At the time of writing, I am about halfway through my Amicus placement, which began at the start of July 2022 and is set to end in late September 2022, between my previous role as a criminal paralegal and, prior to the commencement of a criminal pupillage in the UK. I have been undertaking my placement in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I was welcomed by the head of the office, a team of US law school interns and the attorneys.

Since arriving and settling in, I’ve had a stream of diverse and challenging work, having been assigned to projects on about 4 or 5 different cases, some on an ongoing basis and others for one-off ad hoc tasks. For each case I’ve interacted with, I’ve been able to work alongside the dedicated and diligent individuals who comprise the associated team. 

As an Amicus intern, assisting the office, I’ve been able to experience what it’s like to work in the US Justice System. I’ve been able to sit in on an office meeting and listen to attorneys discussing complex death penalty litigation. I’ve been able to read case briefs, transcripts, evidential papers, reports and rulings whilst working for attorneys, researchers, investigators and writers. As part of some of the teams I’ve assisted, I’ve been able to produce follow-up work: analysing papers, carrying out legal research and drafting motions. Much of the follow-up work pertains to the core and ever-changing issues central to death penalty litigation, such as: race, intellectual disability, lethal injection, biases and jury selection. As such, work may eventually form part of the arguments submitted on a client’s behalf. I feel I’ve been able to carry out work that really benefits the team and the clients. 

After a few weeks in my placement, I was able to visit one of the office’s long-term clients in prison with two attorneys. Having read their trial transcripts and having explored the complex litigation that has followed since, I was able to sit down with the client and their legal team whilst they discussed his case. I was also able to chat to the client about their life before and beyond their case. Such work has been demanding both emotionally and intellectually, but overall, it has been a unique and rewarding experience. I’ve had the support of the office and the company of their other interns alongside all of this too. This Amicus placement, though not yet done, is something I know I will remember for years to come and it is something I would highly recommend.