Alex Bhayani

Legal Intern @Legal Aid Society of San Diego

San Diego, US

Throughout August 2024, and again in July and August 2025, I assisted at a walk-in, pro bono legal clinic for low-income, self-represented litigants seeking or responding to temporary restraining orders on grounds of civil harassment, domestic violence, or elder abuse. Upon the completion of my assistance, a litigant would be able to file the appropriate documents with the court and receive a same-day decision by a judge to grant or deny a TRO-Collected intake data and assisted litigants in completing intake and other forms as necessary-Conversed one-on-one with litigants to discuss the content of their declaration or response, and attain as much relevant detail as possible to include in their forms-Inputted intake data into online software templates to prepare all appropriate legal documents including declarations, court hearing notices, and/or various court order request forms (eg. service fee waivers; service by sheriff)-Worked closely with supervisors, who are practicing attorneys, for feedback-Met one-on-one with litigants upon completion of all necessary documents to discuss additional action they can/must take, subsequent court procedures, and relevant timelines/deadlines-On several occasions, used my limited Spanish-speaking abilities to assist litigants in the above tasks.