Student Testimonials
Over the past two years, SFPIF has
provided individual financial assistance to over 90 Northwestern Law
students working in unpaid, public interest internships during the
summer. Without SFPIF support, many of these students would have been
unable to take advantage of these employment opportunities. Some of the
organizations which have indirectly benefited from SFPIF's support
include:
Cook County Office of the Public Defender - Chicago, IL
Alexene Farol - Class of 2014
2012 SFPIF Grant Recipient
I used my SFPIF grant to work at the Cook County Office of the Public Defender, where I served as a law clerk. I worked in Judge Dennis Porter's courtroom under the supervision of Assistant PD Dan Walsh. I was responsible for legal research and writing motions, but the majority of my day was spent with defendants in lockup or in jail. My job was to know the cases' ins and outs, and to be involved in the pre-trial investigations with the client, and often the client's witnesses or family members. I was able to see the court functions up close, and to participate in the legal process through writing my own motions that appeared before the judge. More importantly in my mind, I learned the criminal justice system from the trenches, working with the accused themselves. That has led me to pursue a career in criminal defense, which I had never previously considered. It was an incredible experience, and one that I plan to continue.
U.S. Attorney's Office - Los Angeles
Andrea Hoeven - Class of 2013
2012 SFPIF Grant Recipient
This summer I was one of four summer law clerks working in the Major Frauds division of the Los Angeles USO which prosecutes the most significant white collar crime cases in the country. Having come to law school with an interest in white collar crime, it was an experience I just couldn't pass up. During the summer, I worked one on one with a A.U.S.A. who has been in the office for over 20 years. I helped her take an international wire and mail fraud case to trial and we got a guilty verdict on all fifteen counts on my last day in the office. She involved me in every aspect of the trial prep and trial, including witness prep, writing pre-trial motions and actually crafting the witness exams and closing arguments. It was an invaluable experience that I simply could not have gotten elsewhere. I also researched and wrote various motions, prosecution memos and an appellate brief for other attorneys while in the office. All of these opportunities exceeded the type of work my colleagues in big firms were getting, both in responsibility and scope. I am grateful to SFPIF for giving me the freedom to pursue the type of work I came to law school to do and I am more confident leaving my summer experience that public interest is, and will continue to be, a priority in my practice.
Illinois Office of Health Information Technology - Chicago, IL
John Saran - Class of 2013
2012 SFPIF Grant Recipient
My SFPIF grant allowed me to work for the Illinois Governor's Office of Health Information Technology at the Thompson Center during the summer of 2012. There I worked under the general counsel on transactional and regulatory matters in furtherance of implementing the Illinois Health Information Exchange. This federally sponsored project is intended to link up hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers in a single network so that electronic health data can be shared throughout the state. I negotiated contracts with large software companies, drafted legislative amendments and presented in front of agency committees. In just a few months, I not only obtained practical real-world experience, but also made several contacts in the healthcare field. I think that I was able to quickly find a transactional health care associate position in Chicago because of the invaluable experiences I had over the summer, which would not have been possible without the SFPIF grant.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Chicago, IL
Samuel Ikard - Class 2014
2012 SFPIF Grant Recipient
At the EEOC, I worked on various projects related to claims of discrimination in the workplace. I worked on litigation evaluations of racial harassment claims, which included interviewing the charing parties, witnesses, and drafting a memo evaluating the strength of the case. I also worked on various other claims of sexual harassment and disability discrimination. I got to also sit in on the initial intake of discrimination charges, depositions, and settlement conferences.
I learned a lot about a federal agency that I had little knowledge of prior to working there. I learned a lot about employment discrimination law in the U.S. as well as the obstacles federal agencies face with limited resources.
I chose the EEOC because the mission of the agency to eradicate discrimination in the workplace is one which I feel strongly about. I really enjoyed my experience at the EEOC because it gave me an opportunity to do a lot of hands on work as a 1L and because the attorneys and my co-interns were such great and impressive people. It was also a great experience because I was able to see tangible results from my work.
I think SFPIF is an amazing and unique resource that allows Northwestern Law students to do public interest, unpaid internships when financial hardship might normally not allow it. I have met few students from other schools that have access to an equivalent resource. Without SFPIF, I would not have been able to spend my summer in Chicago or worked at the EEOC and for that I am very grateful.
My
SFPIF grant enabled me to work at Advocates for
Children of New York during the summer of 2006. At Advocates for
Children, attorneys work on behalf of low income families to ensure
that their children have access to quality public education in New York
City. The organization strives to be a powerful agent for change within
the public schools of New York by combining legal services, impact
litigation, direct advocacy, public education, training, organizing,
and research and policy analysis. While a summer intern, I represented
parents with students who receive special education services. I
conducted intake interviews, reviewed educational records, investigated
appropriate schools and services as potential remedies, researched
legal issues, and prepared for administrative due process hearings,
including preparing witness testimony, drafting cross-examination
questions and opening and closing statements. In addition, I drafted a
memorandum of law as an appeal to the State Review Board. Finally, I
assisted in the analysis of discovery in a federal court class action
lawsuit. I owe so much to SFPIF because I never could have worked for
Advocates for Children without my grant!
