The end of my internship

This week was my last week working as the Pace Women Justice Center. As usual the week flew by and Friday came faster than I expected...

I was so happy that my co-worker Melissa and I finished working with files. We arranged all the necessary files in file cabinets and left the center a bit more organized than the way it was when we first came. I mean all i can say is that this was just a great and rewarding experience. I didn't expect to have such great opportunity this summer. I enjoyed every aspect of the internship, from reading the client files, learning how to use time matters, going to court and sitting on cases, having a first hand experience in seeing a lawyer from the center represent a client, doing few here and there office works, meeting my co-workers, chatting with few of the lawyers at the center, and getting the chance to also talk to some law students. I couldn't have wished for anything better for this internship. I didn't really know what I was in for when I first started, but all I can say is it was a sad Friday. It's almost like I didn't want it to end, I will miss waking up on Monday knowing I have somewhere to go, I'll miss Natalie my boss. She was just such a great boss, hopefully all my future bosses are as nice as she was to me. :)

But it's over and it really helped me in deciding whether or not I wanted to continue with becoming a lawyer. I really think after college, I will continue into law school. I think my interest decreased because I wasn't really sure why I wanted to go to Law School in the first place, but I realized that it's really something I want to pursue and follow my career goal. I also thought about following other interests after College, but I rather go with Law school after I graduate and continue from there. Hopefully it all goes well for me in the future! :)

A great thanks to CSSP for getting me the internship. I honestly appreciate it! :)

Now I get to relax for two weeks before my fall semester begins....

Xoxo

Court...Court...Court!!!

Okay let's start with some exciting news.....I went to court this week!! Not only once, but twice! If you've been keeping up with my blog, you'd understand how much I have been looking forward to this. 

On Tuesday we made the trip to the Yonkers court, which felt like a whole new world from the white plains court. The feel/type of building was different, it was a much smaller environment and honestly nothing compared to that of White Plains. Even though it wasn't as beautiful or big or as exciting, it was still cool to go and meet the other attorneys that I've heard so much about but never actually met. We didn't spend the whole day there as we had done when we went to WP but we did get tot sit in on a couple of cases. A particular one dealt with our client seeking an order of protection against her significant other. Nothing we've never dealt with before, but the client never mentioned that the boyfriend was the legal parent of two of her kids, so now while the case was been presented in front of the judge, our lawyer has to now find a way to figure out visitation rights for the boyfriend. I mean she was okay with the visitation rights, since she claimed he was good with the kids, she just wants him to stay away from her. But it would have been a lot better if she had told the lawyer in advance about the two kids so they would have worked out times and dates on which the boyfriend can spend time with his two kids before coming forth before the judge. To make it even worst, both our client and her boyfriend did not speak English at all and they had to share an interpreter. But everything was pretty smooth after that. Overall my experience at Yonkers Court was good, but not as a great as White Plains.

But things got better when I found out that on Thursday I would be going back to White Plains court to sit in on a trial. a case one of the lawyers at the center has been working on for weeks. I of course was excited for this....a trial? Cool right!?

Well I can't say much, but the whole case has to do with this guy who instead of sticking to getting a divorce from our client, he wanted the divorce to become an annulment, which meant that the marriage never happened. This would be a slick move considering our client is an immigrant and the annulment would get her deported and she wouldn't be able to tell about all the abuse that went on in the marriage. However, she was able to get the assistance of our lawyers who were willing to help her get the justice she deserves. The day of  the trial, things weren't as exciting as I had expected just because instead of going to trial there ended up being a settlement. Which was honestly for the best, just because sometimes a trial isn't always needed and the settlement was better at the end. Even though I didn't to see a trial, it was still a great case to sit in on, and one of the most interesting cases I've heard about all summer. 

Honestly, just seeing the client so appreciative of the services we have provided for her, and being so grateful    

really just made me realize that I can see myself as a lawyer. I know you're thinking MAKE UP YOUR MIND KRISTIA! But I do have a mindset on my future career and what this experience has brought me. For that, you'd have to wait for my last blog post next week. 

Xoxo

The Usual

Another week just went by and I did not get to go to Court...I am again disappointed but I understand that my boss was busy so we could not go. She did confirm that next week we will go! I am going to look forward to that again :) This time around I am sure it will work out, I mean I only have two weeks left of my time at the Center...but let's not think about that yet! 


