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.  Following are the responses to this prompt:  Today/this week/this month at GJP, I have felt most surprised when:

The past two weeks I have been astonished by the repercussions of our intake coordinator being gone. With just one component of GJP missing, there was suddenly a mad dash to pull together and keep things running. This illustrated the importance of each individual to our operation, which in turn illustrates the importance of our operation to our clients. Had we not pulled together to fill the void, our clients would have been short-changed for the past two weeks: existing clients would not be able to schedule appointments compounded by the difficulty they would experience in contacting their attorneys. Potential clients would have suffered just as severely: individuals seeking criminal help would perhaps forgo our help altogether due to the time constraints of a trial and potential Coming Home clients would have to wait even longer than the already excruciating slow expungement process. In conclusion, I was surprised - and perhaps more accurately, impressed - with the importance of each individual not only to our integral office but also to the greater GJP community.

–       Caiti, Rising Sophomore, Duke University

I have felt the most surprised when I hear the stories of our clients.  Just when I think I have heard something so baffling that nothing else will surprise me, I am horribly surprised by another act/story of racism that our potential clients have dealt with.  What is even more surprising and disturbing for me is the lack of help that is really available to the bulk of our clients.  The laws are just not friendly to the formerly incarcerated population (really the previously arrested population) and there are so many reasons or details that create finality in the obstacles they face and it shocks me how many of these wronged persons are really stuck with this terrible reality for which there seems to be no true solution.  America has a long way to go. 

-         Brittany, Florida Coastal School of Law, 2L 

This month at GJP, I have felt most surprised when I realized exactly how close the office was to the MLK Historic Site. While shooting a short video about GJP on the back porch of Martin Luther King's house, I saw the roof of the Georgia Justice Project. While standing in front of the Ebenezer Baptist Church -  where MLK, and his grandfather, and his great-grandfather preached - I saw the side of the Georgia Justice Project building. The biggest impact came when I realized that while standing before MLK's grave, there is a clear view of the Georgia Justice Project. This means a lot and gives an entirely new dimension to the work that GJP does. I couldn't imagine a better and more meaningful location.

-         Ashley, University of Miami, 2L

When I first started, I did not understand why GJP did not take criminal cases outside of Fulton and DeKalb counties.  But now I realize it is impossible to help everyone in those two counties. Dealing with intake daily, I have found GJP is a specific organization and there are still plenty of citizens out there who cannot find adequate representation. Many bizarre domestic violence cases put innocent men behind bars. Also, after conviction, there are no firms in Georgia that deal with assisting men trying to get out of jail on parole. GJP has been a great experience, but dealing with the people who come in everyday, it is shocking to find out how many people do not have a chance. So many go to courts after sitting in jail for 6 months, then plead guilty, pay a fine, and have no idea they are now a convicted felon. I think GJP is amazing, because it gives the indigent a chance. But, I think one of the best ways to help so many of these people, is to spread as much knowledge as possible. Even if GJP cannot help everyone, if a man goes in front of a judge with a basic understanding of his rights, he has that much better of a chance. Most charges people face are nonviolent, drug charges. If these people understand that they do not have to consent to a search, there would be fewer arrests. GJP can save many lives, but knowledge can do so much more. I do not know how this can be done, but this is not just a problem in neighborhoods in downtown Atlanta. This seems to be a common problem in many other places as well.  I think there is a perception out there that all people know they have certain rights. But dealing with some of the potential clients who I have met, that perception is not reality.

-          Barrett, Rising Senior, University of Georgia

 I have felt the most surprised that GJP doesn't really screen potential clients based on guilt/innocence.  During my first month, I've been struck that while staff usually has a sense about whether a particular client is guilty or not, it doesn't affect their approach to the case.  Instead, the screening is more about whether the client is really ready to move on and improve their life.  My impression is that GJP wants their clients to take responsibility for their lives -- and this might include accepting the legal consequences for crimes they committed.  But just because this particular client is "guilty," GJP provides the same services & the same compassion and empowerment as it provides "innocent" clients.   

-          Claire, Washington & Lee Law School, 1L