Chenying recently completed an internship in the field of Law at the US District Court of Vermont.
What is a typical day like at your internship?
A typical day would be legal research and writing on my office computer. Every other week I attended the Drug Court meeting where defense counsel, probation officer and community healthcare staff meet with the judge and report drug court participant’s progress. Afterwards, I attend drug court hearing where participants themselves report how they are doing with work, relationship etc. Occasionally I attend other kind proceedings.
What are some professional goals you have achieved thus far in your program?
I have honed my language and lawyering skills and learned to apply knowledge acquired at law school to real cases in a foreign jurisdiction. I also had a glance at how insiders contemplate the legal issues I dealt with.
Share examples of how you’ve learned more about U.S. culture and how you’ve shared your culture with others.
The generosity and collegiality of my employer and my colleagues create a wonderful and warm interpersonal environment. I encountered both some moments of idealism such as legal professional’s commitment to rule-of-law and public service as well as the more day in day out details of American life. I cooked Chinese food for people occasionally and always provide comparative perspective or knowledge on certain issues.
What would you tell a friend from your own country to encourage him/her to do an internship through InterExchange?
InterExchange is very friendly, responsive and probably less expensive. I can feel that they genuinely wish to improve participant’s experience abroad rather than simply for profit.