As for my week, it was simple. I started a new project, which is nice. My co, Melissa and I we have to now find a way to combine all the files we have been working on, so that they are together by year and within each year alphabetically correct. It's more of a hands on project than we have been doing, because we are not using the computer...just working with the files. 


I also came to realize that as much as I was really interested in law once I started this internship, my interest has now decreased by like 10 percent. It's not because of the internship, and it's not like I lost interest in being a lawyer completely. I'll get more into details on that subject later on though, maybe next week when I wrap my thoughts around it all.


For now...I really hope that when you guys read this next week, it's about court and more interesting things!




Xoxo

Being a receptionist for an hour

Was it just me, or did it feel as though it was raining all week?

I honestly can't recall, but I remember rain on Friday so I feel like it rained all the other days as well.

Why does the rain matter? I feel like my energy wasn't as upbeat and happy as usual, and that only happens when it rains :)

I was a little disappointed this week as well because I was looking forward to going to court but it didn't fall through because my boss could not make the trip and take my co and I, so we rescheduled for next week. Hopefully it works out next week, because I really cannot wait to go to court! 

This week was more of the continuation of what I was doing last week, which meant checking files and creating new files in Time Matters (a legal software program).  

I also learned to use the phone/take calls/transfer calls and such. On Tuesday the receptionist went out on her lunch break and I was the only one there so I had to answer calls and it was kind of nerve racking, I wasn't sure what to say when people called or if I would even know the answer to their questions...I was freaking out inside but I went for it, and it went well. I answered few calls and wrote down messages when I didn't know how to help the caller.

Every week I learn something new, which is cool. I wouldn't want it any other way. 

I really do hope that next week, this blog post is about my day in court.

But for now, enjoy this!

xoxo

Time Matters...

Is it me or is summer just flying by....
I feel like it's Monday and then boom it's Sunday and I can't keep track anymore.

Anyways...

This week I learned how to use Time matters. Time Matters is a LexisNexis software program mostly used for legal research purposes.

I was excited when we began working with the program, because I was developing a new skill, something different. Plus, it gets to look good on my resume when put "Familiar with LexisNexis" next to the usual Microsoft word, and excel skills.

I used time matters to create case files for our clients. The files includes information such as the clients name, date of birth, how many people they live with, the date the case was opened, when it closed, the Attorney that represented the client, a safe number for PWJC to reach the client, the respondent/abuser's name, date of birth and any other important information about the Client. This files are needed so that we keep track of the client's cases, for future purposes. It also makes it easier and safer to keep them in a database system on the computer so that there aren't bunch of files laying around in boxes.

So far it's been fun creating this files, and reading up on the clients. I actually enjoy the process. However, I am looking forward to next week, because we are going back to court!!! But this time we are going to the one in Yonkers, so I cannot wait for another great experience at court! :)

Hopefully I get to sit in on an interesting case. Fingers crossed!

Xoxo

Just one of those week

    With Fourth of July right in the middle of the week, this whole week might as well be mini-national holiday, because it sure felt like one. 

    The week was a bit uneventful, since I only worked two days. On Monday, I worked on entering closed divorce and child support case files into excel. I also learned how to print labels, which I thought was pretty cool. So, I am going to share it with you guys.

How To Make a Label:

• Go to Tools in menu, and click Letters and Mailings
• Then click Envelopes and Labels
• Click Labels, and then Options
• Select the number 5162 (only select the number that corresponds with the kind of label you want)
• Then click OK
• Click New Document under Envelopes and Labels and type the information you want
• Then Print!

I am looking forward to next week, to start afresh and see what new things I would be working on!

Xoxo

Client Interview!

      So far, so great! That is what I have to say about my internship at the Pace Women Justice Center. Even the intense morning commute is getting much easier for me. My daily thought process when I go to work is that no matter what I am asked to do, I feel like I am definitely helping in some way or another. For example, We (as in me and the other interns) were asked to enter clients informations and details of their cases into microsoft excel so that the boxes of files were sitting around in the office can be destroyed and the Center will still have copies of them on the computer. It may not be a big deal but I feel as though doing that, is helping the people that work there so that they won't have to take the time to do it, and can focus more on helping resolve the problems of the clients they have now. That's the way I look at it, that some how I am contributing something to the Center and that is a great feeling.

