The University of New Mexico School of Law Clinical Program has expanded its services by hiring a licensed clinical social worker, marking a shift toward a more multidisciplinary approach to legal education. The new position is supported through a multi-year partnership with Bernalillo County.
Lucía Fraire joined the program in May. She grew up in Albuquerque and earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington in 2017. Her background includes work in medical and mental health settings, as well as experience with research and facilitation.
Social workers within legal clinics help clients manage issues such as housing instability, food insecurity, and access to mental health care. Fraire’s role will supplement the legal support provided to students by addressing broader social and emotional needs. She will also train students, faculty, and staff on trauma-informed practices, empathy-based communication, and recognizing when clients might benefit from social work support.
School of Law Associate Dean of Experiential Learning Serge Martinez said, “This inter-professional collaboration between the Clinical Program and a social worker is one of the most exciting things we’ve done in a while. For as long as I’ve been a public interest lawyer, I’ve been frustrated by the limitations of what lawyers can do to help people who have problems that aren’t just legal in nature.”
Martinez added: “The legal problems our clients come to us with are often only a small piece of a much larger set of needs and challenges they are facing, all of which are usually connected: the reason they’re facing eviction is because they don’t have money to pay the rent because they had to pay for medical care for their kids and a car repair so they can get to the two jobs they need to have to be able to afford the rent.”
The initiative aims not only to improve client care but also prepare law students for collaboration with professionals outside traditional legal roles. It highlights ongoing gaps in resources across New Mexico while encouraging conversations about how different disciplines can work together more effectively.
“We are trained to put out fires, and we’re not always good at preventing the next fires from starting. We can often help with legal needs—fighting off an eviction, helping enforce a child support agreement, defending a criminal charge—but then we’re sort of stuck in terms of next steps,” said Martinez. “Adding a social worker to our team means that we can help our clients discover and access resources that go beyond the immediate problem they’re facing and address the issues that put them into the position that made them contact us in the first place. This is a huge step forward for the Clinic and our clients. I’m so grateful to Bernalillo County for its support for the Clinic and the individuals and families we serve,”
