An externship is a valuable tool to gain practical experience in a field that interests you. For me, I tend to gravitate towards criminal law due to my commitment to public service and protecting victims of crimes. As such, I sought a position within a District Attorney’s office. I attended the Southern California Public Interest Career Day or “PICD” and bid to interview with numerous District Attorney’s Offices in the area. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s (LADA) Office picked me for an interview. The interview process was very laid back, the DA’s wanted the best candidates but they seemed more interested in getting to know people to see if they were a good fit for the office. The LADA to my surprise is very victim centric which only solidified my choice to extern with the LADA. I was accepted into the position as a law clerk and was placed in the Hardcore Gang Unit. My first assignment was to read all the police reports and review the evidence for a murder. I felt in my element as having prior 911 response experience, I could read the poorly written police reports and immediately be taken to the scene. Understanding the policies and procedures of police conduct is integral as a DA and I was ahead of the game.
This experience reaffirmed my choice to enter into criminal law that upon entering Loyola, I opted to enroll in the criminal justice concentration. Within the concentration, students are required to extern with a DA office or participate in moot court competitions, additionally you are able to take courses which are aimed at improving knowledge of the criminal justice system.
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