In the section I will be reporting and tracking the progress I have been making through real world work experience

September 11, 2019

There is a hierarchical structure within my office dynamic, but it is built from respect and collaboration. Besides me there are only 5 other people in the office. The Leader, the judge, relies on the other members, me and other employees, and we have a sense of camaraderie in the office. A constant, overbearing sense of pressure does not exist. Instead it is replaced with an open communicative space. I tend to look at the Leader-Member Exchange Theory as a positive and that is why I see it as such an appropriate fit for my workplace.

September 18, 2019

I am interning at the United States District Court in the Honorable Judge Barbara J. Rothstein’s chambers. It is a federal governmental organization dealing with the functions of the judicial branch. The court is concerned with all aspects, they are looking at the process of forming the policy (ie. legislative intent) and the outcome, how the policy was upheld and carried out. The main function of the district court is a trial court and there are 94 of them. They look at the facts and then determine which legal principle is appropriate to apply. As in the rest of the judicial system, the main goal is justice and upholding the Constitution.

October 2, 2019

Working at the United States District Court I most frequently report to the Judge, but also work closely with the two law clerks who are in our chambers and occasionally offer support to the law school legal intern on their projects. Part of my duties as a Judicial Administrative Intern are admin tasks to help the judge keep organized, plan travel, and receive reimbursements for that but the other end of it has been incredibly educational in terms of the law itself. I have honed my Westlaw and Lexus database skills, therefore can assist the law clerks with research which pertains to their assigned cases. Frequently the law clerks will talk through what they are doing with me and give “mini law school” lessons. Currently I am writing the legal standard section for an order to either deny or grant a cross summary judgment request. As it is my goal to pursue a career in law, no matter which direction I choose to take my degree I believe it is fundamental to have a thorough understanding of the functions of our third branch of government. There is a mutual respect amongst all members in the office; I look to see what I can offer support on and they look to provide me with opportunities that will provide me with a firm set of skills which I can take away from the internship. I have had the opportunities to hear the behind the scenes of cases and gather a better understanding of a judge’s process.

I am not necessarily broadening my horizons on political science in this particular internship as the third branch of government tends to stay apolitical and focus on the words in the Constitution in order to unbiasedly uphold the law.

November 8, 2019

I work in the chambers of Judge Barbara J. Rothstein at the United States District Court. There are not inherently political goals for the judiciary system, governmental yes, but political no. Seeing this in action and the neutrality which a judge hears a case is impressive to say the least. We, the judiciary, are not fully exempt from the pressures of the political sphere in DC. The influence of public opinion and the climate of politics inevitably seeps its way into the system; it is obvious when examining landmark cases over time to pick up on these patterns.

Recently, I have had the privilege of sitting in on a Judge’s Forum. Every other Friday different judges will hold a forum over lunch and they will speak on any legal topic of their choice and then have an open Q&A session. To have access to a judge’s ear and brain in such a casual setting is truly unheard of. I most recently sat with Judge Moss and he spoke about his time working at the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and the skills he gained from the clerkships he did in New York. I was able to learn about different constraints that come with the job which I might not have otherwise been aware of.

November 13, 2019

As my time at the United States District Court wraps up, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a civil servant. Taking a position within the Judiciary Branch should not be approached with hopes of status or a big pay out; the duty is to uphold the constitution- leave all political and personal agendas behind. It can be a tough pill to swallow. An individual may receive this extraordinary opportunity and position of power yet they are unable to pursue their own morals and values with it. It can be a heavy burden to bear. I have taken this perspective to how I approach my own issues and things which present themselves in my life. The idea of the greater good is something that every individual will approach differently, as we all have different values and moral which define what the greater good means, but at the end of the day it comes down to constitutional interpretation.

December 11, 2019

My first academic goal is to learn how to properly cite a case and what each part of the citation refers to. In order to accomplish this I will observe the law clerks work and read what the write and then simply ask questions. I can also independently refer to the Blue Book. My second academic goal is to understand the metrics and methods behind legal research via Westlaw and Lexus Nexus. The court provided me with logins to have access to my own account, the next step was on me to be proactive and watch tutorial videos. Once I felt comfortable with the functions of it I asked the law clerks for some small legal research projects to be able to put my newfound skills to use. They then gave me tasks like seeing how a legal standard was used in other districts and compare precedent to make informed recommendations. I felt that I achieved this goal when I turned in an assignment and one of the clerks commented that what I found is exactly what he was thinking and would have recommended himself, my research just confirmed this notion and I used all the correct search terms and cases to come to the conclusion.

My professional goals are to make at least one networking connection and step outside of my comfort zone. I did not actively pursue the first of these goals, they happened naturally because the leadership style in chambers was quite team oriented. I feel confident that these will be lifelong professional connections because of the mentorship which was offered to me. My second one was stepping outside of my comfort zone. I intended on doing this by ensuring I made the most out of my internship. I achieved this through networking with individuals outside of our own chambers.