My 3-month internship at a post-conviction death row appeals office in New Orleans was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. The work was broad and in-depth and at times very emotional, especially when I had the opportunity to visit death row. I also had lots of free time, which I spent exploring the city’s amazing culinary and musical scenes.

The work in post-conviction appeals was slower and more in-depth than in offices focused on trial or pre-trial work. By the same token, Louisiana’s conservative legislature had recently passed legislation to expedite the execution process, placing onerous time limits on when certain appeals had to be served on appellate courts.

In my first week, I grappled with the intricacies of the state and federal legal system, particularly the bifurcated trial system in capital cases. My first task was to read through the transcript of a capital trial. After this, I began substantive tasks, which tended to be research-focused. A lot of this research was carried out to evidence appeals claims. For example, one client alleged that he had been chained during the guilt-innocence part of his trial, prejudicing the jury. To evidence this claim, I pored over contemporaneous newspaper cuttings to see whether he had been taken to the jailhouse in chains. For another task, I updated research to evidence the claim that the death penalty was carried out in a discriminatory and unconstitutional way, contrary to the 14th Amendment. For this research, I conducted statistical analysis, highlighting the higher likelihood of being executed for murder if the defendant was black compared to white.

In the penalty phase of a capital case, mitigation is vital. Much of my work required record collection. Many of the clients had learning difficulties or mental health issues, so finding records that evidenced a personal or family medical history of these was a significant part of these tasks. I called hospitals and psychiatric wards requesting records and travelled to rural Louisiana to trawl through physical records. I was also extremely lucky to travel twice to the death row in Louisiana. There, I was taken aback by the layout of ‘Angola’. Set out like a plantation, I saw inmates working ‘The Farm’ in the blistering Louisiana heat. Meeting clients in this environment was incredibly moving. They would relay to me their difficulties on the row, such as the sense of loss when fellow inmates were executed, the difficulties in getting medical treatment, and the constant heat. I was shocked to hear about the lack of air-conditioning.

Conversing with the clients on death row was not always a sad experience, however. Sometimes they would tell me about their favourite places to eat and things to do in New Orleans. Using the generous free time I was afforded in the role, I explored the city’s jazz scene and sampled some amazing food. I made a few friends whilst I was out there, and my girlfriend and mother came halfway through the experience.

I would recommend this experience to any budding barristers or solicitors. The experience, although at times emotional and moving, reinforced to me the stakes of criminal practice, as well as its injustices. The fact that an outcome this way or that could lead to another human being being killed motivated me. It meant that I always kept the client and their desired outcome in mind. The substantive nature of the work was also formative because it taught me about a different legal jurisdiction, where attorneys perform more of an investigative role. Taking this into criminal practice, I believe that I will be able to better understand the CPS and the police’s role.

Finally, I must thank Amicus ALJ for providing amazing in-person training for the role, as well as round-the-clock support once I arrived in New Orleans. I also could not have managed this internship without the generous financial support provided by the Kalisher Trust.