Cheyenne Clopton, Flores’s partner in developing the program, explained that the focus has put an emphasis on advocacy at the forefront of legal research, which is done by allowing the interns to hone in on “social issues that they care about and that are pressing to society,” she says.
The interns begin with a discussion and assignment pertaining to juvenile justice and Teen Court, the diversion program that PESA has partnered with since shortly after its inception. They then move into the next phases revolving around the work of an attorney and PESA’s civic engagement work with students. To cap it off, the interns will spend three weeks on the education phases of the program during which they will work on developing an educational presentation relevant to the youth that PESA serves. Essentially, the interns are experiencing a “mix of policy and avenues a lawyer can take to influence policy,” says Flores, through learning how to advocate and enact change.
“At PESA, our interns contribute to our mission of helping young individuals from diverse backgrounds, and they learn how that is the key to effective mentorship,” says Flores. “The practice of law and policy making are different areas, but essentially require the development of similar skill sets in order to be successful advocates of change. It is one thing to learn about law in the classroom, but putting it into practice is very different. We want to inspire them to think in terms of what a lawyer can do beyond the courtroom and beyond big firms. It’s law through the lens of advocacy."