Thanks
to the kindness of SFPIF, I was able to
work as a legal intern over the summer for the ACLU of Georgia. During
my twelve weeks at the ACLU, I advocated for the rights of students
against an unconstitutionally vague school clothing policy, advised on
an amicus brief concerning a college's dormitory harassment policies,
wrote a letter to the Georgia Board of Education about why they
shouldn't allow Harry Potter books to be banned from local schools and
libraries, and got to help draft briefs and motions on cases at the
preliminary injunction and trial levels, respectively. These were all
wonderful experiences that have helped me grow and learn much of what
it means to be a lawyer in the public interest. But because the ACLU of
Georgia does not have the money to pay its law clerks, this tremendous
experience would not have been possible without my SFPIF grant. I can't
thank SFPIF enough for its generosity and for helping me have such a
wonderful summer!
Because
of the generosity of SFPIF and SFPIF
alumni across the country and the world, I was able to work as a legal
intern in the refugee program of Amnesty International USA, located in
Washington, DC. During my twelve week at Amnesty, I advocated for the
rights of refugees on Capitol Hill, conducted legal research on cases
pending before the Supreme Court, drafted Urgent Actions to be sent to
Amnesty's worldwide membership, composed sign-on letters to be signed
by members of Congress as well as fellow NGOs, and visited area
detention centers to help detained aliens with their defensive asylum
claims. Because Amnesty does not pay its interns, this tremendous
experience would not have been possible without my SFPIF grant.
This
summer I worked at a women's and children's
rights foundation near Accra, Ghana. It is expensive to fly to Africa
and the foundation was of course unable to pay me, so my SFPIF grant
was crucial. At the foundation I worked within the Women's Law and
Human Rights Institute and worked on various things. I wrote funding
proposals, training manuals on Social Development and Public Interest
Litigation, and sought out other schools to affiliate with. It was an
interesting time to be in Ghana because there is a Domestic Violence
Bill currently in Parliament. I worked on several projects related to
this bill including helping out at a luncheon for members of Parliament
and writing a memo to Parliament in support of the bill. I also had the
chance to write three articles of my own for submission to local
papers. All in all it was a very educational and fulfilling summer.
When
I started law school, I knew that I would
want to spend my first summer working at the Bluhm Legal Clinic. What I
wasn't sure about, however, was how I could do that and pay my rent at
the same time. Thankfully, all because I was given a generous SFPIF
grant, I was able to spend my summer working full time at the Center on
Wrongful Convictions.
Throughout the summer I was given numerous projects to work on for
various clients. Although there was a lot of research and writing
involved, my very first day I was asked to write a motion in limine, I
was also given the chance to conduct interviews, attend a jury exercise
in Springfield, visit with clients in prison, and investigate new
claims of innocence. This summer was particularly exciting because I
was able to help on the Julie Harper case, which we took to trial in
July and ultimately won. After spending a year of school simply reading
case after case, it was an amazing experience to actually be involved
in a trial and to personally see how the outcome drastically changes a
person's life. I am grateful that SFPIF made this summer a possibility.
My
SFPIF grant enabled me to spend an incredible
summer at the Center on Wrongful Convictions. I primarily worked on a
case involving a man who was wrongfully convicted of raping and
murdering a small child 26 years ago (amazingly, 2 weeks after I was
born). After re-testing the DNA recovered from the scene of the crime
using the latest DNA technology, the Center secured proof that our
client was innocent - none of the semen or blood recovered from the
crime scene belongs to him. In light of this newly discovered evidence,
my task this summer was to write a petition for relief from judgment.
From pouring over the trial transcript, to re-interviewing witnesses, I
was able to compile a draft of the document, which was filed at the end
of July. We are now awaiting the state's response. Of all of the
experiences I had this summer, perhaps the most rewarding was going to
meet our wrongfully-convicted client in prison. It was amazing to meet
him and to hear his story.
In addition to work on this case, I was able to catch a glimpse of the
incredible variety of cases and work that the Center does. I was able
to attend part of Julie Rae Harper's trial. Ms. Harper was being
retried for the murder of her ten-year-old son after her previous
conviction was vacated. Because of work performed by former and current
Center students, current Clinic attorneys, and the law firm Schiff
Hardin, Ms. Harper was found not guilty. I was also able to attend a
portion of the civil trial of a former Center client, Michael Evans.
Mr. Evans was wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years for the murder of a
young girl. Because of the circumstances surrounding his arrest and
conviction, Mr. Evans sued the City of Chicago. Although, Mr. Evans was
unsuccessful in his action, his attorneys did a masterful job of
representing him.
My summer was full with meaningful, interesting work. In addition to
that already explained, I also screened requests for counsel from
prisoners and pending issues and worked on other pending Center cases.
My experience with the Center this summer was inspiring and rewarding.
Without the SFPIF grant, it would not have been possible. I am truly
grateful to everyone who continues to make these SFPIF grants possible.
Not only do the grants change students' lives by making these
incredible opportunities possible, but the grants also change the lives
of those individuals who would otherwise be without assistance.
This
summer I used my Len Rubinowitz Grant to
intern at Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. Chicago Coalition for the
Homeless focuses its resources on policy changes to help homeless
individuals and combat prostitution. I was able to visit many
transitional housing locations and meet with various service providers
in the city of Chicago. Additionally, I developed a brochure for sex
trade victims to help them understand their rights, the resources
available to them, and newly passed laws. I enjoyed my internship and
it would not have been possible without a grant from SFPIF.
The
funding I received this summer from SFPIF
allowed to me work at Northwestern's Children and Family Justice
Center. The position was both personally and professionally enriching.
