January 08, 2010
Students in the College of Professional Studies (CPS) at
St. John’s University are making legal history as the first
undergraduates — ever — to be awarded federal court
internships.
The unprecedented opportunity was made possible by
Mary Noe, J.D., Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and
Legal Studies, who asked Federal Judge Kevin Castel ‘72SVC, ‘75L,
of the Southern District of New York, to consider creating the
position.
“Thanks to Judge Castel’s loyalty to St. John’s — where he
was both an undergraduate and law student — four outstanding legal
studies majors have secured these internships so far,” said
Professor Noe.
Through this initiative, two undergraduates are currently interning
with federal judges, following in the footsteps of the initial two
interns, who have since graduated from St. John’s.
Christopher Cooper ‘10CPS and Sonja Jamelo’11CPS are interns with
Judges John G. Koeltl and Richard J. Holwell, Southern District of
New York, respectively. Christopher previously interned with Judge
Castel.
The first two students to intern — Ravi Vohra ‘08CPS and Katharine
Guidice ‘09CPS —provided such exemplary service that they were able
to blaze the trail for future student interns and help make the
program an ongoing academic service-learning experience.
“Everyone in the courthouse has heard how well the first interns
did,” said Sonja. “Judges and law clerks have become curious about
St. John’s, the Legal Studies curriculum and our students. As word
has spread, more judges are requesting St. John’s legal studies
interns.”
A Front Row Seat
Sharing the benefits of his experience, Christopher emphasized the
impact on his development, as a future lawyer, of first-hand
exposure to federal court proceedings. “I’ve seen the whole gamut,
including sentencings, trials and judge’s deliberations.”
Having a front row seat to high and low-profile cases, Christopher
said, also has allowed him to witness those unexpected twists and
turns that “you just can’t learn from a textbook or in a
classroom.” For example, he has come to understand how a judge’s
style and personality can affect a trial. “This is information that
I will be able to apply when I become a practicing attorney,” he
said.
Christopher noted that interning with the Southern District Federal
Court of New York helped him discover that “public service is the
career for me.” He is confident that having such unique service on
his resume will help him realize his goals of being accepted by a
top law school and eventually clerking for a judge. Not
coincidentally, he hopes to clerk in the Southern District Court
just as his “role model and mentor,” Judge Castel, did at the
outset of his own legal career.
Among the many benefits of holding a federal court internship,
Christopher has not only acquired priceless networking connections
and an in-depth understanding of “the nuances of the legal system,”
but also has been able to observe history.
“I was in the courtroom the day Bernie Madoff was sentenced and
heard his victims tell their stories,” he said. Christopher was
also in the courthouse when Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as a
Supreme Court Justice. He was invited along with everyone else into
a conference room to watch her confirmation.
“Seeing someone like Sotomayor, who came from an urban
background without financial means, make it to the Supreme Court
has inspired me to keep on daring to dream— as long as those dreams
are backed up by hard work,” he said.
The Value of Dedication
Like Christopher, Sonja Jamelo’s professional goals have been
expanded and transformed by her federal court internship. What once
seemed like a pipedream—to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney — has
now become a goal.
Paying tribute to Professor Noe, Sonja says she has much bigger
dreams these days. “Professor Noe plucked me out of the throng and
offered me the opportunity to interview for this internship,” Sonja
said. “She showed me that I can realize my goals if, like her, I am
hardworking and dedicated and develop the necessary skills and
knowledge.”
Through her internship, the 20-year old student has been exposed to
the world of case dockets and pre-court deliberations in a judge’s
chambers. She currently is observing a securities fraud trial and
“learning a lot about financial law.” She’s also been given a
chance to work in tandem with federal defenders and has shadowed an
Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Sonja is aware of how lucky she is. She has been able to get a
close-up view of the justice system, learning what is required of a
civil service lawyer. “Sometimes I just look around and I am so
impressed by the fact that I am in the midst of high-level legal
professionals,” she said. “Most students don’t get a chance to
experience all of this until they graduate from law school.”