I am currently interning for Nevada CASA association as a legislative intern. The internship has benefited my future career by introducing me to the family court system in Nevada, more importantly Clark County. In the near future, I want to be a guardian ad litem and a family attorney. The internship has provided a great introduction to what it would be like in the near future. The internship will continue to benefit my future career by giving me more experience with court and children.
After doing a few weeks of the internship, I found that my major does not tie into my internship just because I did not do any type of pre-law studies nor was I involved with CASA before. Before heading into any internship, the one thing that I think students should know beforehand is just to have an open mind. I personally did extensive research on who I was going to intern for and I found that extremely helpful. Also, I found that having the confidence to ask questions makes the internship go a lot smoother than most.
I am still interested in becoming an attorney after my experience. Even more so, in between law school and my undergraduate, I plan on becoming a CASA volunteer to gain a better background in the family court system and working directly with the children.
If I do plan on going down the path of a GAL and family attorney, I need to attend law school and pass the bar. I also need to expand my writing skills and get more familiar with working with children.
If there was one piece of advice that I would give to incoming interns is to be confident. I know it is easier said than done, but confidence helps the most when going into something that is new. Also, if it is not scary, then it is not worth it. I know doing new things can be intimidating but whenever you experience something new, you become a better person from it.
Hi Gabrielle! I enjoyed reading your post. I think your advice was very helpful. I completely agree that trying new things out is very intimidating. I felt intimidated and shy going into my internship, but I knew that putting myself out there would benefit me in the long run. I also think that it is interesting that you mentioned how your internship does not tie into your major, but I think that it is great that it relates to what you are looking for as a future family attorney. I think CASA is great organization to start with in gaining that on field experience since you do plan on working in the Justice system. Overall, great insight on your internship and thank you for the lovely advice! Wish you the best on your career journey! :)