Phi Alpha Delta

6 The Reporter — Issue #1, 2017 When Luis Canales was 16 years old, he fled gang violence in his native Honduras, making the trip to the U.S., not once, but four times. On Jan. 13, 2005, he made it into the U.S. and was released to a family member living in Scranton, PA. He had traveled almost 7,500 miles in the same pair of shoes—shoes that are still with him. Canales' case was active with immigration for five and a half years before he was granted asylum. A week after his final hearing, he started college at Marywood University in Scranton. Now a third year law student at Villanova University School of Law, Canales has become a passionate advocate for refugees. He is a student representative at Villanova's Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES) where he and fellow student, Ruby Khallouf '17, represent clients in immigration court under the supervision of Professor Michele Pistone, founding director of the clinic. In September 2016, he was invited to share his story at the United Nations as part of its Summit for Refugees and Migrants. Canales brought along those fateful shoes, which carried him from peril to freedom as a teen. Law Students of the Year: Luis Canales, Villanova University Submitted by Mike Stetz (on behalf of The National Jurist) "I believe in paying it forward," he said. "Sometimes we cannot help en masse, but we can do it on a personal level. It creates change. I want to continue my walk and see how far I get." Canales is one of 25 future lawyers honored in the National Jurist's 2017 "Law Students of the Year" feature. He joined Phi Alpha Delta's Middleton Chapter at Western New England University School of Law in 2014 then transferred schools and joined P.A.D.'s King Chapter at Villanova University School of Law. He graduated in May, 2017. We congratulate him on completing his legal education and look forward to his continued involvement in P.A.D. and great success in his career. This past school year, Sanford Chapter conducted a canned food drive they call "Immunity Week." With the assistance of Tennessee College of Law professors, students brought canned food to class to be "immune" from getting called on. Over that week, law students—along with the professors who agreed to match the contributions of their classes—donated over 680 cans and other non-perishable food items. These items went to Smokey's Pantry, a local food bank serving any of the over 30,000 University of Tennessee students, faculty, staff, and family who may need assistance getting food throughout the school year.

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