I worked for two children who were seeking asylum after being
persecuted in their home country. I drafted affidavits and briefs,
researched country conditions, interviewed clients, and searched for
experts to submit affidavits. One of our clients was a teenage girl who
was afraid of being kidnapped by drug traffickers, as her older sister
had been. Another was a teenage boy whose family members had been
murdered, shot, and threatened by gang members. In addition to those
two cases, I conducted intake interviews at two detention centers for
immigrant children. The enormity of the immigration system's problems
was evident in every child's story. Although there were many
frustrating cases where we could not help the children, some
satisfaction came from helping those we could. I learned so much, not
only about asylum law, but also about client interaction and
professionalism in general.
Without the SFPIF fellowship, I would not have been able to support
myself this summer, and this incredible experience would have never
happened. Thank you to all those people who donate so generously to
make SFPIF possible.
Because
of the hard work and generosity of the
members of the NU Law community and SFPIF members specifically I was
able to spend my summer with the guardians ad litem of the Children's
Law Center. The GAL's are appointed by the DC Superior Court to
represent the best interests of children involved in neglect
proceedings. As is common with many non-profits, CLC can not afford to
pay their summer law clerks. My SFPIF grant allowed me to advocate for
a high quality of life, in all aspects of life, for neglected children
in Washington, DC. I spent the summer writing memos assessing the
impact of new DC neglect laws and cases on current CLC clients,
attending the criminal hearings associated with neglect cases,
conducting criminal background checks, interviewing our clients and
their families. I also spent countless hours assessing our client's
personal needs and trying to get them the services they need to thrive
as children and be on a path to successful adulthood. Some of the
things I investigated with and for our clients were: summer camps,
summer schools, obtaining IEP documentation and other school records,
arranging day care for the children of our clients, joining our clients
at orientation and information sessions for job training and
alternative school programs, etc.
Because
of the generosity of SFPIF and SFPIF
alumni across the country, I was able to work for the City of Chicago
during the summer as an extern in the revenue litigation department. I
worked with corporations and citizens that failed or refused to pay
taxes which affected the citizenry of the city in general. This
experience allowed me to observe the inner workings of city government
and the manner in which the various departments in the city work
together. This experience allowed me to observe actual cases and to
work on a few doing research and writing of memorandums and parts of
briefs. It was undoubtedly a very enlightening and worthwhile
experience which allowed me to advocate for all of the citizens of the
city of Chicago by making sure that those that failed to adhere to the
law did not get away. Working for a city government and gaining this
invaluable experience would not have being possible without the
generosity of SFPIF alumni across the country, thank you.
With
the help of my SFPIF grant, I was able to
work in the Appellate Section of the Colorado Attorney General's office
this summer. I had two main tasks there. First, I was in charge of
researching and writing up the unique first impression legal issues
which the staff did not have time to exhaustively investigate on its
own. Second, given the dramatic rise in pro se prisoner briefs in light
of several recent Supreme Court decisions, I had the opportunity to
write several response briefs which helped the office out immensely.
The grant I received from SFPIF enabled me to live in Colorado for the
summer, paying for basic living expenses as well as transportation.
Without the grant, I would not have been able to afford taking this
position, and would have lost the valuable and worthwhile opportunity.
I
spent this summer as a law clerk at the Cook
County Office of the Public Guardian. Since the Public Guardian is
unable to fund its law clerks, my SFPIF fellowship gave me the
opportunity to work there without having to worry about paying my rent
and bills. Without the SFPIF grant, I would not have been able to
afford working at an organization that did not have the funding to pay
its summer clerks.
At the Public Guardian's office, I worked with the attorneys who
represent abused and neglected children in Cook County. The attorneys
have a dual role; on one hand they advocate for what the child wants
and on the other they act as guardian ad litem, representing what they
believe is in the best interest of the children. Throughout the summer,
I had the opportunity to meet and interview clients, prepare for
hearings, and work with the attorneys and the Department of Children
and Family Services to try to create the most desirable living
situation for children who have been removed from their homes and to
ensure their safety. The Guardian's office is incredibly important to
its clients because they attorneys fight to make sure that the needs of
the children are the top priority when making important decisions about
the children's lives. Thanks to SFPIF, I was able to contribute to this
important endeavor.
This
past summer I lived in Washington, D.C. and
interned at the Department of Health and Human Service's Office of
General Counsel in the National Institutes of Health branch.
A big part of the reason I came to law school was because I am
interested in the legal and ethical issues associated with health care.
I received a Masters of bioethics before attending law school,
intending to combine bioethics and law professionally. In light of this
background, it was a goal of mine for my 1L summer to find a position
that would provide me with some experience in the area of health, law,
and policy. Working in the Office of General Counsel at National
Institutes of Health was the answer!
At NIH, some of the projects I worked on included contributing a
written legal assessment to Briefing Book: Emergency Authorities of the
Secretary of Health & Human Services, researching and writing
memos addressing legal issues presented to the Office of General
Counsel, and composing affidavits for the Department of Justice in
litigation involving an NIH researcher. In addition, I had many
opportunities to participate in government-wide summer legal intern
events.
Through SFPIF's generous Len Rubinowitz Fellowship, I could focus on
public service through my internship at the NIH without burdens of
financial stress or spending time working at another job for income. I
was also able to explore the area of health law and learn that I do, in
fact, wish to pursue this practice area professionally, to live in D.C.
over the summer, and to meet a number of health law attorneys with whom
I hope to stay in touch throughout my career. Thank you, SFPIF, for
making such a satisfying summer possible!!
