JSH has long been a supporter of the Diversity Legal Writing Program (DLWP), a collaboration between the Maricopa County Bar Association (MCBA), the State Bar of Arizona, and various law firms throughout Phoenix. Self-identified diverse law students are each matched with a participating firm and have the opportunity to strengthen legal research and writing skills. They also get a sneak peek into the day-to-day practice of law, which can be quite different from the academic and theoretic presentation in school.
This past semester JSH was privileged to host Pedro Angel, a 2L at ASU, as our 2023 Spring Writing Intern. Pedro was born in El Salvador but immigrated to Florida as a child. He is the first in his family to graduate from college, and was drawn to the field of law because he sees it as “an opportunity to give back to the community, as well as an opportunity to use my reading and writing skill sets and maybe be my own boss someday.” After visiting his parents in Arizona, he decided that ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law was a great fit.
Pedro applied for the Diversity Legal Writing Program by submitting a writing sample, his resume, and a cover letter. He met with eight different law firms over the course of two days. “Interviewing with them all back to back was a great way to compare what they had to offer, and I was glad we just ranked them and I didn’t have to turn anyone down.” When asked what made him rank JSH so highly, Pedro said, “What really made JSH stand out was the interview process. Kimberly Page and Chelsey Golightly were very personable, and it felt very natural and conversational talking with them. I was also excited to experience a big law firm handling civil litigation.”
During his internship, Pedro spent approximately 15-20 hours per week working on a variety of projects with his JSH mentors and other attorneys, like Elizabeth Garcia, a DLWP alumna and associate attorney in the appellate group. “Vicarious liability analysis, determining the fair market value of real estate, and researching the concept of vexatious litigants…real life law with gray areas,” as he described his work, “is so much more creative than textbook scenarios!” Pedro was also exposed to the more practical aspects of a law firm, such as billable hours and managing a caseload, which will help him in the future.
And what will that future hold? Pedro is going to spend his summer at an immigration firm, learning more about a cause he cares deeply about. After that, only time will tell, but we know he has a very bright future ahead of him.