Mark Bassett '25

This summer was a great learning experience for me. I was fortunate to  be able tointeract with many of our clients, which enabled me to learn hands-on how to communicate with them in a meaningful and productive way. The research and writing assignments allowed me to improve my skills. The attorneys were so helpful in training me; I received quick feedback on my work, so I knew almost immediately what I did well and what I needed to fix. Finally, I shadowed a lot of our attorneys in court, So I observed  how they conducted themselves with the judge and opposing attorneys.  It was interesting to see how both sides interacted during settlement negotiations.

Sitting in on both the treatment court and the treatment court panel for Wyoming County made an lasting impression on me. It was great to see how hard the court personnel were working to help give people a second chance. It was also uplifting to see how the participants of treatment court were taking the opportunity to improve and running with it. My goal this summer was to do work that helped people, and treatment court gave me a window to see exactly how I was helping people through my work.

I would like to thank you for funding this fellowship. Without your help there is no way I would have been able to do this work. The drive was long, and gas is expensive. Thanks to your support I was able to survive and work the summer without needing to take out additional loans. I was able to fully throw myself into public defense work that I loved, without financial worries.