My
SFPIF grant enabled me to take an internship
this summer in Washington, D.C. with the Department of Justice's Civil
Division, Torts Branch. The office that I worked in handled claims and
suits arising under the Federal Tort Claims Act and was comprised of
about 30 attorneys and 6 other summer interns. I wrote several legal
memoranda on issues regarding suits against the government by private
citizens. For example, the FTCA requires a six month settlement period
between the time a citizen files an administrative claim against a
federal agency or employee and the time when the citizen may sue the
agency or employee in federal court; it is in this time period that the
government attempts to settle the administrative claim. I wrote
settlement recommendations on two occasions evaluating settlements that
had been reached by an Assistant U.S. Attorney in cases involving
alleged medical malpractice at military hospitals. The memos analyzed
the state law issues regarding liability and damages and the federal
law provisions under the FTCA. Another large project was to write a
memo evaluating under what circumstances a doctor working with the
Indian Health Service could provide care to a non-Indian and still be
covered under the FTCA. Another memo analyzed whether or not a military
veteran who had claimed Federal Employee Compensation Act benefits for
an injured knee suffered while he had worked as a postal employee could
sue under both FECA and the FTCA when he re-injured the knee while
visiting a friend on an Army base several years later. Finally, the DOJ
sponsored several tours of D.C. landmarks and a brown bag lunch speaker
series introducing the legal interns to the various Federal
departments.
I used my SFPIF funds to cover my travel, food, and rental expenses for
the summer. Without my SFPIF grant, I simply would not have been able
to take my internship with the DOJ because I ended the academic year
with very little money left over. Living and eating in Washington, D.C.
can be expensive, but I was able to cover nearly 100% of my expenses
thanks to SFPIF.
This
summer I worked as a legal associate at the
Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), an NGO that contains the
largest collection of evidence from the Cambodian Genocide in the
1970's. Working from the Center's offices in the country's capital,
Phnom Penh, I was able to work on a variety of projects related to the
Khmer Rouge Tribunal. For example, I did research on the international
jurisprudence concerning the appropriate definition of crimes against
humanity. For the Tribunal's Officer of the Prosecutor, I put together
a database on the Center's collection of interviews of members of the
Cham Muslim minority group taken from refugee camps on the
Thai-Cambodian border in the 1980's. The biggest and most rewarding
project I worked on was the creation of a booklet introducing Cambodian
high school and university students to the Tribunal, to their own legal
system, and to the rule of law. Since legacy may be the most important
thing to come out of the Tribunal, it was wonderful to be a part of it
and be able to contribute to the efforts of a heartbreaking country
that is still trying to rebuild itself. Since DC-Cam is almost
completely dependent on international donors, the internship was
unpaid. My SFPIF grant covered all my expenses for living and working
in Cambodia for 10 weeks, including my airfare. Without the generosity
of SFPIF donors, I wouldn't have been able to have such an eye-opening
and humbling experience.
Through
the generous SFPIF fellowship, I was able
to spend this summer working for Earthjustice in Washington, D.C.
Earthjustice is a nationwide non-profit environmental organization
dedicated to protecting people, wildlife and natural resources. It is
one of the most effective environmental groups in the country and
provides free legal representation to citizen groups to enforce
environmental laws.
In the D.C. office, I worked primarily on Clean Water Act and Clean Air
Act litigation. I prepared memoranda for attorneys in the office. Since
there are only six attorneys in the D.C. office, I was able to work
with almost all of them. The research varied and included potential
claims for future litigation, discreet issues in current cases, and
updating case law research on a case that has been ongoing for almost
twenty years! I learned a lot of substantive law and also saw firsthand
the attorney's dedication to their work and clients. The attorneys were
very generous with their time and I was able to improve my research and
writing skills tremendously. They were also a fun group to work with
and I was able to attend several summer legal intern events around D.C.
as well.
I
worked this past summer as an extern at the U.S.
EPA Office of Regional Counsel for Region 5 here in Chicago. It was a
great place to work, and I was grateful to get a SFPIF grant because
otherwise I wouldn't have been able to work there. The people there
were truly first rate. They are intelligent, accessible mentors and fun
to work beside. And the work itself was great too. From the first day I
was given challenging projects that I was given a good amount of
freedom to handle on my own-though the attorneys were always willing to
help and critique where necessary. I drafted a referral to the
Department of Justice, a Request for Information in an EPCRA case, and
a complaint in an EPCRA case. There was of course also a number of memo
assignments. To me the work was rewarding as I have always been
concerned for environmental causes, and it was great to have the chance
to work for the summer protecting the environment and the public
health.
Thanks
to SFPIF I was able to spend my summer
abroad, working at an international non-governmental organization. It
is incredibly difficult to find funding to work outside of the United
States, so SFPIF provided me with a truly unique opportunity.
Geneva for Human Rights (GHR) is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and
its main focus is to provide training to other NGOs around the world in
order to enable them to work effectively within the United Nations
system to achieve their goals. As an intern, I monitored various human
rights meetings at the UN and wrote analytical reports that GHR
disseminated to other NGOs through training seminars and networks. I
attended meetings of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the
Human Rights Committee, the Economic and Social Council, the
Sub-Commission on Human Rights, and the inaugural session of the Human
Rights Council. I also helped to conduct a training seminar for Asian
NGOs present in Geneva in preparation for the 1st Session of the Human
Rights Council. My time spent at the UN was invaluable to understanding
how the various international human rights mechanisms work in practice
and the international character of Geneva also enabled me to broaden my
perspective through casual dialogues about human rights.
