I’ve really been enjoying my time researching for Judge Doherty at the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court. Yesterday I had a huge breakthrough where I managed to track down an online copy of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act of 1899 (see picture to fully understand my excitement). Neither the judge nor I had actually read this law– which we’re researching! There was no trace of it on Lexis-Nexis, Hein Online, or anywhere in the Illinois State Library. After many calls, Google searches, and muttered promises not to reelect Jesse White (the Illinois Secretary of State and supposed State Librarian) I finally found it in the Illinois Supreme Court Library. I was rewarded with a big smile and a handshake from Judge Doherty. I then returned to my desk to continue my work.
I’m finding that what some people might consider to be dry work, I take true joy in completing. My advice to students applying for internships is to make sure that you really love the place or the material you’re working with. I’m sure that reading through really old pieces of writing might not be appealing to everyone, but it’s definitely the thing for me. I thrive off the feeling I get when I’ve found a loophole in some law or when I’ve just thought of a new angle to attack the problem from; it’s like a big puzzle.
Professionalism, too, is something that’s been really important at my internship. I don’t usually have issues with being on time, or dressing and acting professionally. However, I understand that quite a few people didn’t get a position at the juvenile court because they didn’t act professionally. That is, they didn’t show up on time, or they didn’t take their work seriously because this is a part-time, unpaid gig. So I’m making an extra effort to put my all into all the work I do here. I think this is my biggest piece of advice: do your best at every task you are given, even if it doesn’t seem important.
I also had a chance to visit drug court last Friday. As the boys entered the room, my supervisor would tell me about each kid. It was heartbreaking to learn about their home lives or their struggles with mental illness that lead them to drug abuse. It also made me understand why the juvenile justice system is remedial rather than punitive. After only an hour and half listening to those boys, I really felt that punishment was the worst thing for them– they needed to be helped.
Even though I went into this internship at the juvenile court very certain that I would be attending law school and pursuing a career in the legal field, the work I’ve been doing here could easily have changed my mind. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, I’m more excited about my future career than ever before. Immersing myself in this profession has let me see the good and the bad in the law. But, to me, the good truly outweighs the bad.