Hello, it is Julianna Pasquarello, and this summer I am Interning at the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau of the New York District Attorney’s Office. As my internship is reaching its midpoint, I am making great progress to accomplish multiple learning objectives I have set for myself. These include:
- Experience in legal research and writing, trial preparation, and evidence control and organization
- Experience in women’s advocacy work by listening to the cases of victims of domestic and sexual violence
- How to prepare, compile, and analyze legal and nonlegal documents and data
- Observe trials and gain insight into trial preparation and judicial processes
- Communication skills, by observing witness interviews and public speaking by the Assistant District Attorney I am assigned to
By working in and out of the courtroom to organize, analyze, and prepare legal documents such as Orders of Protection, medical legal evidence, and case files, I have come to gain a greater understanding of legal writing and how it fits into the workings of the greater judicial process. In addition, by observing witness testimonies by those either related to someone affected by Domestic Violence and victims themselves, I have come to gain a greater understanding of the deep implications of Domestic Violence and the damaging effects it has on its victims. By speaking to judges, court room officers, and Assistant District Attorneys every day, I have learned much legal vocabulary which I have intergrated into my everyday communications skills. I am monitoring what I am learning my setting small goals for myself everyday, asking questions, and requesting helpful criticism from my supervisors to confirm my improvement and new knowledge.
Currently, I am working on a project in which I am redacting medical information from a Domestic Violence Case. During jury trials, juries oftentimes receive hundreds of papers involving important medical work, details of witnesses, crime scene evidence, and other information. In order to make sure that the jury’s’ opinion is not swayed by irrelevant information regarding a victim’s prior medical history, it is important to redact this information. Learning to redact important medical files has taught me the importance of understanding what is considering important legal evidence in trial. In addition, it has reminded me how important it is to be attentive to every detail when crafting arguments and advocating on behalf of Domestic Violence Victims.
My internship at the Child Abuse and Domestic Bureau is helping me develop as a female leader by giving me the opportunity to interact with many women leaders in the legal field. In addition to working closely with female Assistant District Attorneys, I have the opportunity to sit in on courts being administered by female judges from many different backgrounds. Although women are stereotyped to have little influence in the legal field, my internship has proven otherwise: in fact, more than half of the Assistant District Attorneys in my office and judges are women. Watching these powerful female figures work every day to afford justice to those affected by Domestic Violence has demonstrated to me that every human has the potential to enact change, no matter who you are or where you come from.
Throughout my internship, I have been building many skills which will prove to be valuable to my career goal of becoming a practicing attorney. For instance, writing legal documents and shifting through legal evidence has allowed me to master the analytical skills imperative to any legal setting. Whether it be advocating for a defendant or crafting an argument, analytical thinking is useful in building connections between similar concepts and finding creative solutions. Also, by speaking to Assistant District Attorneys and judges in front of large audiences, I become a better public speaker and less nervous in front of large groups overall. This has proven extremely beneficial to me because how can you advocate for what you believe in if you do not have the skills to speak for yourself? The analytical and verbal skills I have gained throughout my internship have made me a better thinker and will probe useful throughout my journey as a professional and female leader.
In conclusion, over the past few weeks at The New York District Attorney’s Office in Suffolk County, New York, I have experienced substantial judicial phenomenon which, as a result, has made me a better thinker, writer, speaker, and overall advocate for women.