I
spent this summer as a legal intern at the
Georgia Justice Project in Atlanta. Georgia Justice Project attorneys
practice indigent criminal defense and represent clients in cases
ranging from city ordinance violations to first-degree murder. As a
legal intern, I conducted interviews of potential clients, helped to
prep clients for trial and wrote necessity defense memoranda and trial
briefs. I also developed and implemented a project on the
decriminalization of homelessness in Atlanta and assisted in the
representation of people arrested for violations of Òquality of lifeÓ
ordinances and also in expungement and pardoning of criminal records.
Because GJP does not have the resources to pay its interns, without the
SFPIF grant this invaluable experience would not have been possible.
I
spent the summer working for Attorney General
Lisa Madigan's Disability Rights Bureau. The Disability Rights Bureau
is primarily concerned with the enforcement of state and federal
accessiblity laws, which ensure that those with developmental,
mobility, or other impairments can enjoy the same services as those
without such disabilities. My primary responsibilities were drafting
and editing memos, demand letters, settlement agreements, and other
documents. I also attended various committee meetings with the bureau
chief and attorneys, and assisted at a site inspection during an
accessibility investigation. Without a SFPIF grant, I would not have
had the opportunity to participate in the Attorney General's clerkship
program. Disability rights law is a dynamic and relatively young
advocacy area, and I was extremely pleased with my work this summer.
Many thanks to all who participated in or donated to SFPIF events
throughout last year.
This
summer I worked at the Chief Counsel's Office
for the Internal Revenue Service in Chicago, Illinois. My work at the
office included drafting memos discussing possible case theories for
approaching trials, researching new tax shelters and the Service's
possible positions against the shelters, and writing adverse
determination letter opinions. The Chief Counsel's office makes every
attempt to expose students to every aspect of their lawyer's work, so I
was also able to sit in on numerous conference calls discussing cutting
edge tax issues, a few client meetings, and also visit the
investigation division of the IRS where I learned about their spy
techniques and used a few of their ultra-high tech surveillance
equipment.
Like most government jobs, my position was unpaid. My SFPIF grant
helped me pay rent and avoid taking out too much more in loans, while
providing service to an important by somewhat under funded and
overworked division of our federal government. The money made my
decision between what I really wanted to do (IRS), and what I thought I
should do (private firm), much easier. Law students have a very limited
opportunity to experience different types of law practice, and SFPIF
gave me the opportunity for an experience that will help me for my
entire legal career.
I
received a fellowship from SFPIF that allowed me
to gain valuable experience and make a difference to the Chicago
community at the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing. As the premier
eviction defense group in Chicago, the LCBH both represents tenants
facing eviction who cannot otherwise afford an attorney and represents
tenants against their landlord in issues before they end up in
litigation.
During this past summer, I worked in the Attorney of the Day (AOD)
project, where I assisted tenants facing eviction by supporting
attorneys in and out of the courtroom. I drafted pleadings and motions,
provided courtroom support during litigation, and performed critical
functions in dealing with clients. Over the course of the summer, I
worked on 35 eviction cases and was able to help get the vast majority
of them dismissed or settled.
I also worked on the Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP), which represented
tenants against landlords in non-eviction cases. I was able to help
tenants achieve settlements with their landlords in several instances
of illegal lockouts and denial of essential services and utilities.
Finally, I also worked on the Affordable Housing Preservation Project
(AHPP), which seeks to preserve affordable housing and prevent
landlords from abusing their tenants. I worked on several cases where
landlords were illegally evicting their tenants wholesale in order to
refit their buildings to attract more wealthy tenants and was able to
help get settlements for the tenants and allow them to retain their
apartments.
The feeling of both belonging to a legal team and helping single
mothers, families, disabled people, and seniors hold on to their homes
was indescribable. I am very grateful to the students who contributed
so much to SFPIF last year. My grant allowed me to make a tangible,
direct, positive difference to the community and have an amazing
summer.
With
SFPIF's support, I spent the summer working
at The Legal Aid Society's Education Advocacy Project in Brooklyn, New
York. Legal Aid represents over 90% of foster children in New York City
in their family court cases. Many children in foster care have some
special education needs but, without a stable family life, these
children often have no adult who consistently follows through with the
school and the Board of Education to ensure that their needs are being
met. The Education Advocacy Project (EAP) was founded in response to
this problem and now, anyone who works with a child in family court can
refer the child to EAP if they have concerns about the child's
educational placement or performance.
In order to best represent our clients, we try to gain a broad picture
of their backgrounds. Over the course of the summer, I conducted
numerous home visits where I would meet the children and their foster
parents to conduct informal interviews and gain a sense of the child's
educational history, current academic levels and goals for the future.
If possible, I also observed the child in class and spoke to teachers
of guidance counselors about their observations and recommendations for
the child. I would then write to the Board of Education on behalf of
the child, requesting whatever evaluations seemed appropriate and
asking that they convene a meeting to adjust the child's Individualized
Education Plan accordingly. My supervising attorney and I would attend
these meetings at the Board of Education, along with the foster parent
and/or biological parent, and advocate for the services we believed
would best suit our clients' needs. After the Board of Education made a
recommendation for a specific kind of service or school setting, we
would then help the child and his or her foster parent choose service
providers or accompany them on school visits to ensure that the
placement being offered was, in fact, appropriate.
Children in foster care are some of the most vulnerable and it was
incredibly rewarding to help our clients access and take advantage of
the educational services available to them under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act and state law. Thank you SFPIF!
