Summer Work 2010

Finding meaningful work during the summer is important for law students to gain on-the-job experience as well as build connections with other associates and legal professionals. Penn State Law is featuring a series on what students did this summer. 

Kimberly Hibbard '11: ATF internship assures Hibbard of her planned career path

When Kim Hibbard ’11 joined the Chicago Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) for a summer internship, she was in for a challenge. Tasked with substantial responsibilities right away in an agency that deals with both regulatory and criminal matters, Hibbard was exposed to a broad range of legal issues. She quickly learned that her summer would be unpredictable. “I never knew what legal issue I would encounter next; there was no such thing as a ‘typical’ case or task, which made the internship that much more interesting and enjoyable.”

Tamara Good ’12: Chooses a summer of service

Tamara Good was a Cherie Millage Summer Fellow in 2010 and used the grant to serve the Pennsylvania Immigrant Resource Center (PIRC), which provides counsel and educational resources to secure defense for immigrants in danger of deportation from the United States. She took on central tasks such as research on asylum, U visas, derivative citizenship, and citizenship access through service in the military.

Joseph Cotilletta '11: Hits the ground running as intern with Queens County DA's Office

Imagine it’s your first day of work with the Queens County District Attorney’s office in New York. Your supervisor waves you over as you meet him for the first time in the courtroom. As he’s introducing himself, he picks up a case file and tells you to make an appearance in court and negotiate a plea offer before the judge. The most frightening part about it is that you’re not the new assistant district attorney; you’re a law student on the first day of your summer internship.

Christine Arena ’11: Hits her stride as an Air Force JAG intern

Across the United States, the Air Force JAG Corps selects 50 law students to participate in its prestigious summer internship program with only 25 of them being paid internships. Arena ’11 was one of them.

Kelly Towns '11: "Gives back" to her home community

In part, Kelly Towns wanted to work with the Community Justice Project (CJP) because it was based in her hometown of Pittsburgh. More importantly, she wanted to “give back” to her community.

Adam Shapiro '11: Breaks new ground with summer internship in Taiwan

Adam Shapiro knew he wanted to work overseas; after all he has spent the past year teaching himself to speak, write, and read Mandarin. He initially set his sights on big firms. But Professor Catherine Rogers directed him to a different path.