Another “behind the scenes” look at our fabulous Summer 2022 interns, VLJ is proud to spotlight Mariah Agbonkpolo. Mariah graduated with a bachelor’s in history from the University at Buffalo in 2020, and she is a rising 2L at Fordham University School of Law. As part of her summer internship, Mariah works in VLJ’s Human Trafficking, Children’s Representation, and South Ward Promise Neighborhood Programs.
Mariah first learned about VLJ through a public interest fair hosted by NYU.
VLJ strives to provide internships that offer well-rounded experience with exposure to several legal fields. Mariah spoke about her experience with VLJ’s Tenancy Hotline, specifically stating, “I love doing the tenancy hotline because of the direct client contact and interacting with tenancy attorneys about what next steps tenants can take to make sure their rights are not being violated. It is a very hands-on experience and I'm learning a lot about tenancy law in NJ and trying to apply it to different tenant situations.”
In fact, one recent experience that stuck with Mariah involved the Tenancy Hotline. While on the hotline, Mariah had the opportunity to speak with a VLJ Tenancy Program staff attorney about a caller’s tenancy situation, and when Mariah returned to the caller, she informed the caller that the landlord could not lock the caller out or change the locks without a court order. Mariah relayed that the legal advice provided gave the caller peace of mind that illegal lockouts were the last thing the caller had to worry about with a possible eviction looming.
Part of VLJ’s work is very much “boots on the ground,” yet we regularly make it practice to think about and discuss the access to justice “big picture” and how it impacts and influences our efforts. For Mariah, pro bono work is important because it reminds her of why she wanted to become a lawyer, and doing pro bono work reminds her that change is possible and the law can be an instrument of change if used properly.
On her time at VLJ, Mariah responded, “I love working here with VLJ. The interns and everyone who works at VLJ are wonderful and always eager to help.”
We are grateful to Mariah for spending her summer with us providing much needed support and compassion to survivors of human trafficking, children with special education needs, and residents of Newark’s South Ward. While we will be sad to see her go, we are excited to see where her future takes her, and besides, once a member of the VLJ family, always a member. Thank you, Mariah, for being a champion of change and working to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty!