Law Students Help Bring Justice to Moldovan Citizens

First and second place contestants from the Balti Legal Clinic: Veniamin Tarita and Tatiana Chilari. Success is measured differently by different people, but for law students working at the USAID Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) clinics in Moldova, success is measured by how much they have helped others.  This theme was prominent in submissions entered for a writing competition sponsored by ROLI.  Students volunteering at ROLI’s four legal clinics were asked to submit an essay describing an accomplishment or achievement in their clinic experience.   The winner of the ROLI writing competition was Veniamin Tarita, a law student from the Balti Legal Clinic, who wrote about his success in assisting a widow who was deprived of her legal inheritance due to a forged will.  Veniamin and the Clinic’s intervention in the case resulted in a ruling from Balti Court of Appeals that the will was invalid and, more importantly, prompted the authorities to press criminal action against the perpetrator and the witness.  This would be a tremendous success for any lawyer, but remarkable for a law student who was inspired by a needy widow.   The essays of the second and third place contestants were similarly inspiring.  Tatiana Chilari, the second place winner, wrote about a paternity case where she and the Clinic were able to obtain support for her client’s four children despite strong opposition from the father who was married to another woman and did not want his “extra” family exposed.  Tatiana and the Clinic helped establish paternity for all four children and persuaded the court to require the father to pay all of the client’s court costs.   The third essay was written by Alena Terzi, a student at the Comrat Legal Clinic, who wrote about an appeal of a property dispute case.  Alena and the Clinic successfully overturned a trial court ruling that allowed their client’s neighbor to build an extension that overran their property, preventing them from the needed space to store fruits and vegetables during the winter and full use of their kitchen.  As a result of the ruling, the neighbor had to demolish the structure. Improving citizen’s legal rights and access to justice is an important step in democratic reform and these three students demonstrated how fair and effective judicial rulings can change the lives of ordinary citizens and build their confidence in Moldova’s rule of law.  Moreover, Veniamin, Tatiana and Alena were able to gain the experience, confidence and incentive that will benefit their clients and their communities throughout their future legal careers.

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