Student learns about legal system through D.C. Initiative
| Name: | Cassie Whiteside, ‘08 |
| Major: | Political Science and Spanish |
| Activities: | Delta Delta Delta Sorority, President Relay for Life, Committee Chair Political Science Honor Society |
You had two internships this summer: how did you hear about them and how did you land them?
One of my internships was for Cassidy & Associates, the largest lobbying firm in Washington D.C. A family friend knows the CEO and founder of the company, Gerry Cassidy, very well. He was able to give my resume and a letter of recommendation to Mr. Cassidy and I was added to the pool of applicants that Cassidy & Associates considers for their summer internship program.
My other internship was for the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. I got this internship through the University of Richmond D.C. Initiative Program through which students are able to apply to several internships with Richmond Alumni.
What were your responsibilities as an intern?
For my internship with Cassidy & Associates I was assigned to the international division of the company and assisted the lobbyists there division with various projects. These included writing a Daily News Clip that contained all relevant news articles pertaining to our international clients, helping organize and run a press conference for Univision on the Immigration Bill, attending numerous congressional hearings and writing memo's on them, translating articles on clients from Spanish to English, and extensive research on potential clients. I also spent a good portion of my time on Capitol Hill delivering mailings and information regarding our clients to various Congressmen.
For my internship in the Arlington JDRC, I was able to observe many facets of the judicial system including Court proceedings, prosecution by the Commonwealth of Virginia attorney's office, civil litigation by the County Attorney and Division of Child Support Enforcement, and probation counseling with the Court Service Unit. I was also able to take many on-site visits to residential programs, treatment centers, the juvenile detention center, and the Arlington jail. It was a great experience in which I could see various aspects of the legal system and how they work together.
How have your internships affected you now that you’re back at school?
These two experiences have profoundly influenced me and have given me valuable insight into the real world and two very different career paths. Now that I am back at Richmond as a senior I am able to utilize several of the professional skills I began to develop this summer, such as research expertise and improved writing skills.
Did your new insight provide any career guidance?
I have always considered going to law school after graduation. After working with the juvenile court system I saw the positives and the negatives of this area of law. I realized that it takes experience to really understand what at certain area of law is like and that’s been important as I’ve tried to narrow my focus on what I would like to pursue after graduation. Even after all that, I can’t say for sure if I want to do juvenile law- what I do now is that I’d like to explore as many fields are possible to see what I’m really passionate about.
My internship at a lobbying firm was also very helpful to me in regard to my career goals. I was able to see that lobbying is a sector of the political realm that has great importance. Though it showed me how important lobbying is in the political realm, I now know its not something I would personally like to pursue.
I strongly suggest that all Richmond undergrads take part in internship programs. It really gives you clarity on the things you do and don’t want to do after graduation and I think its much more important to gain this kind of understanding during a summer internship than getting a job and realizing its now what you want.