I have learned so much during my internship at the Office of Public Defender Services. I learned some skills that would translate to any job, such as how to unjam a copier. I also learned skills specific to the legal field such as how to properly write a transcript digest; how to conduct legal research; how to analyze police and medical reports, 911 calls, and autopsy photos; and how to prepare a client for trial. Furthermore, I learned an important lesson. There are few truly evil people in this world. There are a lot of people from bad circumstances and with mental health issues that need help and a good lawyer to protect their constitutional rights and advocate for sentences that are truly rehabilitative instead of punitive.

This internship has definitely impacted my career path. I have always known that I want to be a lawyer, but I wasn’t sure about which area I would like to practice. After this internship, I would definitely want to be a public defender.

To any students who may intern in the future, definitely put time and effort into finding an internship that will help crystallize what you want to do as a career. If you want to intern somewhere like your local public defender’s office, be prepared to see some pretty horrific stuff. However, it is an experience I highly recommend due to the interesting and fulfilling nature of the work.