Chico State’s Community Legal Information Clinic
For more than 50 years, the Community Legal Information Clinic (CLIC) has provided free legal information to students and community members while serving as a learning opportunity in partnership with the Political Science and Criminal Justice Department at Chico State. Through paralegal practicums and internships, students work directly under the supervision of CLIC’s four attorneys, gaining hands-on experience in legal research, client services, and case management. These opportunities help students build the practical skills and professional knowledge needed for careers in criminal justice, legal studies, and related fields.
The Defense Equity Project (DEP) is a department within the Community Legal Information Clinic (CLIC) and was established in the summer of 2025. DEP was designed to be a link between the Butte Defense Equity Project and CLIC as a pipeline for paralegal interns to be able to eventually assist BDEP in the defense of their clients. Additionally, DEP filled a gap in the legal information provided by CLIC by providing information to the formerly incarcerated. As we get all get off the ground, DEP has taken on the responsibility of assisting clients in post-incarceration processes, such as expungement, and provides information on forms of record cleaning to help with right restoration. DEP provides clients with tools that can help improve access to housing, international travel, higher education, and career opportunities that might otherwise be hindered by a criminal record on a background check. The paralegal interns at the Defense Equity Project are responsible for legal research and analysis, client interactions, and the recording of that client data. They are trained to use Westlaw, The Bluebook, and other legal research tools and methods. They also interact with clients on a daily basis; they gain experience making client phone calls, taking walk-in clients, making appointments, taking intakes, and uploading them electronically. Below is a statement provided by DEP’s 2025-2026 student director, Gideon New.
“As the director of DEP, I am responsible for these paralegal interns, and it is the most fulfilling job I have ever had. My name is Gideon New and I am an English Education major at Chico State. Being a director has taught me so much about the practical application of the law, I could not have hoped to learn legal research and analysis in a better environment. As Director, I have built great relationships with my interns and have really enjoyed assigning and going over an assortment of different readings, ranging from empirical analysis of the effectiveness of holistic defense at reducing recidivism rates, to podcasts where inmates talk about their experiences. As I have come to learn, working in defense is a double-edged sword. It can be so rewarding to help, but it is tough to see the breadth of the systematic injustice embedded in our system and only be able to help in such a small way. But that small way makes a real impact into our clients’ lives, and that keeps me coming back and has ensured my desire to become a public defender one day.
I am only the second ever Director of the Defense Equity Project, my predecessor, Sean P. Cronan, bult this program from the ground up with our Supervising Attorney, Maitreya Badami. As his successor, I have done my best to increase our outreach while maintaining a standard of excellence for our clients. Our number of intakes has doubled year-over-year, and we have been able to connect with many nearby organizations. As my time as Director comes to a close, I have been looking back on my time at CLIC and DEP. One of my favorite experiences at DEP has been the biannual court trip, where I get to take my interns to the local criminal court in Oroville, and we get to watch the proceedings, take notes, and ask questions of the judge and attorneys. The Butte County Court has been gracious enough to let us continue to have this wonderful opportunity, and it has made a lasting impression on me and my interns. As I begin applying to paralegal positions and take practice LSATs for law school, I know that I will take what I have learned from my time at DEP into the world and make a positive impact. The mission of holistic defense of organizations like DEP and BDEP, to broaden the application of criminal defense beyond the courtroom, has become my mission as well.”
As DEP continues to grow, it remains committed to expanding access to legal information, supporting successful reentry, and training the next generation of advocates. Through its partnership with BDEP and CLIC, the project demonstrates how education, community engagement, and holistic defense can create meaningful opportunities for both clients and students alike.