My time at the Kent County Defender's Office
Andrew
Experience Information
Employer: Kent County Office of the Defender
Job Title: Intern - Student Investigator
Major: Political Science
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: No
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
The Kent County Office of the Defender is the public defender for Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas. The office is made up of a dozen attorneys, as well as other office staff including secretaries and assistants. Many law student externs also frequent the office, though they are here on a temporary basis for school. The organizational structure is simple, with the Director, Richard Hillary, at the top, and the rest of the attorneys organized by seniority.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
As a student investigator I was tasked with assisting the attorneys in researching cases, meeting with clients and preparing documents. Much of my time was spent doing intakes, which is a procedure that happens whenever a new client comes in. This consists of interviewing the client and discussing their charges with them. I was also required to prepare the necessary court documents for the preliminary hearings and other documents used by the attorneys.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I gained a wealth of knowledge from this internship that will be invaluable for me. As someone who wants to go to law school and become a lawyer, being able to learn what it takes to work at a defender's office through hands-on experience is absolutely incredible. Because of this internship I was able to learn what the court system is actually like and see how criminal cases proceed from the very beginning. I gained the practical knowledge of how to fill out court documents and what things are necessary when proceeding to a preliminary hearing, trial, etc. I also learned how to research cases and how to approach many complicated issues and put my own feelings about the situation aside in order to find the best possible defense for a client. In addition, I learned how to clearly communicate my findings to attorneys orally and through writing, which is an essential skill to have so that the attorneys understand the case.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part, by far, has to be getting to work with such knowledgeable professionals in the field I intend to work in, who are so willing to help and teach the externs and interns. No matter what question I had or what I needed help on, there was always someone in the office who was able to help me and use their experience to figure whatever problems I might have had with a particular case. In addition, being able to get advice on law school and the LSAT from people who have already been through those things is very helpful as well. I would highly recommend that any Grand Valley student who is even slightly interested in the legal profession should do this internship. Even if you already know a lot about criminal law, this internship will open your eyes and will show you how much this field has to offer.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I would say that this experience has solidified my desire to become a lawyer. I have to admit, before this experience pursuing a career as a public defender or doing anything in criminal law was not very high on my list. But now that I have experienced what this field is actually like and how much of an impact these attorneys can have on people's lives, my opinion has changed drastically and I am much more interested in pursuing a career in this field.