Experience Spotlight: Allie R. Cyr ‘26L and Emma Claire Canterbury ’26L Allie Cyr and Emma Claire Canterbury discuss their time in the Criminal Justice Clinic.

Emma Claire Canterbury ’26L and Allie R. Cyr ‘26L

Allie R. Cyr ‘26L hails from Chicago but she and her fiancé now consider the Shenandoah Valley their home. Allie attended Valparaiso University in Northern Indiana, where she received a B.A. in international relations and U.S. politics, law, and society, with accompanying minors in psychology, history, and the humanities. During her undergraduate experience, Allie interned for the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., fell in love with public defense, and worked as an intern at the Public Defender’s Office in Staunton, Virginia from her sophomore year in college through her 2L summer at W&L. Allie lives in downtown Lexington with her beloved fiancé, Paul, and her two cats, Honey and Cobalt.

Emma Claire Canterbury ’26L is from Austin, Texas. She attended Trinity University in San Antonio, where she received a B.A. in political science and history. At W&L, she is the Co-President of the Women Law Students Organization (WLSO) and the Treasurer of the Pro Bono Board. In her free time, she enjoys reading, taking dance classes, playing Law School Football League (LSFL), and watching movies with her friends.

Why did you choose to participate in the Criminal Justice Clinic (CJC) for your 3L year?

Allie: I chose to participate in this clinic for my 3L year because I sought to further my practice in this area and contribute meaningfully to indigent clients in this community during the rest of my time at W&L. The majority of individuals who enter the criminal justice system are indigent and/or dealing with issues (serious mental illnesses, substance use disorders, poverty, etc.) that require solutions external to incarceration. I firmly believe that the best and the brightest should serve as public defenders to ensure the protection of people’s constitutional rights and dignity as human beings. I cannot imagine using my J.D., a privilege, in any other way than this.

What classes have prepared you to work in the Criminal Justice Clinic?

Emma Claire: Criminal Procedure Investigations/Adjudication and Trial Advocacy. I would highly recommend these courses to anyone interested in criminal law or litigation.

Describe your schedule with the CJC.

Allie: My schedule with the Clinic is akin to working a side job. Clients come first, and I’m often working on their cases, on my own and in collaboration with my peers, when I’m not fulfilling my class or other life obligations. The schedule is not easy, but it is both doable and essential to practicing arranging your life in the way we will all have to once we graduate from law school.

 What are some skills you have developed this year?

Emma Claire: In the clinic, I have developed skills in negotiation, interviewing, oral advocacy, trial techniques, client counseling, argumentation and rhetoric, time management, and more. At its core, the CJC is a skills-building course that prepares you for a career in criminal defense.

What surprised you about the work you have done for the Clinic?

Allie: I was surprised by how quickly our Clinic group cultivated a community of trust and collaboration early on. Our collective passion for this work and our vastly different experiences created a team that has attained the best possible outcomes for our clients throughout the school year.

What was your favorite aspect of your work with the Clinic?

Emma Claire: For me, the best part of the Clinic has been my clients. I was initially drawn to public defense because of the client-centered nature of the work. As a public defender, you have a duty to build a relationship with your clients. Lucky for me, I genuinely enjoy meeting and getting to know people. In my opinion, there is nothing more rewarding than getting a favorable outcome for my clients and knowing that I have helped help them in some small way.

What was your biggest challenge working in the Clinic?

Allie: My biggest challenge working in the Clinic was adjusting my schedule during the year from prioritizing my classes to prioritizing my clients. The shift was easy to the extent that I understood that I needed to, and I wanted to, prioritize my client work. However, it was nevertheless a shift that needed to be made and actively thought about because of how much we emphasize prioritizing our classes above all else during our first, and even second, years of law school.

Has this experience helped you figure out your post graduate plans, and if so how?

Emma Claire: It has been my plan to be a public defender since my 2L year, but this experience has solidified my post-graduate plans. My time in the clinic has made me confident and sure of that decision. I think the only way to know for sure whether a career path is right for you is to try it out, and the clinic has given me the unique opportunity to do just that.

Additionally, Professor Gottlieb has been very helpful and reassuring in the job application process. The timeline for public defense jobs is very, very different than the law firm timeline. Unlike law firms, public defense offices cannot hold a spot open for multiple years. If an office has a position, they need someone who can fill it and be in court ASAP. It can be stressful to be in your final year of law school and just starting the application process, while many of your peers have been employed for over a year. It can begin to feel like you’re doing something wrong. Professor Gottlieb has reminded me countless times that I was not behind my peers and that the application process is just different for us. She has been an amazing support system in this process.