear court fees, driving records, and other civil legal matters.  
 
The strongest relationships I built during law school were with participants in the Reentry clinic and Parole Prep Project because of how long and closely we worked together. I am very grateful to have learned so much from those individuals.  

What participation and leadership positions did you hold, and how did that shape your law school experience? 

My classmate Gen Lamont and I started a Bail Watch Project at the end of our first year, bringing Temple Law students into Philadelphia criminal courts to observe and collect data on arraignments and early bail review hearings. We trained more than 30 students and collectively observed over 100 bail hearings, then compiled our findings into a report written with Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts that was referenced during Philadelphia City Council hearings about the city’s decarceration initiatives. Court-watching is a powerful way to learn how the law works in practice and hold system actors accountable.  
 
I was the president of Temple Law’s National Lawyers Guild (NLG) chapter during my 2L year. NLG’s mission is to use law for the people, rather than for capital or property interests. Our brilliant NLG members revitalized the chapter from a post-Covid hiatus to one of the largest student organizations at the law school. Together we organized legal observer trainings, ran expungement and asylum clinics for community members, partnered with other student organizations and groups across the city advocating for justice in Palestine, and hosted educational panels on prison abolition and public interest careers.  
 
My classmates Alex Leone and Emma Weiss revived Temple’s School Discipline Advocacy Service (SDAS), which pairs law students with Philadelphia School District students facing disciplinary hearings. Volunteering with SDAS was an amazing opportunity to use the skills I learned in the classroom to advocate for students and their families, challenging the school-to-prison pipeline on an individual level.  

Which faculty members influenced you the most? 

Professors Ben-Dan, Epstein, Katz, Lopez, Ramji-Nogales, and Sibley each supported and inspired me at key points during law school. Professor Epstein was the first Temple faculty member I spoke to (our meeting convinced me to enroll!) and the greatest Evidence and ITAP professor. Professor Ben-Dan helped me navigate Criminal Procedure, multiple internships, and job applications during my 2L and 3L years. Professors Katz and Lopez each expanded my understanding of justice and the importance of learning from people directly impacted by the systems that I am working within. Dean Ramji-Nogales transformed a subject that initially made me nauseous (Civil Procedure) into something interesting, understandable, and foundational to everything else. Professor Sibley shaped so much of how I think about criminal law, client relationships, and my role as an advocate.  

What advice would you give to current or prospective students as a recent law school graduate? 

Be kind, be curious, and be yourself.  

How did you go about balancing law school and your personal life? 

School is important, but family and friends are the whole point! Don’t put the rest of your life on pause. During the past three years, I got married, adopted a dog, traveled as much as I could, and experienced more grief and more joy than I thought was possible. After six years of working between college and law school, the flexibility of a school schedule was really nice because it allowed me to be there for my loved ones’ birthdays, weddings, book launches, baby showers, and other milestones. Spending quality time away from the law school recharged me and helped me be fully present for school and client work.  

What do you wish you knew before starting law school? 

You can do it! Despite dreaming about being a public defender for years, I was so intimidated by the thought of law school. At each step, I worried about the next one: When would I have time to study for the LSAT? What if I don’t get in anywhere? How will I afford it? What if I fail every class? What if no one hires me?  
 
Law school is both humbling and empowering. I didn’t get straight As, but I didn’t fail. I didn’t make it onto Temple’s trial team or law review, but I started a bail watch project that introduced fellow students to the realities of criminal court and, hopefully, will continue to lead to much-needed bail reform in Philly. I learned so much from every person I was lucky enough to work with, and made great friends who support each other in hard times and celebrate each other’s wins in the courtroom, classroom, and in our personal lives. 
 
There’s always going to be something to worry about next. Trust yourself, work hard, ask for help when you need it, pay it forward, and it will work out. It might not look exactly like what you envisioned — that’s the fun part!