Part-Time Evening Student Named Fall 2024 Valedictorian
How these UIC Law resources aided Anastasiya Samafálava’s academic success and career advancement in Immigration Law
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“The professors had a great impact on my law school experience,” said Anastasiya Samafálava, December J.D. candidate and Fall 2024 valedictorian. “They provided invaluable perspectives, challenged me to think critically, and pushed me to approach the law with greater depth and insight.”
Originally from Belarus, Samafálava channeled her passion for Immigration Law into pursuing a J.D. degree that would both advance her career and make a positive impact on the lives of others. She has built a professional career focused on providing immigration services, beginning with an undergraduate degree in paralegal studies and later advancing to the role of case manager at an Immigration Law Firm.
“Once I reached my full potential as a case manager, I wanted to be more valuable to people and use my degree to represent them and advocate for their rights” she said.
Samafálava works full-time and joined the law school’s part-time evening program in 2020, a time when the law school operated solely online due to the pandemic. Though she did not physically step into the building until four semesters in, she recalls feeling grateful for being “completely supported by professors the whole way.”
Many UIC Law programs also aided in Samafálava’s career enhancement that further solidified her academic success, including the Writing Resource Center (WRC) and the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC).
The writing courses and feedback she received were instrumental in strengthening the essential skills Samafálava needs for her role, which involves overseeing cases from start to finish, with a heavy focus on legal research, writing, and staying organized while meeting tight deadlines. She credits the courses for refining her writing, sharpening her ability to conduct legal research, and mastering the art of drafting legal arguments. Courses like Administrative Law, Homeland Security, and Immigration Law helped her see the broader scope of the law and piece together its complexities like a carefully constructed puzzle.
“Once I was able to connect all the dots, I realized how every piece of knowledge fit together to shape my approach to the law,” Samafálava said.
One highlight that enriched Samafálava’s law school journey was her participation in the IHRC. As part of her involvement in the Recent Arrivals Response project, she worked closely with staff attorney Alejandra Palacios and visited police stations to distribute informational packets to migrants who had been transported to Chicago from the southern border.
“The overall experience with the clinic was extremely rewarding. As a case manager, I mostly work with paperwork, but distributing resources to the migrants gave me a firsthand view of not only their immigration challenges but also their fight for basic necessities like shelter, food, and safety,” she said.
Post commencement, Samafálava will continue her role as a case manager while she learns and transitions over to the responsibilities of a licensed attorney. She feels honored to be named valedictorian of the Fall 2024 class.
“I strived to deliver work I could be proud of and took it one day at a time. While receiving good grades was never my motivation, the fact that the work I have done is recognized is incredibly rewarding,” Samafálava concluded.