Featured Faculty

NAOMI ROHT-ARRIAZA

MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE(S)

• "Even if you don’t win a lot of money for people, it’s really important for the victims of human rights violations to say what happened in a court. For them to have a court say it was wrong, to have a court acknowledge that you were wronged is more important than money. To help people do that is really rewarding."

• Roht-Arriaza originally became involved in pro bono while working on anti-impunity issues in Latin America. She realized that there was a need to make clear the legal constraints on states with respect to amnesties and other limitations on providing access to what happened, to justice and to reparation for victims. Roht-Arriaza’s first pro bono experience in law school was observing an El Salvador trial of some lower ranking military officials for the killing of four Jesuit priests. The San Francisco Bar Association put together the delegation to observe and report on the unusual trial.

TRIVIA

• Roht-Arriaza finds pro bono to be important for two reasons. First, huge numbers of people have serious problems and can’t afford a lawyer. Second, Roht-Arriaza finds it very rewarding to participate in obtaining justice for someone who has been wronged. As a lawyer, she states, you can push forward and make a real difference and contribution in an area of developing law.

• For me the satisfaction comes from working with clients. [Clients] who have had awful things happen, and are still full of life and optimism. It’s a lovely feeling to be able to help someone get justice. I think you get as much out of it as they do.

• Roht-Arriaza advises students interested in pro bono work to start small, wherever they are. She notes to look for opportunities within the constraints of a your work, and there’s always something you can do.