2025 CLEA Awards for Outstanding Clinical and Externship Students: Case Western’s Macie Mancuso

Each year, the Clinical Legal Education Association invites law schools to nominate students as their Outstanding Clinic Student or Team and Outstanding Externship student. This series includes submissions from law schools celebrating their outstanding students. 

From Case Western Reserve University School of Law:

Outstanding Clinic Student: Macie Mancuso

Case Western Reserve University School of Law nominates Macie Mancuso (Class of 2025) for Outstanding Clinic Student for her performance in our Second Chance Reentry Clinic during the Spring 20205 semester.  Macie’s performance in the clinic was notable for a number of reasons, but what really stood out was her enthusiasm for helping her clients and her total immersion in the relevant statutes and subject area.  Macie developed strong relationships with her clients.  Two of her clients have VERY extensive criminal records, and she was determined to file motions to seal or expunge all of their statutorily eligible records by the end of the semester.  Macie was terrific with the gentle nudges to keep us moving with her clients so that she would have the opportunity to represent them at their hearings.  One of the clients has several hearings scheduled throughout the summer, and Macie intends to represent him at all of the hearings even though she will be studying for the bar exam.  (Macie WANTS to do this, and we are confident that she can do it, as she has an energy level that requires her to have multiple responsibilities at a time.)  Macie truly enjoys talking with her clients and taking care to keep them updated on the status of her work for them.  Macie’s initiative is first-rate.  She encountered numerous novel legal questions over the course of the semester and in every instance she conducted the research and drafted a memo without me having to ask.  Her written work is excellent and rarely needs edits, thanks in part to the fact that she has memorized the relevant statutes such that I can trust the accuracy of her work.  Finally, Macie was 100% engaged in classroom discussion, helping to keep it interesting for everyone.  In all, Macie was a joy to work with, and it was so incredibly satisfying to observe her commitment to and interactions with clients such that you felt a terrific new advocate was being launched into the profession!