It has been nearly three months since I first started my Amicus internship. In that time, I have worked on a variety of cases. My experience has been interesting and diverse. The tasks have varied from spending time with clients in jail, attending court hearings, meeting with an expert, watching a trial to reviewing discovery. I am soon visiting death row and will also assist in interviewing mitigation witnesses.

This experience has given me real insight into some of the injustices of the US justice system. In my short time here, I have seen an incomplete investigation resulting in a capital murder charge based on insufficient evidence, a police interrogation of a suspect who clearly lacked the capacity to be interviewed and a person charged with capital murder and kept in jail for years, not due to their own part in the offence but to incentivise them to testify against someone else. I find myself constantly asking the attorneys, "Are the police/prosecution/courts actually allowed to do that?", and the answer is often yes. It has been difficult at times to witness these parts of the system that I believe to be grossly unfair.

On a more positive note, I am fortunate to have been allocated to a team of attorneys who work extremely hard and achieve excellent outcomes for their clients as a result. This was most apparent in relation to a case I worked on when I first arrived in Houston. Due to their strong conviction in the client’s innocence and tireless efforts, the team managed to get his capital murder charge dismissed. This was no easy feat! It was an invaluable experience being able to spend time with this client and to contribute to his case. The whole internship has been unforgettable, but for me, this stands out.