Because
of SFPIF, my job this summer did not feel
like work. I interned at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego where I
helped indigent clients file petitions for restraining orders, answer
eviction complaints, and apply for guardianship over their
incapacitated family members. The experience was extremely fulfilling
as I guided all kinds of people from all walks of life through their
legal problems, educating them about the legal system and its ins and
outs. In addition, the internship provided me with a set of practical
skills that could only be acquired on the job, outside of the
classroom. Because the Legal Aid Society is a non-profit organization,
the internship was unpaid. By providing me with a salary, the SFPIF
grant enabled me to enrich my lawyering skills and to make a valuable
contribution to the community. I have nothing but gratitude and
appreciation to SFPIF and what it allowed me to do. Thanks SFPIF!
I
spent my summer working in the downtown office
of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF) as an
intern in the Illinois Migrant Legal Assistance Project (IMLAP), a
sub-project of LAF. My work included drafting complaints, drafting
affidavits of damages, conducting legal research, providing English
summaries of client interviews conducted in Spanish, filing Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) requests, helping clients with immigration
documents and food stamp applications, as well as speaking with
clients, both over the phone and in person. One unique aspect of IMLAP
is that it has an outreach component, meaning that over the summer
interns have the opportunity to travel to outlying areas of Illinois,
where migrant workers live and work, and inform them of the legal
services IMLAP offers. It is particularly helpful to speak and read
Spanish if you take this internship.
Thanks
to the hard work of SFPIF members and the
generosity of its donors, I received a SFPIF grant that allowed me to
spend the summer volunteering as a legal intern at a Tanzanian
non-governmental human rights organization. The experience was
absolutely amazing, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have done it. I
can honestly say that I learned something new everyday - about the
culture, legal system, government, people, and way of life in Tanzania
- and while I know I could have conducted research on Tanzanian human
rights from the United States, the experience of being in Dar es
Salaam, interacting with Tanzanians, and learning about these issues
firsthand was invaluable. At the Centre's headquarters, I researched
human rights violations, drafted a funding proposal for a campaign to
end female genital mutilation in Tanzania, and analyzed the work done
by the Centre's legal aid clinics in order to make recommendations on
Òstrategic litigationÓ cases the Centre could pursue in furtherance of
the public interest. I worked alongside incredibly bright, motivated
and compassionate individuals, who I am still in contact with today. I
simply cannot say enough about the experience I had, and I truly
couldn't have done it without SFPIF funding. I am proud to be a SFPIF
board member, so that I can ensure that other students have the same
opportunity that I did, be it in Tanzania or elsewhere.
The
SFPIF grant I received this summer allowed me
to work at the Midwest Center for Justice, a small non-profit
organization in Evanston that specializes in death penalty appeals.
Over the course of the summer, I helped draft a habeas petition for a
client in
Mississippi, conducted research for a direct appeal in a federal death
penalty case, met with two clients in the Indiana State Penitentiary,
and traveled to Kentucky to attend an evidentiary hearing. With only
two attorneys and limited resources, the Midwest Center for Justice
would have difficulty funding summer interns on its own. SFPIF helps
ensure that organizations such as this allow students to have real life
work experiences with real responsibilities.
Thanks
to the generosity of the Len Rubinowitz
Fellowship program, I was able to spend my summer working for the
Midwest Center for Justice (MCJ), a small public interest law firm,
based in Evanston, Illinois, that represents inmates on death row.
Because of the small size of the firm, all work at the MCJ is done by
two partners, a handful of volunteer lawyers, and the summer interns. I
enjoyed a tremendous amount of responsibility throughout the summer. I
was assigned to research and write portions of briefs that our office
filed with the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal. I
accompanied my supervisor to an Indiana prison where we met with
several of our clients and updated them on the status of their cases.
And by the end of the summer, I was sufficiently well-versed in federal
habeas proceedings that I was able to pen the first draft of a
certiorari petition that was filed in the United States Supreme Court.
Given its limited resources, the MCJ relies on programs like
Northwestern's SFPIF to make it financially feasible for
public-interest-minded law students to accept unpaid summer positions.
My SFPIF grant made it possible for the MCJ to provide zealous
representation to its clients, many of whom are appealing major
instances of procedural unfairness that occurred in their original
trial.
A
SFPIF grant allowed me to spend the summer
working with the Montana Justice Project, a new nonprofit legal
organization that fills the gaps left by traditional legal services. In
this small office I got to work on a wide range of projects, from
landlord-tenant disputes and parenting plans to prisoner's rights and
criminal defense of undocumented immigrants. Unlike most summer
associate positions with law firms, I was able to work directly with
clients and make important decisions along with my supervisor.
This
summer I worked at the New York Civil
Liberties Union, the New York State affiliate of the ACLU. My SFPIF
grant allowed me to accept this internship and live in New York,
despite the fact that the position was unpaid.
The NYCLU, much like the ACLU, is a public interest organization
dedicated to civil rights and civil liberties; and it depends on the
guarantees of the constitution to advance its legal claims and policy
goals. Much of my summer was spent researching and writing memos; but,
I can say that the issues for which I was responsible were so
interesting, that it really was never a bore. My most interesting
research assignment was one concerning demonstrators' first amendment
rights to protest on public sidewalk. In addition to doing the standard
case law research, I was also able to observe the protest in action --
the demonstrators' form of protest and their interactions/altercations
with the police -- which proved very helpful in writing the memo. I was
also given the responsibility to review the complaint served by the
restaurant that was the target of the protest. After reviewing and
researching the restaurants' claims, I met with the committee that
would ultimately decide whether or not take the case and shared my
findings and my opinions. I really felt like my work and thoughts on
the matter were considered seriously by the attorneys in the room. In
addition to research on a number of various legal issues, I was able to
observe a pregnancy discrimination trial in federal court, a 2nd
Circuit appellate argument, a scheduling conference, depositions and
meetings with the AUSAs. Finally, because the national office of the
ACLU was located in the same building as the NYCLU, I was able to hear
some great speakers, including Anthony Romero, the ACLU's Executive
Director! The icing in the cake was working with really great people
who I am sure that I will turn to throughout my legal career.