      This week, Natalie asked me and another intern to sit in on a client interview. The client was looking for file for an uncontested divorce, meaning a sort of unchallenged divorce. She knew what she wanted, she was ready to leave the marriage and there was no doubt as to that. Few issues that came up during the interview was that the couple had a house that went up for foreclosure, and the client had to decide whether or not she wanted to include that in the divorce papers or just go ahed with the divorce and let the forcelosure case go on seperately. In the end it was better to just go ahead with the divorce because the client was ready to be done with the marriage and adding the foreclosure issue to it will lengthen the process.

      Other important issues were discussed all in all to really make sure the lawyers will be representing the client in the best way possible for the divorce to go smoothly. A bump in the road will be if the husband gets served with the divorce paper and decides to contest to it for whatever reason. Also, I learned that the client has to either go herself or get someone to serve the husband with the divorce papers and then go sign an affidavit, stating that they did indeed deliver the paper to the husband. If the client doesn't want to go, or feels like she cannot trust anyone to serve the papers she can request that an officer goes to serve the papers. If however the husband is not present when the officer comes, then it's back to square one where the client has to do it herself after all. I thought that was very interesting.

      I feel like I am leraning new things everyday interning and I cannot wait to learn more as the weeks go by.

Xoxo!

Week two at PWJC

     My internship at the Pace Women Justice Center has been wonderful so far. My second week went pretty smoothly. I am definitely starting to get the hang of things. I am interning with two other college students, and it has been amazing getting to know and work with other students who are all interested in law as much as I am. 

     On Monday, I was so excited that Natalie took another intern and I to the White Plains Courthouse. The trip was very eventful as we caught ourselves in the midst of a case about four young boys accused of sexually assaulting their female classmate. We walked into the courtroom at around 10:30am, everything was casual because nothing began yet. An hour later after seating there in the courtroom with the judge waiting, the lawyers finally walked in; followed by the defendants who were brought in one by one in handcuffs; followed by family members and so on. It was cool to see everything happen right in front of my eyes. The defendants and their parents had to raise their right hands and swear that everything they say will be "the truth, and only the truth." 

     However, as the case progressed in court nothing exciting really happened like I had hoped, because the defendants's lawyers really did not have a clear goal as to how they wanted to proceed with their cases. They were all depending on a witness who ended up leaving before she was supposed to take the stand. Due to that whole debacle, the case was pushed to the next day. Me and the other intern were so eager to know how the case would end, whether or not the lawyers were going to bring in more witnesses, so we decided to come back the next day to get the follow up. The next day the defendants and their lawyers came to the conclusion to just settle the case by admission. Meaning, the defendants admitted to the charges against them and were set free to go home under certain laws and conditions set by the court. This was a smart decision made to avoid having to go to trial. 

     Going back to that Monday, we also sat in on other cases, they were all cool and interesting to watch. We were also lucky to see the lawyers from the PWJC represent a woman who was in a domestic abuse situation and wanted an order of protection against the abuser. The judge granted us our request and it was great to see what the lawyers actually do and how they present their cases. 

     Throughout the day spent at court, I really felt like this was something I could really see myself doing. So far, this internship has been just an amazing experience. 

My First Week at PWJC

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with Natalie Sobchak, one of the staff at the Pace Women Justice Center. When we spoke, I knew I wanted to intern there for the summer and be a part of this amazing  working community.


Here's a little bit about the Pace Women Justice Center:
       The center is located right around the corner from the Pace University Law School. It was founded in 1991 and serves over 2800 victims of domestic violence and elder abuse cases. They are located in Westchester, so most of their victims live around the Westchester area.


A part of me always knew I wanted to go into Law, and I thought it would be a great thing to intern at a Law center such as the PWJC and figure out  if Law will in fact be the right career path for me. I am currently finishing my first week at the center and I can say without a doubt that being a Lawyer is absolutely a career I can see myself doing in the future. How did I come to such a conclusion after just a week?


Maybe this is really what I needed to give me a bit of reinforcement, and confidence in pursuing my dreams. Another reason is, when reading the client case files there are two feelings that overcome me, anger and pride. I feel angry knowing that an individual can create/inflict such pain and misery upon another fellow being. Then, I feel proud knowing there is a center like PWJC with amazing lawyers that help out those victims. And after every single file that I read, I feel like it is my calling to help out people, especially women that are victims of domestic violence. I want to encourage women to not be afraid to seek help when they feel it is necessary.

Although I can't represent clients like the Center lawyers, working at the Center sure makes me feel like I am doing some good in this world.

xo