US District Court - Southern District of New York

Hayley Tozeski writes from New York:

It’s Monday morning in early June, 9:30-ish a.m., and the beginning of my third week as a judicial intern in the Southern District of New York. Scores of potential jurors fill Courtroom 12B, each hoping to dodge the bullet in what is expected to be a two-week-plus criminal trial. Interns from the United States Attorney’s Office line the walls and anteroom; the gallery is standing room only. On trial are four friends from the Bronx, alleged to have conspired to commit murder in furtherance of a larger narcotics conspiracy. Until earlier this spring, two of the twenty-something-year-old men faced the death penalty.

Over the next few weeks, the story of the victim’s murder played out like the television drama our professors promised we would never see: bales of marijuana and pistols passed from prosecutors to witnesses to jurors; co-conspirators and former associates flipped on one-time friends; a surprise defense witness provided graphic testimony about a purportedly related sexual assault; a defendant threatened to assault the Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting the case; and extensive forensics testimony tied the loose ends. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After several days of deliberation, the jury convicted on all counts.

I have had the good fortune of observing not one, not two, but three criminal trials this summer. This means that along with researching and drafting memorandums on Daubert, Title VII, sovereign immunity, jurisdiction and venue, and pleading standards under the PSLRA and the federal in forma pauperis statute, I have observed nine opening statements, nine summations, the examination and cross-examination of almost 50 witnesses, and, most importantly, my Judge’s and clerks’ reactions and observations every step of the way. Forget class, I have seen criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, and trial advocacy in the flesh.

I made a decision early during my first year to take on a summer internship that would enhance both my skill-based and substantive knowledge of the law. My judicial internship has done just that, and, in addition, has imparted a greater familiarity with litigation and trial practice. I am incredibly appreciative of the Equal Justice Foundation’s support, without which I would have been unable to accept this position. I look forward to making similar experiences possible for the Class of 2011.

US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

Daphne Lyman writes from New York:

Working at the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York in the Criminal Division is the best job ever. Just ask anybody who works here. Despite the hard work and government salary, the ability to “do the right thing” on a daily basis makes it all worth while. And the same goes for the interns.

Each of the 35 interns has been assigned to one or two attorneys, and while of course they are all involved in different cases at different stages of prosecution, I think everyone has had the opportunity to significantly contribute to a case. It is amazing to realize the fruits of your labor. Even the most minute research project can turn into a larger memo or brief that will have an impact on a person’s life, a person who we often get to see and even interact with. A few times, research I did on last minute issues for a suppression hearing was used as part of the government’s brief and/or oral argument. And I was able to attend those hearings and see the defendant and the process first hand.

My biggest project this summer has been on a sentencing, researching issues raised by the defendant’s objections to a Pre-Sentencing Report and then drafting the Government’s response. Other interns have worked on everything from drafting subpoenas and attending proffer sessions with cooperating witnesses, to trial preparation and trial itself, and finally through sentencing. I even helped one of my attorneys prepare for her first oral argument on an appeal brought by the defendant before the Second Circuit.

When we are not busy hunkered down in the library or accompanying our attorneys on their quest for justice, we attend trials at the federal courthouse down the street. There is always something exciting going on- an opening statement in a drug trafficking trial, a summation in a murder trial, or the cross-examination of the defendant in an organized crime trial, for example. This job has been an amazing experience in criminal law, litigation, and the actual pursuit of justice, as cheesy as it sounds, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Federal Court- Southern District of New York

My first week as an intern for a federal judge in the SDNY was as interesting and capturing as reading a bestselling page-turner. When I arrived early Monday morning, I was greeted by the judge’s two law clerks, who showed me my computer and desk. Just as I sat down to admire my thirteenth-floor view that overlooked lower Manhattan, I was told we were going to court because the judge was hearing a civil trial for the next two days.

The trial was an introduction to how informative and engaging the judge would be. During each break, the judge took time to explain to us certain legal nuisances that occurred in the courtroom and to advise us on what she thought were the good (and not so good) habits of the attorneys. After trial ended, the judge treated us to lunch on Wednesday where the topics of conversation ranged from law to theater to literature. The judge was eager to share her opinions, but she was even more interested in what we had to say.

The judge’s law clerks perfectly complemented her warmness with their enthusiasm and willingness to mentor me and the two other interns. Although they were inundated with work, the law clerks took additional time to explain the issues that arose in their cases. Because they believed it was a two-way street, they gave us the responsibility to independently draft memos that they would edit and then send to the judge. However, the best part of my first week was the lunches that we ate together every day in chambers. The law clerks, the deputy clerk, the other interns, and I sat around a big table and chatted about pending cases, legal gossip, and just about our lives.

I cannot imagine a better first week and I am thankful to EJF for making this experience feasible.