Beginning of Session 2 of the Criminal Law and Trial Internship Program

Today marked the start of a new cohort, and interns hit the ground running from the very first hour. The day opened with a speech from our executive director, Marshall Bailly, who welcomed the group and laid out what they should expect over the course of the week, the pace, the people they'd meet, and the kind of work they'd be doing. It was the kind of opening that sets expectations high without letting the excitement of day one fade into nerves.

Later in the day, interns heard the week's keynote from attorney Brandi Harden, speaking on being the change in the legal field and in the world. Brandi's talk pushed past the usual "Welcome to the Program" framing and into something more challenging: what it actually means to use a legal career as a vehicle for change, and what kind of intention that takes. 

To close out the day, interns took a trip to the monuments, trading lecture halls for open air and a chance to get to know each other outside the structure of speeches and sessions. Moments like these matter as much as the programming itself,  the bonds interns build with their teams on day one tend to carry them through the harder, more demanding days ahead.