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Every summer, law students at William H. Gates Hall head out to law firms, government offices, nonprofits and businesses across the country. For a few short months, these students work side-by-side with practicing attorneys, getting a firsthand look at the ins and outs of the legal profession. It’s a chance to move beyond theory and see how the law plays out in everyday life.

This new series catches up with rising 2L and 3L students as they briefly step away from their work and share their thoughts, surprises and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

This week, we met up with Colin Babikian, a rising 3L.

�鶹���� Law: Where are you working this summer?

Colin Babikian (CB): I'm interning at the Federal Public Defender's Office in the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, Virginia.

�鶹���� Law: Are you originally from Seattle, and if not, where?

CB: No, I'm originally from Massachusetts, in a small town called Manchester-by-the-Sea, just north of Boston. There's a movie starring Casey Affleck that put my town on the map.

�鶹���� Law: How did you find out about this employment opportunity?

CB: I knew I wanted to work for a public defender's office, and I went to undergrad at the University of Virginia, so I thought it'd be fun to apply back in Virginia. I have a lot of friends in DC, and then some that remained in Charlottesville. So, I applied to the Western District and got placed in the Roanoke office.

�鶹���� Law: What type of projects are you working on?

CB: The big ones that I've been working on have been compassionate release projects. So, those are for people who are on supervised release of probation, and even though their term hasn't expired, there is a compelling case for them to no longer be under court supervision.

I also got to appear in petty offense court, which was fun. It was in front of a magistrate judge and for my first time I had clients, and I got to represent them. They were all plea deals, but it was fun to do that and speak in front of a judge for the first time.

�鶹���� Law: How long will you be working there?

CB: I'm actually done this Friday. It was an eight-week internship program.

�鶹���� Law: Do you work as part of a team, and if so, how many people do you work with?

CB: At this office, there's one other intern, and then there are three attorneys. There used to be four, but one of them quit halfway through. And then there's a mitigation specialist, two paralegals and an investigator.

�鶹���� Law: Have you had any type of networking opportunities since you've been there?

CB: Yeah, I have. This office set up some meetings with federal judges in the Western District. We met with them in an informal setting and got to ask them questions and hear their stories. Their clerks and interns were also present for that. And then I got to meet the other assistant public defenders and the interns at the other offices.

�鶹���� Law: If you could put on any type of event or outing for you and your coworkers, what would you do?

CB: I would do bowling. For some reason I feel like people here are good at bowling, but I have nothing to back that up. Or an escape room.

�鶹���� Law: Have you learned any new skills that you didn't anticipating needing or using at your internship?

CB: One skill I didn't really think about was taking in the humanity of the client. I think that’s a skill that I've learned through this, especially through the compassionate release.

I view the prosecutor's job as the one to inform the judge about the law and say, “This person broke the law,” and then the public defender’s is to say, “This is a person who broke the law, and this is their story.” You want to humanize them and say, “These are the mitigating circumstances.” So, it’s been a big skill that I learned, and maybe one I knew, but seeing it in action and how important it is to the job has been fascinating.

�鶹���� Law: What do you think will be the most memorable part about this experience for you?

CB: I think appearing in court for the first time. And then my first motion for compassionate release that was granted.

�鶹���� Law: What's one superlative you would give your office coworkers as a whole?

CB: Quirkiest. They're all very interesting, quirky individuals. And all incredibly nice.

�鶹���� Law: What's the most lawyerly thing you've caught yourself saying outside of work?

CB: “I don't disagree.” No one says, “I agree,” but everyone says, “I don't disagree.”

�鶹���� Law: What's one thing you would recommend for people to do while visiting Roanoke?

CB: Go hiking in the area. The good thing about being in Appalachia is the rolling hills, they're just really beautiful. And anytime you can get out and walk around them is great. I love that about my time here.

�鶹���� Law: How would you say �鶹���� Law best prepared you for this employment opportunity?

CB: I would say my 1L writing class and crim law, as well as the enthusiasm of the professors teaching their subjects, which made me want to learn. That's carried through into this internship.

�鶹���� Law: What's one thing you wish you'd known before starting your summer position?

CB: Don't bring any shorts. I don't know why I thought I would be able to wear shorts at the office, but I was like, “Oh, it's hot in Roanoke,” so I brought so many shorts that I haven't worn. If only I knew, I could have saved on packing.

�鶹���� Law: If your office had a talent show, what would your talent be?

CB: It's not a talent, per se, but I love the shaggy dog joke — it's, kind of, considered an anti-joke. I don't want to spoil it, but that's my go-to. So, my talent, in that regard, is being comfortable with everyone hating me as I tell the joke.

�鶹���� Law: Do you have any other plans for the summer outside of your employment?

CB: Yeah, I'm going to upstate New York with my family for a few weeks where I get to water ski, which is my one true love in life. And I'm in the military, so I have military training for most of September as well.

�鶹���� Law: If you could have a cameo in any legal TV show or movie, which one would you pick, and what would your role be?

CB: “12 Angry Men” and I would be the 13th man, and it would just be really confusing.

�鶹���� Law: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your summer experience so far?

CB: Meeting with clients, or when I got that motion granted because I talked with the person beforehand and got to understand their perspective and why they wanted to get that. I can read reports and stuff, but every time I talk with a client, they naturally come up with the theme for me because it has to be authentic from their perspective.

�鶹���� Law: What's one interesting fact about you that people may not know?

CB: I'm scared to blow my nose, so I've never done it in my memory.