2025 Summer Public Interest Fellow

How would you describe your experience?

Overall, my internship with the New York State Unified Court System, 8th Judicial District was informative and thorough. I was able to observe different types of courts, which let me evaluate which types of law, or courts I liked and didn't like as a future career option. I was also able to learn directly from a judge, the Honorable Susan Eagan, and her judicial law clerk, which allowed me to get more insight into how the court system works from experienced people.  I was also able to talk to and learn from other judges and a few attorneys in the court system. This combined with my observations helped me learn a lot about my potential options for the future and deciding what I might want to do in future semesters, and which fields of law I might want to focus on.

What impacted you the most?

Being able to observe multiple different court proceedings, especially trials, impacted me the most. By being able to observe different attorneys I learned about what to do and what not to do as a trial attorney. In particular, I was able to compare how different lawyers questioned witnesses and presented evidence. This should allow me to be a better trial attorney if I decide to pursue that path. I've also learned more about the differences between fields of law, which has allowed me to get a better feel for different areas of practice. For example, I was able to observe a few criminal trials, and a family court trial. By watching both types of trials I learned that while different trials have different focuses, consequences, and procedures, the general structure of a trial is similar, and that there are general legal skills that can help regardless of the field of law I practice in. Overall, observing different trials along with talking to a few judges helped me learn what I can do to be a better attorney and helped as I decide what I want to do in the future.

What would you like to share with our donors?

Thank you so much to the Savino Family.  Being able to do this internship without having to worry about taking a second job on the side to earn money allowed me to put complete focus on learning about the court system, and being a good attorney.  The fellowship allowed me to prioritize doing legal work over the summer. This fellowship allowed me to complete a judicial internship as well as fit in some extra experience with the Legal Aid Bureau giving me options that will make a huge difference in my career.