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Each summer, Â鶹ÉçÇø Law students can be found across the country sharpening their lawyering skills through a wide variety of experiences. In this series, students share a firsthand account of their meaningful work in private and public agencies, non-profit organizations and government offices.

I spent my summer in two roles: as a legal intern with the Office of Program Research (OPR) and as a Hazelton Fellow for Dr. Todd Wildermuth. OPR provides nonpartisan staff support to the committees of the Washington State House of Representatives. At OPR, I researched potential bill topics and policy and I learned how to draft bills, amendments, bill analyses and bill reports. My summer internship with OPR will continue as an externship this Winter Quarter, when I will have an opportunity to draft legislative documents and make presentations to state representatives.

My involvement with the legislative branch has provided a different perspective than law school, which focuses heavily on the judicial branch. Many legal opinions read for class contain judicial interpretation of legislative intent or judicial hesitation to impede on the legislative process. My OPR experience has provided me with an inside look at the legislative process, which will serve me well in situations where, as an attorney or judicial clerk, I have to explore legislative intent to interpret a statute.

As a Hazelton Fellow, I researched the history of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This fellowship improved my legal research skills and allowed me to work with a complicated statutory scheme. My knowledge of NEPA should complement my studies well, particularly as a 2016–17 Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellow. As a FLAS Fellow, I will study the indigenous language of Lushootseed and explore environmental justice issues through courses such as Natural Resources Law.

Overall, my first summer of legal work built on concepts learned in my first year of law school and provided me with hands-on experience that will be useful as I continue to prepare for my legal career.