I
spent the summer as a legal intern at the Office
of the Appellate Defender (OAD) in New York City. I was only one of two
interns and was given interesting, rewarding work from the outset. The
first several weeks on the job, I worked on research projects and sat
in on a moot court as well as attended the subsequent real oral
arguments at the appellate division in downtown NYC (1st department).
Due to my fluency in Spanish, I took several trips to neighboring
prisons where I accompanied several attorneys to translate
conversations with clients. My primary work at the OAD consisted of
working on my own case which I handled from the very preliminary
stages- contacting the client, and ensuring that the record was
complete, to analyzing the record and researching the legal issues. By
the end of the summer, I completed the brief and best of all, have been
invited back to NYC to argue the case in front of the appellate
division at some point in the future. The best thing of being on the
job was being treated as, and working as a real attorney!
This
past summer I drafted a complaint against an
international Fortune 500 corporation, worked on highly controversial
and political litigation, and helped initiate important policy
protecting women's rights in Illinois. I was able to take on this
responsibility and challenge myself at the Office of the Illinois
Attorney General's Special Litigation Division because I received a Len
Rubinowitz Fellowship. Not only does SFPIF provide students with
essential summer funding for important work, but it also gives students
the opportunity to participate in and lead large scale fundraising
activities with other public interest-minded students. SFPIF is an
essential part of Northwestern's public interest community!
I
had a fabulous summer as an intern at the New
London, CT Office of the Public Defender. Since the public defender
works exclusively with indigent clients, the office cannot pay interns.
Fortunately, my SFPIF grant allowed me to seize the opportunity to work
at the pd and do some really substantive work. Here I was able to
actually stand up in court and represent clients for their bond
hearings, interview clients who were in jail awaiting such bond
hearings, sit in court and monitor the daily goings on in an American
courthouse, negotiate with prosecutors, hang out in the judges chambers
and watch pre-trial negotiations, and even try my hand at a cross
examination of a police officer. In addition, I did some legal research
on the constitutionality of a vehicle search, which I turned into a
motion to suppress. I would not have been able to have such an
educational, exciting and rewarding experience without the generosity
of SFPIF. Thanks SFPIF!
I
spent the summer working in the Consumer/Housing
Department of Philadelphia Legal Assistance, one of Philadelphia's
large legal services organizations. I worked on cases involving
mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, and predatory lending. The work was
very exciting, fast-paced, and rewarding. In one case, an elderly woman
came to us a week before her house was to be sold at auction. We were
able to get an emergency petition granted to postpone the sale while we
worked on her case, and were successful in opening the foreclosure
judgment against her. My SFPIF grant made is possible for me to do
hands-on work that had a direct, immediate impact on the basic needs of
poor people in Philadelphia. My experience was very informative and
gave me the opportunity to take on significant responsibility. I am
grateful for SFPIF and the generosity of its supporters.
I
spent my summer at the Sargent Shriver National
Center on Poverty Law. I learned a great deal from observing how this
organization functions and the varied approaches they take toward their
ultimate goal of ending poverty. I did research on issues such as child
care worker collective bargaining in Illinois, comparisons of TANF
grants across different states, and directives on non-discrimination
within the Illinois Education Code. In addition, I participated in a
nationwide class-action lawsuit concerning a new law requiring Medicaid
applicants and recipients to prove their citizenship with a passport,
birth certificate, or other means, which poses a particular hardship on
persons born in homes instead of hospitals, disaster victims, and
mentally challenged individuals. I participated in the project from the
start, assisting with preliminary strategy decisions and recruiting
plaintiffs. I also assisted in writing briefs and researching various
issues, and got to see the case argued in court. Overall it was a great
experience to take what I learned in school and actually put it to use
and gain insight into an advocacy world I hope to someday be a part of.
Thanks SFPIF!
I
spent the summer working for the Southern Center
for Human Rights in Atlanta. I did not have time to get bored
throughout my internship, as I spent countless hours contributing to
the Center's two main objectives: 1) Saving the lives of indigent
persons on death row by challenging their capital sentences at all
stages of the appellate process; and 2) Improving the miserable
conditions of life of prisoners in Georgia and Alabama by conducting
class action suits under the 8th Amendment's cruel and unusual
punishment standard.
It is a challenging struggle to try and protect the fundamental human
dignity of some of the most underprivileged and least popular members
of society. Nevertheless, the Center's work has left me with an
uplifted spirit. Needless to say that the Center's work is extremely
compelling, as the critical issues that it tackles everyday are matters
of fundamental importance. Indeed, a society's degree of civilization
is measured by its willingness to respect the basic inalienable human
rights of all its citizens.
Without SFPIF's assistance, my internship experience would not have
been possible. I feel extremely grateful to all the people who have
contributed to SFPIF's mission. Thank you!
With
the support of a SFPIF grant, I was able to
spend the past summer working for the International Legal Resource
Center (ILRC), a joint project between the ABA and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) located in Washington D.C. As the legal
research intern, I had the opportunity to respond to various queries
from UNDP Country offices around the world. UNDP country offices submit
requests to the ILRC regarding specific questions of international law
or best practices in a more general area of the law. For example, my
work included an advisory memo responding to a UNDP/Kenya query
regarding the conditions for the legality of forced evictions in
international law, as well as a response to UNDP/Azerbaijan on best
practices in civil service commission reform. Throughout the summer I
was exposed to a wide variety of topical issues in international legal
reform. Because of the SFPIF grant I received, I was able to gain a
better understanding of my own career interests in international legal
reform. Without the grant it would have been very difficult to take
this very important step in my career development and I am therefore
very grateful to the organization and its donors.
