Continuing with our Summer 2023 new intern spotlights, VLJ is excited to spotlight Chase O'Brien who is spending his summer supporting VLJ’s Debt Relief Legal Program and Divorce Program. Chase received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Fairfield University, and he currently attends The George Washington University Law School.
Chase first learned about VLJ through a family friend who is an attorney and frequently volunteers at VLJ legal clinics. Chase's internship at VLJ involves supporting legal clinics, handling client matters, legal research, and drafting pleadings. While Chase has made incredible contributions to the legal clinics, he also has some memorable experiences under his belt, including shadowing a volunteer attorney during a Debt Relief Legal Clinic as they negotiated a settlement with a creditor. Chase remarked that his internship experience thus far has solidified his understanding of the transformative impact pro bono and VLJ’s services have.
VLJ's mission statement, "Ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty," holds profound meaning for Chase: “Poverty puts people in a place where any help is valuable help. In other words, the work we do does not have to be groundbreaking, profound, or even lengthy. As long as someone is getting the help they need, even if it is just some advice, that’s a world of a difference we are making in their lives. The way our clients respond to even the smallest bit of assistance and kindness is what is so awe-inspiring and really where I see the VLJ mission statement manifested. It reminds me of a quote from Gandhi, ‘In a gentle way, you can shake the world’, and that is really what I feel VLJ is doing. We are changing people’s lives by offering them access to justice, whatever that may look like. So, to me, the mission statement is really about people, and about how we are making these differences one by one, which inevitably leads to more equality, access, and peace of mind for all.”
Outside of his studies and internship, Chase is actively involved in extracurriculars and volunteering at law school: he is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, the Entertainment and Sports Law Society, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal.
VLJ is immensely grateful to Chase for spending his summer with us, and we look forward to all the great things he will undertake at VLJ and beyond. Thank you, Chase, for your passion, your dedication, and your drive to ensure access to justice for neighbors with unmet civil legal needs!
Connect with Chase on LinkedIn
““Poverty puts people in a place where any help is valuable help. In other words, the work we do does not have to be groundbreaking, profound, or even lengthy. As long as someone is getting the help they need, even if it is just some advice, that’s a world of a difference we are making in their lives. The way our clients respond to even the smallest bit of assistance and kindness is what is so awe-inspiring and really where I see the VLJ mission statement manifested. It reminds me of a quote from Gandhi, ‘In a gentle way, you can shake the world’, and that is really what I feel VLJ is doing. We are changing people’s lives by offering them access to justice, whatever that may look like. So, to me, the mission statement is really about people, and about how we are making these differences one by one, which inevitably leads to more equality, access, and peace of mind for all.””