While attending college, students should utilize all the educational experiences possible - especially internships, because you never know where those will lead.
I never realized that my internship in Jefferson City would allow me to meet so many amazing people and have once-in-a lifetime experiences.
I am majoring in communications and pre-law at Drury University and serving as an intern this semester for Rep. Sara Lampe at the state capitol in Jefferson City. I am the first Drury student to go through a structured internship program of this nature in Jefferson City.
New experiences
Some of the things I get to experience daily through my internship are: being on the House floor in the side gallery to watch the debates; working with constituents; and researching information for bills and seeing how bills go from comprehension to completion. This internship is a great stepping-stone for my future career as an attorney, as it helps me see how the legislative branch makes the laws I will be one day helping to uphold.
Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to become an attorney. Upon graduation from Drury, I hope to pursue a law degree, with eventual plans to practice entertainment law.
As a former paralegal, I have observed many processes at the circuit level and at the Missouri Court of Appeals, but I had never witnessed the Missouri Supreme Court in action.
Unique opportunity
Because of the contacts made through my internship, I recently was able to attend the Missouri Supreme Court and observe oral arguments. I was invited by Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith, Justice Patricia Breckenridge and Justice Mary Rhoads-Russell. I was honored to have this opportunity. I witnessed how attorneys and judges were able to interact in a professional setting. I heard four cases presented through oral arguments, covering dissolution of marriage and wanting an evidentiary hearing, a car dealership moving too close to a competing dealer, safety issues of a dam, and a case regarding attorney discipline.
This setting is completely different than any other courtroom I had experienced. Instead of one judge, there are seven presiding judges. Also, during oral arguments, judges can stop counsel in the midst of their arguments to ask a question about their cases.
Counsel is only allowed 12 minutes to present their arguments, and when a judge stops them, the clock is still ticking. When the time expires, they are cut off from continuing the argument. Then the other side presents for 12 minutes. Attorneys then have an additional three minutes for rebuttal.
In many ways, it reminds me of a debate tournament.
Another first for me was that I was also able to meet with the judges and ask questions about what I had observed. This personal interaction helped me better understand what they see from the bench and how they are able to come to a ruling.
Seeing how the judicial and legislative branches work together in government helps me better understand how laws are made and how they are regulated. After seeing how the Missouri Supreme Court interacts with attorneys and how judges help them argue their cases more effectively, it reaffirms my desire for a career in the legal field.
Amanda Woods, a junior at Drury University in Springfield, is serving as an intern with Democratic Rep. Sara Lampe in Jefferson City. Woods may be reached at adub4him@yahoo.com.
