Vigilante Internships at the United Nations My second year in NYU Law, I interned with the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent in order to prepare and analyze responses to the 2016 election. This was my first serious research project. I spent a week in Doha, Qatar, preparing and writing memoranda to the Working Group. In the following weeks, I interviewed current and former U.S. ambassadors at UN headquarters, and spoke with representatives of the United Nations Independent Experts on Haiti (a United Nations special mission that investigates human rights violations in Haiti) about the treatment of Haitians in the United States after the 2010 earthquake. Then, in November, I returned to Geneva for the Working Group’s report on Racial Discrimination in the U.S., which was released in December of that year. I wrote, researched, and edited the report; I helped prepare a press kit; and I worked to ensure that our recommendations were reflected in the U.S. foreign policy report to the Human Rights Council. As someone who was still new to the whole research process, I was nervous about working with this material. I knew I was helping to improve the reports we make to the UN in a way that affects the world around me, but I did not always feel a sense of duty. At the time, I was just excited to have a job, and this project was just something new that came along. Vigilante Internship at U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) My third summer in NYU Law, I did a volunteer internship with the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). We learned a lot about the global fight against poverty and environmental protection by working with communities in Ecuador. After volunteering in Quito, I returned to D.C. and worked as a consultant with another organization, as a research assistant with an NGO in Cambodia, and then as an intern at a law firm in Cambodia. In my third year in law school, I worked as an intern at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. I prepared draft exhibits, wrote press releases and social media posts about events at the museum, and assisted with exhibits on the Jewish resistance to Nazi Germany. In my final year of law school, I worked as a public defender in Georgia. I represented indigent clients at the state level, which gave me invaluable experience on how to handle a trial. For more than seven months, I worked in a civil courtroom, helping my clients with their constitutional rights, applying for a protective order, and ensuring that they had proper legal counsel. Although I never had a trial as a lawyer in Cambodia or at the U.N., and rarely had a trial as a public defender, I was still prepared for the case presentation that ultimately led to a jury verdict. I felt more comfortable as a lawyer when defending a client, knowing that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. In law school, I had learned that I was an advocate, and that at trial, the attorney would represent the client and make the case. But in court, I found that the court’s case is made for the jury—they are only allowed to hear the prosecution’s case if they request it. During my time in the public defender’s office, we began working on cases in which the prosecutors declined to take the stand and present evidence. After spending months learning about all the procedural hurdles for the state to have to meet to gain evidence through searches, and how to build a case for a search in general, I had to apply those steps in the courtroom when the prosecutor refused to testify. In other words, I took what I had learned and performed like a trial attorney. This was very unusual for me; not only had I never done any trial work at this point, but I had never practiced criminal law, and I did not have a prosecutor to argue my case. With this experience, I felt that I was able to make an impact on the future of justice in my country. In my first year of practice, I started work as an attorney in Atlanta. I now have a passion for the legal system, and I am committed to providing justice for my clients. I have an incredibly exciting opportunity to represent those who otherwise would not receive help in their efforts to seek justice. Why I chose law The Peace Corps taught me the basics of legal advocacy, but it was my experiences abroad that gave me the passion for law. Now I can apply this passion, this training and skill set I have gained, and what I have learned about the United States Constitution in my internships, to help both my clients and myself in the American court system. My internship with the United Nations made me more aware of the work that is being done on issues that effect me directly. Although I am an American citizen, I grew up surrounded by refugees from Nepal and Tibet, and I learned more about their struggle for equal rights and safety. As I represented these individuals and learned more about their struggles, it was important for me to take action. The Peace Corps and my work at the U.N. taught me a lot about the world, and how much we have to learn about others to be able to treat them fairly. In every job I had during the Peace Corps, I was able to learn about another culture. When you are a tourist, you do not know if the people selling you an experience are paid or for free, or if they would make more money working at home or abroad. But, that information makes all the difference when trying to form a connection. I do not just want to know about someone’s culture, I want to respect and learn from it, and help make it better. This is important for everyone who works for change; it is only by building a strong base of information that you can go forward and solve the problems that are affecting you, your clients, and the people around you. I have come to believe that justice is not only about helping those who have been denied their rights. Justice is also about having a safe, and just society. We cannot move forward until we are educated and informed, and until we can help each other. Law is about problem-solving. I do not expect everyone to become a lawyer; some people will be farmers or businessmen, and some people will be social workers and others teachers. But, by pursuing law as a career, I am providing a pathway to helping others from all walks of life. I am working to make our world a better place, and one of the things I find the most interesting is when someone sees that potential in law, and in our abilities, and we join together to make that vision come true. About the Author Alyssa is a Georgia native who loves to travel, try new food, write, watch legal dramas, and meet people in different places. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in Government, and also works as a freelance writer and social media strategist. Vigilante Internships Join Vigilante Internships By joining you are applying for a paid internship with Vigilante and will be required to do the following during your internship: -Complete and submit three assignments per week (about 5-15 minutes per assignment). You are not required to work every day. -Keep a writing journal (you must submit at least one entry per week) to help you stay on track and learn about your writing process. -Attend class on Thursdays at 6:30pm. (Students must attend at least 6 out of 10 classes) Vigilante Internships Reviews “I'm only a week into my internship, but it's been really fun. I like the small class size, as I can have personal conversations with my professor as well as the staff and fellow interns. My weekly class on Thursday is also fun. It is good practice to write a lot about my experience in the past week. It makes me write for the future! As an intern, you are supposed to be getting college credit for your internship experience; I plan to do just that. “As a first-time intern, I wasn't sure what to expect when starting this program. As I started to speak with professors and staff, I found my interest growing for the legal field as I gained more knowledge on the subject of law and legal matters. By the end of the first week, I found myself eager to continue working on my applications and to stay tuned in for more information that would guide me on my journey to law school. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to work at Vigilante Legal Internships for 2 1/2 days during school, but I was even more excited for the opportunity to go into an actual