Meet CRLA’s 2024 Law Student Summer Intern Cohort
These bright and passionate law students spent their summer with us thanks in part to the Jose Padilla Fellowship Fund. Learn about how their time with our community has shaped their professional and individual growth and furthered our collective impact.
Q: What are you looking forward to in your internship experience?
Aidan: "There is the California that gets attention in media and culture, tech and business. But there is another California that is keeping the country going in a more fundamental way but does not get the same degree of attention: farming California. I joined CRLA because I felt that farmworkers deserve the same high quality legal representation as anyone. They face real challenges and need advocates so that they can keep doing their essential work in a dignified way. I am excited to work with the farmworkers, vineyard workers, and agricultural laborers of California this Summer with CRLA in Santa Rosa."
Q: What were the highlights of your internship experience?
Meredith: "I really enjoyed getting to dig into legal research and hone my memo writing skills this summer! I developed a great relationship with my supervisor and was encouraged to develop myself as a law student this summer in addition to doing good work for CRLA. She encouraged me to meet with as many employees as I could this summer and learn more about what their career paths looked like as a way to inspire me to think about the different things I could explore as a future lawyer."
Q: How did the internship influence your career aspirations?
Natalie: "This internship reinforced my drive to work in public interest. I have also been exposed to areas of law that are new to me, such as tenants' rights and disability rights, and I would like to continue learning in these areas. I have improved in legal research, writing, client communication, and advocacy throughout this internship. I plan to always keep up with CRLA, and keep in touch with all the people I met. I would love to work for CRLA again in the future, but even if I don't, it has shown me many qualities that I will look for in future employers, including being trauma-informed and culturally competent."
Q: How did management and this internship support your professional growth?
Victor: "Management made an effort to include me in a diverse array of tasks that gave me insight into multiple different aspects of the work CRLA does. This included working directly with clients, document preparation, and a wide array of research topics. CRLA staff was always willing to help me understand and learn in areas I was unfamiliar with."
Q: What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Miranda: "Working on discovery in a complex civil litigation for the first time was extremely challenging! But I knew I could always ask my colleagues for support — and that made all the difference."
Q: Why would you recommend this internship to other law students?
Rubi: "If you have a strong belief in social justice and Public Policy Law you would be interested in applying to CRLA. The diversity of projects that CRLA handles give you insight [into] the necessities in certain communities. They do...make a difference in the legal services and advocacy to serve the community effectively, and more in vulnerable population[s].
"...the continuous training and tools given helps [you] understand and contribute to work projects. Also I think that most of all, you feel welcome and confident in the organization and my personal learning outcomes were achieved."
