Welcome to the Criminal Law and Trial Internship Program

The Criminal Law and Trial Internship kicked off today, and there was no easing into it. Our interns began the program with a keynote from Marshall Bailly about what to expect from the week to come. Then they received a keynote from our attorney, Brandi Harden, who will be working with us throughout the program, who spoke on "Being the Change in the Legal Field." Brandi Harden is the Managing Partner at Harden & Pinckney, PLLC, a boutique Washington, DC firm focused on criminal defense and complex civil litigation, and serves as Associate Director of American University Washington College of Law's Stephen S. Weinstein Advocacy Program, currently ranked third in the country for trial advocacy. A fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and recognized by the Washingtonian as a "Top Lawyer" in criminal defense, she brings more than two decades of litigation experience, having begun her career as a staff attorney and supervisor at the DC Public Defender Service.

From there, the day moved quickly. Interns were introduced to the teams they will be working alongside throughout the program, the first step in building the collaborative relationships that will carry them through the case work and trial preparation ahead. To close out the day, interns took a tour of the National Mall, a fitting way to ground the program in its setting. Walking among the monuments and institutions that define the nation's capital is a reminder of the scale of the work ahead, and of the history that the legal field they are stepping into is a part of.

One keynote, one team, one walk through the heart of Washington, DC, and the Criminal Law and Trial Internship is officially underway. We are looking forward to everything this cohort will build together in the days to come.