Before starting this internship, I had high expectations about what to expect. I remember attending the Amicus training weekends and hearing former interns share about visiting clients, undertaking legal research, interviewing witnesses and other exciting tasks. I have yet to do any of that and it seems unlikely that I will as my internship finishes in just over a month. Therefore, throughout my internship I have had to battle against disappointment as the reality has not matched my expectations. However, I am honestly glad that I decided to apply and I would not take back the experience. I came because I was/am interested in helping the fight towards justice and standing with those that do not have many on their side. I may not have done anything 'exciting' but this work often isn't exciting or glamorous and my internship has helped me to examine my motives. Now when I say I am interested in this type of work, it is for the right reasons. 

I have been placed in New Orleans, Louisiana and I am here until July 2016. We currently have one capital client who was arrested in June 2015 for the murder of a police officer and the team has been working on investigating the facts of the case and also his life history for mitigation purposes. The emphasis of investigation is more on mitigation and I have primarily been in charge of requesting records and processing them into the system. In addition, I am also in charge of the day-to-day admin tasks such as taking notes at team meetings and hearings and also requesting visits. For various reasons, work on the case has had to slow down and therefore my role has mostly been administrative. I have however recently become involved in a Miller case (Juvenile life without parole) and I am hoping to broaden my experience in that regard.

Generally, I have been able to observe the workings of the office and it has been great seeing the work ethic and commitment of all who work here. At this time, the office is battling a funding crisis, a hiring freeze, a lawsuit (for implementing a waiting list for prospective clients as they do not have enough time or resources to take on their cases), unbelievable caseloads and probably many other issues I am not aware of. Yet from what I have seen, despite all of this, the attorneys, investigators, client service staff and other members of staff, remain dedicated in standing with and fighting for their clients. 

I have been told and have experienced firsthand a little, the fact that the office has a high employee turnover rate and when I see judges shout at attorneys trying to do their jobs, watch judges being needlessly rude (in my opinion) to clients, hear stories of corrupt law enforcement officers and hear the usually sad stories of those caught up in the justice system, I can begin to understand why. From my perspective as an outsider looking in, the job can be intense, draining and often demoralising. I used to think that the main objective of the criminal justice system was to discover the truth, but here at least, it is not that simple. Judges appear to want cases resolved in the quickest way possible and clients often agree to plea bargains even if their case is a good one, so they do not have to sit in jail and can move on quickly with their lives. It no longer surprises me that Louisiana has the highest rate of incarceration in the world and also the highest rate of exonerations.  

Finally, as a black female, I have also been struck by how the majority of clients are African American. Previously, I had heard arguments that slavery had evolved into mass incarceration, but seeing it firsthand, has been sad. A system that predominantly puts away black people, cannot be a fair one. I can count on one hand the number of clients I have seen that have not been African American. 

Ultimately, the internship has given me the opportunity to learn by example. I hope I can become as dedicated, compassionate, patient, determined a solicitor as the attorneys are here. 

On a lighter note, New Orleans has been a great place to be. It is a city that honestly, never stops partying - New Years in January, Mardi Gras in February, St Patrick's day in March, Jazz Fest in April/May, Essence Festival in June/July, and several other festivals and events in between all that - there has always been something to do. All credit goes to New Orleans for giving me a new-found love for king cake, daiquiris, beignets and po boys! Meeting new people, experiencing new things (like tubing - though I almost drowned in the first 2 minutes and got swept down the river at the end! and getting hit in the head a few too many times with bags of Mardi Gras beads!), it's been a great adventure and I am sad that it is almost at an end. 

For anyone who is thinking of doing the internship, please do it. Not only is the work worthwhile and meaningful, so is the experience of living in another city for a while. I know that I will be leaving with a new outlook on life, a greater compassion for people and six months of experiences I would not have had if I had not put my worries aside and decided to go for it.