Each week during our summer internship program, we ask our students to write a response to a prompt or question that allows them to reflect on their experiences – with clients, the criminal justice system, or the GJP staff.
An Intern’s Reflection “I Used to Think…Now I Know”
“I used to think that criminal activity was truly indicative of someone’s character. That somehow, the moments in which a person chose to harm someone else or break the law were an accurate reflection of that person’sentire character, even invalidating or undermining all the other moments of that person’s life in which they were responsible, honest, moral and [...]
An Intern’s Reflection “One Year From Today, When I Think of GJP, I’ll Most Remember
A year from now or twenty years from now, I may not remember case details or clerk’s names but I will remember the moments of humanity, humility, and humor that I experienced this summer. At GJP, I witnessed lawyering at its best. Sitting in on client meetings, jail visits, and court interactions, I watched Anna [...]
An Intern’s Reflection “One Year From Today, When I Think of GJP, I’ll Most Remember…”
…the people. The staff and employees at GJP compose an eclectic group, but you can really tell that everyone respects one another and are committed to supporting each other in the shared work of the organization. Even though I came later in the program, everyone was warm and helpful. The other interns were also amazing, [...]
An Intern’s Reflection: “One year from today, when I think about GJP, I’ll most remember…”
One year from today, when I think about GJP, I’ll most remember that everyone at the office had a helping hand on where I am today. A year from now I will finally be a freshman in college. No matter where I get accepted or what school I decide to go to, I will always [...]
An Intern’s Reflection “In Your Time at GJP Describe a Time When You Have Seen Desolation…Describe a Time When You Have Seen Isolation
Almost all of the clients and cases I have worked on or heard about involve a lot of both desolation and consolation. Sadly, the desolate times in clients’ lives seem to outnumber those where they find consolation. When we visited drug court, we saw a lot of people who were succeeding in the program, but [...]
An Intern’s Reflection “Describe An Experience You’ve Had With a GJP Client”
I got to spend about 20 minutes talking to a client who came in to fill out an application for Coming Home services. He was a former veteran, who was also disabled. He told me he was having to support his two children, and was having a very difficult time finding work. His disability was [...]
An Intern’s Reflection
“Last week the interns were shepherded to court with an opportunity to watch a plea hearing of one of GJP’s previous clients. This case was unique. Not only were the charges against the client severe but the case was closed almost five years ago when a jury handed down a guilty verdict. The case and the client, however, had a number of exceptional conditions that encouraged the judge to grant a new trial. The hearing impacted me in many ways. Not only was it was my first plea hearing but the client was my age.