This past summer, UBSPI - in conjunction with MLSC and the University of Baltimore School of Law - funded 11 UB law students to work in public interest organizations throughout Maryland
This summer, I was lucky enough to work as a full-time law clerk in the Baltimore City Public Defender’s office, Felony Division. I thought I knew what to expect, but wow! has it been eye-opening. I have had such a wide range of experiences over my 3 months here. I have done everything from the mundane law clerk tasks of copying and filing, legal research and a little bit of writing, to the much more intriguing trips to jail and investigation of crime scenes. I was even able to help try a case by sitting at trial table with my attorney, passing questions I thought might be important, and answering our client’s questions as they arose. I learned quite a bit from all of these experiences.
But for me, the best and most rewarding part of my summer spent here is exactly what drew me to this work to begin with. It’s the feeling of helping people who you know truly need your help. There are plenty of people who want to put criminals in jail, but not enough who want to help them attempt to preserve their rights, and navigate a very complicated system. It is clear from the first time that you meet a client that they really need your help. And it is an awesome feeling to know that the work you are doing helps them. The biggest thing I have learned is that not all client’s goals are the same. They all have different things in mind, and different outcomes that they want. It’s very cool to try to help them get there.
I started working on a case when I got here that my supervising attorney had been working on for quite some time. Our client is in jail, and has been there, awaiting trial, for over a year. I don’t know if he committed the crime or not, but there are some serious issues in the case. I remember after doing a good amount of work on this case finally going to jail to meet him for the first time. I remember telling him about the issues we have found, the research I had done, and the strengths and weaknesses of our potential case. I remember answering his questions as best I could. When we were done, he told me he loved me, he thanked me for the work I was doing on his behalf, and then as I got up to leave, I put out my hand to shake his, and instead, he pulled me in for a pretty strong hug. It was unexpected, but also welcome. It was a very powerful experience for me, as has been my entire summer here at the Public Defender’s office.
---Matt Rogers, University of Baltimore School of Law
This summer, I was lucky enough to work as a full-time law clerk in the Baltimore City Public Defender’s office, Felony Division. I thought I knew what to expect, but wow! has it been eye-opening. I have had such a wide range of experiences over my 3 months here. I have done everything from the mundane law clerk tasks of copying and filing, legal research and a little bit of writing, to the much more intriguing trips to jail and investigation of crime scenes. I was even able to help try a case by sitting at trial table with my attorney, passing questions I thought might be important, and answering our client’s questions as they arose. I learned quite a bit from all of these experiences.
But for me, the best and most rewarding part of my summer spent here is exactly what drew me to this work to begin with. It’s the feeling of helping people who you know truly need your help. There are plenty of people who want to put criminals in jail, but not enough who want to help them attempt to preserve their rights, and navigate a very complicated system. It is clear from the first time that you meet a client that they really need your help. And it is an awesome feeling to know that the work you are doing helps them. The biggest thing I have learned is that not all client’s goals are the same. They all have different things in mind, and different outcomes that they want. It’s very cool to try to help them get there.
I started working on a case when I got here that my supervising attorney had been working on for quite some time. Our client is in jail, and has been there, awaiting trial, for over a year. I don’t know if he committed the crime or not, but there are some serious issues in the case. I remember after doing a good amount of work on this case finally going to jail to meet him for the first time. I remember telling him about the issues we have found, the research I had done, and the strengths and weaknesses of our potential case. I remember answering his questions as best I could. When we were done, he told me he loved me, he thanked me for the work I was doing on his behalf, and then as I got up to leave, I put out my hand to shake his, and instead, he pulled me in for a pretty strong hug. It was unexpected, but also welcome. It was a very powerful experience for me, as has been my entire summer here at the Public Defender’s office.
---Matt Rogers, University of Baltimore School of Law
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