Royals 11

Being able to get an internship at a law firm in high school was very important to me because since I was little I’ve dreamed of pursuing the law field. I thought of going through with a career in college and switching to something completely different was something I always stressed and worried about. Danny Trent gave me the opportunity to assist at his law firm, Perry & Trent, where I practiced skills and gained knowledge about being a lawyer. I started during the spring in 2023 and met with him various times up until September 2023. I got to witness court hearings, and as well as other hearings with his clients, and completed tasks at his law firm.

I was very nervous at first because I did not want to ask a “dumb” question, but it’s better to ask than being the “dumb” one in the room. The first time I met with Danny he was making sure I was willing to go through with this internship & wanted to see what I expected. I remember telling Danny I want to get an idea of everything & I got to experience a bit of what everyone’s job in the firm was and how their job played an important role. While being there I thought about what it takes to be like them and hold a position so I made sure to ask any question that crossed my mind. I became more & more knowledgeable the more I went in.

Like mentioned, I got to experience different positions in the firm, so some days I was with Danny for a bit & others I’d be with Pam who is a paralegal. Being at the law firm consisted of answering phone calls, doing research, making tons of copies, pulling, & hearings. Spending time with Pam consisted of answering phone calls, doing research, or just watching her complete her daily tasks. In order for Danny to be prepared Pam needed to print copies of case files. Sometimes it would be too much for her to complete so I would have to complete them. I remember walking in one day and Danny saying something along the lines of what it is like in a law firm is the stack of files that need to get copied and be ready for the next day. So I spent hours walking back and forth scanning and printing and making sure I did not mess up what was in each file. Pam had me research something they actually needed, so I felt the pressure on me, but I felt a bit of joy in me because they trusted me with what they needed. I had moments where I had to figure things out because one of the paralegals gave me the task and explained it to me once and said I had to figure it out on my own. When it came to pulling files they needed she gave me the files names and I had to figure it out on my own. Being organized is a very important skill in a law firm especially with all those files being kept.

I really enjoyed spending time with Hale, Danny’s prosecutor, we would mainly be at court where I got to participate in court hearings. Each time I went with Hale I would learn so many new things. He would tell me about a case and how they were going forward with it and explained the process. I also got to meet the judge and had a very inspiring talk with him. Judge motivated me with his words of advice because I was honestly doubting myself.

My reasoning for doubt was because of my skills, I thought about what skills I have and what I would need to work on if I continue with the passion of this career. I told the judge I’m insecure about my writing because I don’t think it’s good enough because others’ essays sound so powerful with their vocab. If anything he drifted me away from that thought, he told me that’s something I can work on but all my other skills and being bilingual makes me more powerful and useful in today’s society.

My internship experience inspired me to continue my education to become an immigration lawyer. You may think, why an immigration lawyer? Since I was little I always wondered why some of my family was not able to come see me, why do some of my family have certain fears, or why has it been 25 years since some of my family has last seen each other? Not only my family, but I would like to guide and help other people and become their voice. Knowing how important the role of a lawyer is and how much people depend on you is such an “I did it!” moment and it is something I hope to experience.