My time as a Judicial Intern

I spent my spring semester working for Judge Wanda Keyes Heard of the Circuit Court in Baltimore City (I don’t have any pictures because sadly you aren’t allowed to take pictures in most court rooms in Maryland). My internship was an amazing experience. I learned a lot about not only the legal profession but about professional etiquette and the importance of networking. When I first started working with the Judge I had no idea what I was doing. On the first day the judge handed me a file and a letter from a defendant who was in jail. She told me that I had to read through the file and advise her on whether or not his sentence should be reduced. This is called a motion for modification or reduction of sentence or MMRS.

 I rushed to make my recommendation. The guy seemed like a nice man. He regretted his decisions and was ready to go out into society. It couldn’t be too hard. Why would the judge give me something difficult on the first day? Man was I wrong. As soon as I told the Judge that he should get out she immediately went to the back of the file and pulled out this long list on bright yellow paper. It was full of charges. I learned that you have to read carefully. If you think that your professors grade harshly, it’s nothing compared to what you experience in the real world. In college your grade is on the line, in the professional world it’s much more serious. On the bright side, I did get a lot better at my critical thinking skills and I made the right decision more often.

Working at the Courthouse taught me how to do EXTENSIVE research. A lot of times in school you just rush through your papers and do just enough to get by. In the professional world you have to do more than what you feel is necessary. I spent so much time going back and forth to the law library and the judge’s chambers; grabbing books, looking up laws, writing and then going back and looking up more laws. Books are much more useful than the internet. You have to understand something in order to look it up in a book. It’s a lot easier to just cut and paste information that seems relevant without internalizing what you are citing. Citations in the legal field are different from the Chicago style citations used by historians. However, the general concept is the same. Do not make a statement without backing it up with evidence.

Now you are probably wondering what working in a court house has to do with History. Well here is the interesting historical part. The judge I worked with is an alumni of UMBC. She has been practicing law for over 30 years and next spring she will be the first female chief judge of the Circuit Court in Baltimore City. The judge was mentored by Judge Nance, the current Chief justice of the Circuit Court in Baltimore City. Judge Nance was mentored by Joseph C. Howard. Joseph C. Howard was the first black judge to be elected to the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City in 1968 and he was also the first black judge to serve on the bench in the U.S District Court for the State of Maryland in 1979. I met Judge Nance and got a chance to see his extensive collection of legal books. Some of the books were from before 1868, the year when African Americans were legally considered to be citizens. The experience was surreal. We have come far as a nation but must never forget the past. It is honorable to be in the presence of African-American judges when we were considered property less than 150 years ago.

This internship with the Circuit Court was a life changing experience. I met leading attorneys in Maryland as well as other judges and legal professionals. One of these professionals was Jose Anderson, a legal professor at University of Baltimore and University of Pennsylvania. He offered me an opportunity to attend the Charles Hamilton Houston Legal Scholars Program this summer. I would not have gotten this opportunity or any of the other opportunities that I had if I did not intern with Judge Heard. 

It is important to do internships as soon as possible. They allow you to get real world experience and discover your true passion. They also allow you to network and introduce you to new opportunities that you most likely would not have sought out on your own. I believe that completing internships and getting involved in your field is just as important, if not more, than studying and getting good grades. Being an intern is a worthwhile experience which requires a lot of discipline. You have to balance between completing assignments at the workplace, completing your schoolwork, other prior obligations and having a social life. There will be many days when you feel extremely tired but if you create a schedule, complete your work early, and remain consistent you will be able to succeed. I would recommend that every student complete at least one internship while they are in college.