This
summer, I was one of 60 law clerks working
for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington D.C. (USADC). I was
assigned to the office's Narcotics and Organized Crime Section where,
in addition to performing several in-depth research assignments for my
supervising attorney, I helped draft pre and post-trial motions to be
filed in court. Compared to other U.S. Attorney's Offices, the USADC is
unique in that it prosecutes ÒstateÓ as well as federal crimes. In
addition, because of the office's large size and D.C. location, the
USADC is involved with a wider variety (and a larger volume) of cases
than its sister offices. As a result, I was exposed to a wide range of
litigation - everything from sex abuse and homicide cases to
prosecutions of international drug rings and alleged terrorists.
Because my internship was such an eye-opening and amazing experience, I
feel completely indebted to SFPIF. Thanks to the grant I received, I
was able to explore a potential career path and an interest in trial
law in a way that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
This
summer, I helped prosecutors at the U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin protect the
weak, punish wrongdoers, and serve justice. Most of my time was spent
helping the USAO prosecute two white-collar defendants. One defendant,
who operated a Ponzi scheme, defrauded hundreds of investors, including
factory workers who lost their pensions or senior citizens who took out
second mortgages, out of millions of dollars. When the defendant filed
a motion to suppress incriminating evidence, I researched Fourth
Amendment law, found that the defendant lacked the standing to
challenge the admission of the evidence, and drafted a brief that will
hopefully convince the magistrate judge to rule in the government's
favor (the matter is still pending).
My other important assignment was a case that started with a 911 call
about a burglary in progress. When the police arrived on the scene, the
officers entered the property and swept the premises for the
perpetrator or possible victims. The officers did not find anything,
except a table covered with credit cards that showed that the defendant
was operating a massive credit card and identity scam.
Without funding from the Student Funded Public Interest Fellowship, I
could not have afforded to work without payment at the U.S. Attorney's
Office. I'm grateful to the organization and everyone who contributes
to SFPIF's fundraising efforts!
I
used my SFPIF grant to intern at the U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago. I
was provided various assignments from Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs)
in numerous different sections of the Criminal Division and Civil
Division. I spent my summer working on interesting and high-profile
cases in areas such as public corruption, immigration, felony
possession, and narcotics trafficking. I worked closely with many
talented AUSAs who helped me gain valuable experience. I prepared
numerous legal memos, drafted motions, charging documents, and plea
agreements, and assisted with trial preparation throughout the summer.
As a result of my experience, I am very open to the possibility of
returning to the U.S. Attorney's Office some day. My SFPIF grant
assisted with all of my summer costs. I am very grateful that SFPIF
helped make such a valuable summer experience possible.
I
used my second SFPIF grant to intern at the US
Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. I
was assigned to an Assistant US Attorney working in the Public
Corruption Unit of the Criminal Division. I spent my summer working on
extremely fascinating and high-profile cases (most of which I can't
talk about yet!). Since these were public and private corruption cases,
I gained a strong sense that I was using my legal education to make our
country a better place‰ÛÓby helping hold some really lousy characters
accountable for the various ways they harm global society. I worked
very closely with a supervisor who was intent on helping me gain the
maximum benefit from my experience, and who allowed me great access to
the resources, information, and other people involved with our cases.
Through regular lectures and tons of courtroom exposure, I learned more
about the internal workings of the DOJ than I had expected, and feel
confident that I would enjoy working there at some point. Indeed, this
internship has already raised a few eyebrows in interviews, and
potential employers are clearly impressed. SFPIF helped defray the
astronomical cost of living in NYC, and I'm extremely grateful, as this
intense and enlightening experience would not have been possible
otherwise! I should also mention that my SFPIF grant last year took me
to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in
Tanzania, and I credit that prosecutorial experience with helping me
get this year's equally prestigious internship.
Thanks
to SFPIF, I was able to accept an unpaid
legal internship this past summer which I believe was more rewarding,
instructive, and enjoyable than most paid summer positions. My
employer, the Whitman-Walker Clinic, is a non-profit organization
dedicated to providing health care and other services at little or no
cost to people living with HIV/AIDS in the Washington, DC area. While I
was there, the Legal Services Program consisted of only 5 full-time
attorneys, 1 administrative assistant, and 6 unpaid interns. Despite
these limited resources, the attorneys provided us with about a week of
substantive training in the areas of law most relevant to our clients'
needs: employment discrimination, public benefits, immigration,
confidentiality, and insurance. I spent most of my time at work
interviewing clients, discussing their cases with the attorneys, and
then counseling them on steps to take. Most of my clients needed help
applying for either Social Security disability benefits or for HIV
waivers (as a precursor to applying for legal permanent residency).
I consistently found my work at Whitman-Walker to be engrossing and a
great deal of fun. The attorneys and other clinic staff members were
always approachable and ready to teach us what we needed to know. I
appreciated the opportunity to learn about a variety of legal issues
and to interact with numerous clients everyday, most of whom were
fascinating to talk to and extremely grateful for our help. I can't
help but note that I seem to be more enthusiastic about my summer
experience than most of my classmates. Thank you, SFPIF, for what was
probably the best part of my legal education.