Thank You to our Summer Interns

*Kate Petrie and attorneys from Gibbons, PC talk with a client seeking help at our monthly Expungement Clinic.*

This summer, VLJ had the pleasure of working with three wonderful legal interns: Alexandra Bravo, and Danielle Panizzi, and Kate Petrie. All three students attend Rutgers Law School in Newark. Alex is in her third year and Danielle and Kate are in their second year.

Danielle served as VLJ’s first Maida Fellow. The Maida Fellowship provides funding to a Rutgers student for a summer internship at a public interest legal organization. Danielle worked on VLJ’s Consumer Law, Child Support, and Divorce Programs.

Alex and Kate were Proskauer Rose Fellows. Created in 2008, the Proskauer Rose Fellowship program extends the firm’s long-time support for public service programs in Essex County, while supporting future public interest attorneys. Proskauer Rose Fellows are chosen on the basis of their academic performance and commitment to public service. Alex worked on VLJ’s Bankruptcy, Child Support, Divorce, and Human Trafficking Programs. Kate worked on VLJ’s Reentry Legal Services (ReLeSe), Child Support, Divorce, and Discharge Upgrade Programs.

The interns also participated in a social justice brown bag lunch series this summer. The first lunch involved a discussion on public interest career paths and why each participant is an ally for justice. During the second, interns and VLJ staff listened to a podcast on jury selection. At the final session, each participant shared a book, article, or documentary on social justice that he or she had recently read or watched.

The interns provided positive feedback on their experience at VLJ over the summer. “You get to work side by side with some of the best public interest attorneys in the field,” Danielle said. “I ended my internship feeling more knowledgeable about a lot of different areas of the law. At VLJ, you get experience that you would not get in a classroom.”