My unforgettable summer internship in Atlanta, Georgia, was an incredible experience that I’ll always be grateful to the Atlanta office, Amicus ALJ, and the Kalisher Trust for. The historic Atlanta neighbourhood I stayed in, in a house with a picturesque Southern porch and on the same street as Martin Luther King Jr’s, was the perfect base from which to gear up for a client’s trial, due to take place just weeks after my arrival.

Within days of landing, I was attending client jail visits in rural Georgia and undertaking research for pre-trial motions. The Atlanta team truly values their interns, and this was reflected in my undertaking of significant tasks, like carrying out witness consistency checks, examining key case evidence at the offices, and aiding with a mock jury selection. I was not “just an intern”, but a fully fledged, respected team member.

The trial itself was a profound experience, especially after having developed a relationship with our client, who had been imprisoned for almost a decade. During this period, my work ranged from producing witness summary documents to aid the lawyers in their arguments to researching judicial citations mid-trial.

I also assisted with the mitigation phase of the trial, which included visiting our client’s relatives and meeting with an array of experts, including psychologists. Although, of course, the hope throughout a trial is that the client is found not guilty, it was impressed upon me that a good defence is prepared regardless. The empathy, respect and sensitivity my colleagues showed to both our client, as well as the victim’s family, was another example of their inspiring compassion, which I greatly appreciated.

Experiencing Southern hospitality first-hand was also a delight. Everyone on the team was welcoming and during my time there, they took me to a Memorial Day fireworks show, hosted me at a barbecue, and took me to a gun range (when in Rome!). One of the most impactful day trips was to Montgomery, Alabama, to visit The Legacy Museum, which taught visitors about the brutal reality of slavery and the relationship this history has with mass incarceration in the US today.

Overall, this internship, funded by a Kalisher Trust scholarship, which made this opportunity possible, surpassed my expectations in terms of the variety and significance of the work, the warmth of my colleagues, and the learning opportunities it presented. The dedication of the team, their meticulous combing through of every piece of evidence and potential defence argument, and their commitment to client wellbeing, provided an excellent example to learn from - and it was an honour to be a part of it.