Thursday, August 1, 2013

AVLF: An Intern’s Perspective

By: Farley Ezekiel, Emory Law School, 2L


               When I started my first year of law school at Emory I knew that when I become an attorney I wanted to work closely with clients. I began interning at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer’s Foundation in May 2013. I was not quite sure what to expect, but I was excited to work directly with clients. I was lucky enough to experience two sides of AVLF because I split my time between the Safe Families Office in the Fulton County Courthouse and the main office.
                In the main office I was able to perform research for actual cases. It was amazing to research landlord tenant law and then to follow Lindsey’s case as she represented a tenant fighting a landlord who was trying to obtain an eviction. In the classroom research is for a hypothetical problem, but seeing how research directly connects to a real life case that will greatly affect someone makes the heavy responsibility of being an attorney become clear.
The Safe Families Office is never boring, from interviewing clients to rushing to get clients to a hearing, the days fly by incredibly quickly. The most fulfilling part of my work is getting to work with clients. When our clients walk in the door they often do not know what to expect and are quite nervous. Talking clients through the process and getting them a temporary protective order is one of the best feelings. There is nothing better than when a client gives me a heartfelt thank you for my work.
One day a client’s abuser actually showed up in the clerk’s office while she was filing her temporary protective order. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man approaching a client, and she was clearly terrified. Another member of the team called for the sheriffs. Meanwhile, I stood in front of the client and repeatedly told the Respondent that he could not speak with her and that he needed to leave immediately. After my heart stopped racing and I was able to help successfully ward off the abuser, it really sunk in that the work we do everyday has a very concrete effect on people who have endured domestic violence. I have walked dozens of people through obtaining a temporary protective order, but witnessing how this piece of paper tangibly protects people in abusive situations illustrates the importance of the Safe Families Office’s efforts. 

The first year of law school is full of many things: late nights studying, poring over civil procedure, and it all comes down to that final exam. The abstract concepts I am learning in law school are very different from the practical reality of being an attorney in the real world. During my summer interning for AVLF I was able to reconcile my classroom experience with the concrete reality of working on behalf of clients. I loved working for individual clients helping to protect them from abusers and harassers. My desire to work closely with clients in a family law context has only been strengthened after my experience working for AVLF. I believe that my legal education and my experiences at AVLF have set a solid foundation for a rewarding career in family law. 

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