Sam Mollet, a current second year student at USD was able to gain some very valuable experience through the Equal Justice Works summer internship program. Please read below how she describes the application and selection process as well as what she gained from the experience...
The application process for the Equal Justice Works internship was much easier than I had expected. The first step is deciding if you would like to apply for one or both of the internships. After I decided on the East River opportunity, I emailed my cover letter and resume to Cheryl Hanna. She made sure that the documents made it to the director of East River, Doug Cummings, and he contacted me to set up an interview time. He was very willing to work with my schedule and even came to the law school to hold the interviews, so it was more convenient for those who applied. After the selection was made, Cheryl contacted me again with a very detailed email about how to apply through the Equal Justice Works system. The information needed to apply was basic information and was easy to follow. There are a few things you have to keep track of during your internship hours, but it is not really as detailed as it seems to be. You are supposed to keep a log of the type of work you did during the 300, but you do not turn in that information. The log is mainly used to help answer questions for the exit survey after the 300 hours has been completed.
I feel like I learned a lot and was able to gain practical experience during my time at East River. I was able to take on as much work as I wanted and was able to go to court numerous times. I participated in client intake, conducted my own client interviews, and helped draft letters and documents. Also, I was able to complete my 300 on whatever schedule I chose. I worked full time and finished my 300 hours by the beginning of July, but the attorneys are also willing to work with part time job schedules or days off as they are needed. I would recommend this internship for anyone who wants to gain experience doing actual legal work in a relaxed, easy to learn environment.
