Jane Langan and Kyrie Holman

On October 29, 2024, Kyrie Holman and Jane Langan, student attorneys in the Families and the Law Clinic at Catholic Law, successfully represented their client J.C. in seeking third-party custody of her younger sister, T.E., at DC Superior Court. Kyrie and Jane represented J.C. under the supervision of Erin Scheick, Clinical Practitioner in Residence with the Clinic.

Kyrie shared, “Working with J.C. and T.E. on their case has been one of the most impactful experiences of my law school journey. Representing them in court and advocating for their right to safety and stability was both humbling and inspiring.” She added that the experience “exemplified the real difference legal advocacy can make in someone’s life, especially for families navigating complex immigration challenges. This clinic experience deepened my appreciation for the law as a tool for change and strengthened my commitment to this field.”

In 2019, J.C. and her siblings essentially became orphans – their mother died, and their father abandoned the children. J.C. and her older brother worked in their native Honduras to support themselves and their younger sister, T.E. However, both older siblings eventually immigrated to the United States, and T.E. was left in the care of abusive relatives. In 2023, she traveled – alone – to the United States, to reunite with her siblings in DC.

J.C. sought FALC’s assistance in January 2024, and CCLS student attorneys Emily Arterbury and Lark Toney filed her custody case in the spring semester. Kyrie and Jane continued the case through the trial this fall.

The case posed challenges, as T.E. had stopped attending school after bullies made her fearful of attending. Kyrie and Jane connected the family to crucial resources in DC to help T.E. re-enroll in a new high school, and she is now pursuing a diploma and learning English.

In court, Kyrie and Jane represented J.C. in a trial before a Family Court judge, where J.C. requested third-party custody and a predicate order making certain findings regarding T.E.’s experience as an abused and neglected child. The FALC students wrote and led J.C. through a detailed direct examination and introduced evidence supporting J.C.’s request for custody. They also wrote and led the minor child, T.E., through her own direct examination, providing information to the court about her life in Honduras and her desire to remain in the care of her older sister. Jane and Kyrie had previously submitted draft custody and factual orders to the court, and on October 29, the judge issued both as permanent orders. T.E. is now eligible to apply for immigration relief in the form of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). With SIJS, T.E. will be able to obtain a work permit and eventually, lawful permanent residency in the United States. More significantly, she is able to live peacefully and securely with her siblings and can dream and plan for her future in this country.

Jane reflected, “I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to work with J.C. and T.E. throughout this semester and that I have heard their story of resilience in the face of tremendous adversity. Understanding their perspectives helped me be a better advocate for them in court because I understood where they were coming from and how important it was that they remain together. This case highlighted the importance of developing a relationship of trust with your client, which is something that is not covered as much in other classes, but that I was able to put into practice through working at the Clinic.”