Eleven local law students are participating in the BBA’s DEI Summer Fellowship Program this summer, working in paid internships in public interest settings around the city.
This week we caught up with three Fellows – Alexander Moore, Taylor Perrodin, and Rebecca Shan – to hear about their experiences, what they’ve learned, highlights from their fellowships, and the benefits of taking part in the DEI Fellowship program.
 Alexander Moore |
 Taylor Perrodin |
 Rebecca Shan |
BBA: How did you hear about the program, and what persuaded you to apply?
Taylor Perrodin: I’m pretty tuned into what’s going on at the BBA; I go to a lot of events and tune into the webinars. So the moment the program was promoted on the website, I saw it and jumped right on it. The reflections from past Fellows made it clear how great the program is and how valuable the experience could be, so it was a no-brainer to apply.
Rebecca Shan: Sometime during the winter, my school sent out an email explaining all the various summer work opportunities that were available. The BBA’s program stood out because of the host sites, which were all interesting and different than a lot of the other internships. The fact that it was a paid opportunity also stood out, as not many summer internships are. Once I investigated the program further, it was an easy decision to apply.
BBA: What kind of work have you been doing so far?
Alexander Moore: The great thing about being a public defender, I’ve come to learn, is that no two days are quite the same. So I’ve been shadowing various people at the office, and every day is something new. One day we could be court, the next, we might be visiting a client. It’s been awesome to see how varied the work here really is.
Taylor Perrodin: It’s been a lot of research projects, including one on wetlands sanctions that have been imposed and how our department can respond to those. I’ve also had a chance to organize motions for some of the litigation attorneys. It’s been a lot of work, but I’ve enjoyed seeing the process the department goes through to make sure we’re up to date with new regulations and how we can respond to various court decisions and the like.
BBA: What has been the most interesting or exciting aspect of the Fellowship experience so far?
Alexander Moore: I would be the first and only lawyer in my family. Coming into the Fellowship, I didn’t know what to expect from the court process beyond what I’d seen on TV. So a major highlight for me has been seeing what it is actually like to be a lawyer and appear in court; it definitely isn’t like they make it seem on most TV shows.
Rebecca Shan: They had me go to a training for the new DCF attorneys, which was pretty cool. I got to see how new attorneys here are trained, what they’re supposed to do, how they prepare. I got a crash course in what you do in court, in custody hearings, the kinds of cases they handle here. So it was really cool to see how they educate new hires here and what they consider to be the most important things to learn to be effective here.
BBA: What advice would you offer other students considering applying for this program in the future, or those who are accepting and have some concerns about the work?
Taylor Perrodin: Ask questions. Any time I’m researching and something doesn’t make sense, I’ll make a note to ask one of the attorneys here and get some clarification. They appreciate the ability to give constant feedback on what you found, and it ensures I’m not going down the wrong rabbit hole. So, I would just say asking questions and constantly checking in has made the process so much smoother, and it’s allowed me to learn so much.
Alexander Moore: A common refrain I’ve heard is that law school teaches you the theory, but experience teaches you how to actually be a lawyer. I’ve learned so much about how to put what I’ve learned in school into actual practice, and it’s just by asking questions, getting insights from the more experienced lawyers here, and not being afraid to put myself out there. My advice would be, put the nerves aside and just jump in with both feet; the people training and teaching you want you to succeed, and what you’ll get out of this program is directly tied to what you put into it.
