MEGAN

 

Megan Crawford, Undergraduate Intern, Anne Arundel County Anne Colt Leitess State’s Attorney’s Office (Annapolis Circuit Court)

Major: CCJS

Minor: Law & Society

Class Year: 2021

 

 

What was a typical week like in your internship position?

At the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, I had a variety of responsibilities. My main task for the summer was to locate, read, sort, organize, and electronically scan closed cases. I learned how to review correspondence, motions, pleadings, sentencing guidelines, police reports, witness statements, and other forms of evidence. Most days I was also given the opportunity to observe court cases which sparked my interest. Additionally, I was able to attend and participate in scheduled educational opportunities such as luncheons with office personnel and a police ride-along.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

What I enjoyed most about my internship position beyond the experience and educational opportunity was getting to work with the people in my office. As a high school intern at my counties District Court, I had the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with many of the current Assistant State’s Attorneys that worked at the Circuit Court office. It was an honor to know that so many of the attorneys I worked with years ago remembered me and were able to offer me advice on what courses to take throughout undergrad along with LSAT and Law school advice as well as assistance with particular cases I was working on. In addition to the attorneys, I was able to build connections with the whole office staff whether it was fellow interns, law clerks, or other employees. I was even able to play on the office softball team and develop long-lasting professional relationships with many of my coworkers who have been there to assist me throughout undergrad and now during my transition to law school

 

 

How did your coursework help you in your internship?

My coursework throughout my undergraduate experience undoubtedly helped me throughout my internship. As a Criminology & Criminal Justice major, I had the opportunity to take courses such as Intro to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law in Action, and Human Trafficking. The entry-level criminal justice courses I took my freshman year prior to my summer internship gave me the fundamental knowledge of the criminal justice system, legal language, and court proceedings I needed to excel in the office. Through my coursework, I came into my internship with a better understanding than other interns and was already familiarized with the majority of the legal correspondents such as case briefs and elements of crimes I had to read or observe in court.

 

 

How did you locate your internship position?

I located my internship by reaching out to my former supervisor from my high school internship at the Anne Arundel County Wes Adams Sate’s Attorney’s Office (Annapolis District Court). My former supervisor was able to put me in contact with who was in charge of undergraduate intern positions at Circuit Court office. After applying and several months of phone calls I was able to confirm my position as an undergraduate intern for the summer at the Anne Arundel County Anne Colt Leitess State’s Attorney’s Office (Annapolis Circuit Court).

 

 

 

Advice for students:

My advice to students looking for internships is to find something that interests you and that you believe will aid you in deciding what you want to after undergrad. I applied to a variety of internships and made my final selection based on what I believed would help me the most when deciding whether to go to law school. While I encourage students to expand their horizons and apply to a variety of internships I think it is important to reach out to the connections you already have as you never know what opportunity may be available to you. Additionally, I encourage students to take advantage of courses within their major and minor that offer credit for their internship. For me taking an internship course allowed me to share my experience with fellow students, create a deeper connection with my supervisor, and further develop my professional skills.

 

 

The main thing that I took away from my internship is to never be too scared or nervous to reach out to people within your network as you never know what opportunities you may be presented with. I went on a whim and sent an email to my previous supervisor asking how she was doing and if there were any positions for college students. This one email was able to set me up with an internship that was able to solidify my decision to go to law school and teach me things I would have never had the opportunity to learn within the classroom setting.