As high school seniors across the county take advantage of half-day schedules to pursue jobs and internships, Sherwood senior Makenna Hill uses her free afternoons to gain experience in a field in which she hopes to work one day.
Hill interns at the Family Justice Center, which is a part of the state attorney’s office that provides services to create safe domestic environments for families. Attorneys, counselors, detectives and other employees at the Family Justice Center work to support victims of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault, often aiding in legal battles. With help from an attorney family friend, Hill interviewed over the summer for the position.
Putting in about 15 hours per week, Hill’s internship is flexible. Some days she chooses to do schoolwork first after she gets home from her four-period schedule, and other days she chooses to fulfill her internship duties first. Hill hopes that this experience “will aid in preparation for [her] future career as a lawyer.”
As an intern, Hill reviews interviews, police body camera videos and inmate or 911 phone calls to dissect information and take notes for the attorney. She is able to watch some criminal trials as well. “I find the strategies the attorneys use in the courtroom very intriguing,” Hill said, who transcribes and analyzes the recordings of court hearings to assist the attorney in the case. “It ends up being pages’ worth of notes.”
Compared to TV shows like Law and Order, Hill has noticed that real-life trials are much slower-paced: the attorneys frame their questions very thoughtfully to focus their arguments. “Lawyers aren’t as hardcore as expected, but they get their job done,” Hill said.
At the Family Justice Center, many employees continue to work remotely, so Hill opted to begin her internship online as well. However, she may attend some in-person trials over the next few months and start going into the office a few times per week. “I am open to going to work in person, and I look forward to it,” Hill said.
Written by Tori Newby of Sherwood High School
Graphic courtesy of Hansjorg Keller on Unsplash