St. Lawrence County Public Defender's Office

This summer, I completed an eight-week internship with the St. Lawrence County Public Defender's Office, where I gained hands-on experience in both criminal and family law. Throughout the internship, I observed a wide range of court proceedings, including arraignments, sentencing hearings, Judicial Diversion Program (JDP) proceedings, evidentiary hearings, and trials in city, county, and town courts.

During this 12 week internship I had the opportunity to shadow the attorneys in the St. Lawrence County Public Defender's Office. I gained first hand experience in criminal and family law. I was able to attend various criminal and family court proceedings like trials, hearings, and pre-trial conferences. Additionally, I participated in office work that attorneys do such as legal research on relevant case law, trial prep, drafting motions and memos, client discussions and meetings, and settlement/plea negotiations.

This summer, I interned at the St. Lawrence County Public Defender’s Office in Canton, NY. In this role, I shadowed multiple attorneys in various courts, expanding my understanding of the justice system and observing both defendant behaviors and attorneys’ strategies. During these fifteen weeks, I had the opportunity to work with the public to understand ways of helping them with their situations and to better understand the challenges they face, along with the challenges attorneys face while trying to help them. 

In this internship, I aided public defenders by writing memos, case notes, and motions. Given the depth of each case, I had to thoroughly research and report each law, regulation, and act under the case's purview. After reviewing each client's background and alleged crimes, I helped the public defender decipher what a sentence may be, and how best to fight it. I also worked with staff attorneys to gain experience in family law and juvenile cases.