Current student, Anne Li, shared the following about being a Summer Intern at the Virtual Court Service Center …
What did you do as an intern at this organization?
I spent the majority of my internship conducting intakes for self-represented litigants from 9am to 2pm every day, which included asking them questions about their case and assessing their needs based on the services that the centers offer. Outside of calling hours, I worked on different projects that all involved gathering and organizing resources in some way for self-help services, legal aid organizations, and legal advice to communicate to litigants that we could not help directly. The most significant project that I worked on was a 50-state directory that included over 280 resources and further information about court services that out-of-state callers use.
How did you find this internship?
I found t his I searched online for law-related internships available to undergraduate students and applied through the Court Service Center website.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
My favorite aspects of my internship were speaking to litigants one-on-one, applying what I learned from training, and being able to work with amazing attorneys and fellow interns. For many court users, getting help for their case was time-sensitive and sometimes even crucial to escape harmful living situations. Hearing the joy and relief in their voices after receiving the help that they needed from our center was deeply rewarding. Conducting intakes requires a certain amount of legal knowledge about different case types that the court service centers assist with. After watching extensive intern training videos and slideshows, it was exciting to apply this knowledge to real situations and make an impact in people’s lives. Last but not least, I enjoyed the wonderful opportunity of working alongside a team of supportive attorneys and specialists who cared about creating an open learning environment for all interns.
What did you find challenging?
My internship was fully remote, so technical issues posed a challenge at times. Sometimes court users would disconnect from the meeting/call, or challenges associated with current technology had to be researched. For example, our virtual center needed help with finding a better application to manage the automated distribution of information to the local, in-person centers. However, we were always able to work together to find the solution for these issues as they came up. These experiences only strengthened our problem-solving skills and teamwork.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
Always show up to work every day with an open mind, and do not be afraid to ask too many questions! There will be a variety of projects for interns to do, and no project is ever too big or too small for you to take on. All of them will have a real and lasting impact on your organization and the larger community that it serves. Every single member of staff that I worked with were supportive of the interns, and encouraged us to learn more about our areas of interest. My supervisors were always more than willing to answer my questions and teach me the ropes.
