Name: Blai

Year: Junior

Major: History

CFS Program: Field Studies in Social Justice

Employer: Saper Law

 

My search for an internship was focused on law firms in Chicago. I interviewed with 4 great firms and it was hard to choose one to intern with. My internship has been great so far. I’ve been doing very varied work. This includes editing legal documents, writing blog posts, listening in on client calls and meetings, going to court, and going to conferences. It’s very different from my classroom experience where we focus on social justice work, as the firm I work for is more commercial.

I think exploring both of these areas of the law and social justice has been very illuminating. My instructor has been amazing and I’m fascinated by the work we are doing in looking at police brutality and social movements against this. It was a challenge to make the commute to Chicago 3 times a week, whilst balancing the CFS class and another class. A few weeks in I spoke to my supervisor and agreed to drop down to 2 days a week. This highlights something great about the CFS process: flexibility. Whilst you are committed to the program, your boss should understand that you still have classes and usually you can speak to them if you have mid-terms on etc. and make the position work for both of you. I have enjoyed having the class alongside the internship because it makes me reflect on my work, my aims, and my future goals.