Law wasn’t a foregone conclusion for Gabriella Flick ’22. As an undergraduate, she majored in biology, expecting her path would lead to medicine, science or teaching. After college she taught English at a public high school in Santiago, Chile. The experience left a mark.

“I saw the social and economic inequalities in the education system and their impact on the students firsthand,” recalls Flick — though she was no stranger to discussions about injustice. Her parents, both social workers from New York City, instilled in their daughter a deep sense of empathy and drive to help those navigating societal barriers while trying to improve their lives. Flick, a Guatemalan adoptee, has also faced homophobia, racism and ableism.

Returning from Chile to the United States, Flick was empaneled as a juror in a Manhattan murder trial. The experience piqued her interest in the law. She applied to be a legal assistant for a law firm that specialized in helping 9/11 first responders and locals receive compensation through the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. What seemed like a straightforward process was anything but.

“People had a lot of trouble satisfying the requirements of the program to receive compensation, like proving their presence at Ground Zero or that their medical conditions were related to the toxic dust,” Flick recalls. “These people suffering from debilitating conditions were concerned about how they were going to pay for their healthcare or provide for their families. I was able to assist the attorneys by using my background in biology to interpret medical records and help create stronger cases. The experience showed me the power of understanding legal frameworks and how to be an advocate for people.”

Flick ultimately chose to become an intellectual property litigator, in part because of her love for science and technology. As an associate in the Boston office of Mintz, she manages a heavy caseload while participating in pro bono — including working with the Boston-based Lawyers Clearinghouse in its CORI Sealing and Expungement Clinic, which offers free legal assistance to people with Massachusetts-based criminal records. In 2023, in recognition of the more than 100 hours of pro bono services she offered as a first-year associate, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services named her to the prestigious Pro Bono High Honor Roll. Flick credits Mintz and its pro bono chair for their robust support. “When I see the real-world impact of my legal work,” Flick says, “it makes my practice more meaningful to me.”

Flick is also part of the team at Mintz collaborating with the ACLU of Massachusetts in Roe v. Mayorkas, filed on behalf of Afghans who face danger at the hands of the reinstalled Taliban regime and of their New England–based loved ones trying to bring them to safety through a process called humanitarian parole.

“When you’re a lawyer, you’re given special insight into how the legal system works,” explains Flick. “It is our responsibility to help those with less access navigate the system so that they can improve their lives. That is why pro bono is so important to me.”

It is our responsibility to help those with less access navigate the system so that they can improve their lives.”

— Gabriella Flick ’22