Working to be unstoppable: My Beginning as a Domestic Violence Bureau Intern

Ayn Rand once wrote, “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” This summer, I plan to be unstoppable.

Hello, my name is Julianna Pasquarello, and I am a freshman from Long Island, New York majoring in Political Economy with a concentration in Law, Economics, and Public Policy with a minor in Spanish. This summer I will be interning in the Domestic Violence Bureau at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in New York. As an intern, I will be working with an Assistant District Attorney to assist in areas such as legal research and writing, trial preparation, witness interviews and evidence organization with the objective to afford justice to those affected by domestic violence.

During my internship, I have multiple objectives I wish to achieve to get a head start in my career and become a better leader. Firstly, I plan to gain experience in legal research, evidence control, and organization. I hope to gain these skills by learning to how to prepare, compile, and analyze legal and nonlegal documents and data. In addition, I wish to gain experience in advocacy work by listening to the cases of victims of I am assigned to and by also observing trials. Most importantly, I plan to develop communication skills by observing witness interviews and public speaking by the Assistant District Attorney I am assigned to. By taking these challenges hands-on, I plan to become a better thinker and gain insight into the trial preparation and judicial processes and learn first hand why attorneys are so passionate about what they do.

The mission of The Domestic Violence Bureau is to identify and fight on the behalf of victims of crimes such as sexual abuse syndrome, battered women’s syndrome and rape trauma syndrome. The Domestic Violence Bureau shares a similar vision to the Newcomb College Institute: to afford women the strength and resilience to accomplish whatever they are passionate about in life. As an Intern at the Bureau, I will be working with an Assistant District Attorney to assist in areas such as legal research and writing, trial preparation, witness interviews and evidence organization with the objective to afford justice to those affected by domestic violence. I aim, as a legal intern, to help safeguard the rights of women to afford them the justice they deserve and the lives they have envisioned for themselves. I am currently preparing for my internship by reaching out to District Attorneys and asking them what they did as interns to make their experience insightful and meaningful. In addition, I am currently researching how to approach the subject matter of my work with sensitivity because it involves a very emotional topic.

Not only will my internship be a great experience, I will also be working towards a cause which excites me and I am passionate about. As a young woman navigating the college social scene, I have had personal experience supporting friends who have fallen victim to unhealthy relationships and “rape culture.”Witnessing my friends’ confusion and anger has further strengthened my resolve to work to diminish these two sensitive topics. I firmly believe that every woman (and man) should feel comfortable to control the decisions which determine their lives. By fighting for the rights of those affected by rape culture and domestic violence, I hope to serve justice for those who have had their dignity stolen from them. Every person deserves to believe that they are strong and can accomplish whatever they dream of; despite all obstacles. Yet there are many further steps that can be taken to control sexual relations and diminish the rape culture. Supporting victims and educating others on the features of rape culture is not enough. To provide lasting change in the lives of women, the perpetrators of sexual violence themselves must be punished. Justice is necessary if we want to set guidelines and make bold statements on what is right. I hope to see this justice firsthand as an intern this summer.

I am truly looking forward to seeing what my internship holds for me this summer. I can not wait to share with you what I learn this summer at the Bureau!