A Season of Growth: Summer Interns Share Their Justice Center Experience

The City Bar Justice Center is pleased to wrap up another successful summer internship program with 13 exceptional high school, undergraduate, and law school students gaining hands-on experience through our civil justice projects and departments. These bright and motivated individuals brought fresh perspectives and unwavering dedication to our work, contributing meaningfully to our mission of providing free legal assistance to those in need. We are deeply appreciative of our 2024 summer intern class for their invaluable contributions across administrative, client-focused, and programmatic areas. Their dedication to our mission of advocating for justice shined through in their work. Below, some of our interns share their experiences, lessons they’ve learned, and the meaningful work they’ve done at the Justice Center: 

“I loved working at CBJC, mostly because I loved the people and the drive behind their work. I learned a lot about post-grad life and different career opportunities in public service and legal administration that I previously was not aware of. This helped ease some of my anxieties about finding passion and purpose after graduating college, and it shed light on what working in co-working space is actually like.”  
 – Isabelle Ruppe, Communications/Admin Intern 

“During my internship with the Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw Projects, I became familiar with the five essential life planning documents we help clients establish. Before my time at CBJC, I had only a basic understanding of wills. Now, I can confidently explain the purpose and function of Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Proxies, Living Wills, and Dispositions of Remains. I feel like a pro when discussing these documents, and I owe that to my incredible Director, Vivienne Duncan, and wonderful Coordinator, Yenissell Sanchez, who were instrumental in helping me acclimate to this new environment. They provided excellent training, particularly in client intakes. The most rewarding experience of my internship was helping a client diagnosed with cancer obtain life planning documents. It felt incredibly gratifying to assist him during such a challenging time in his life. This experience has also sparked a newfound interest in Trusts and Estates law, which I didn’t expect. I’m excited to explore this interest further by taking a Trusts & Estates Law course in the upcoming spring semester of my 2L year.”  
– Jehovahnie Saint Rose, Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw Projects Intern 

“Through my internship at CBJC, I obtained client-facing experience. I learned the nuts and bolts of communicating and collaborating with clients to assist them with their cases. I also grew in my knowledge of substantive immigration law, the intersection with criminal law, and the various types of humanitarian immigration relief. I especially appreciated getting more experience in client interviewing and declaration writing, both of which are important skills in immigration legal work. I know I will apply the skills I learned here to my legal work in the future.” 
– Melissa Fergusson, Immigrant Justice Project Intern 

“When I first started, I felt frustrated seeing the situations our clients were in and knowing we couldn’t fix all their problems. It wasn’t until my first small “victory” for a client that I appreciated the momentary pockets of happiness when delivering good news. These moments solidified within me the kind of lawyer I’d like to be someday. I appreciate my project director for trusting me to take on this work and allowing me to write impactful materials, from advocacy letters to resource guides. The excursions, networking, and trainings have also aided me in building a professional identity. Working for CBJC has been such an amazing experience, and I will no doubt look back on it fondly.”  
– Stephanie Garcia, Legal Clinic for the Homeless Intern 

A heartfelt thank you to all our incredible summer interns for being an integral part of our team: 

Anna Kang, Rising 2L at Berkeley Law 
Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project Intern 

Erin Stavish, Hofstra School of Law 
Veterans Assistance Project Intern 

Eugene Park, Rising Senior at Brooklyn Technical Highschool 
Admin Intern (CBJC’s first-ever intern through the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program) 

Isabelle Ruppe, Rising Sophomore at Yale University 
Communications/Admin Intern 

Jehovahnie Saint Rose, Rising 3L at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law 
Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw Projects Intern 

Jeremy A. Blumenthal, Rising 3L at Fordham University School of Law 
Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project Intern 

Julianna Risi, Rising 3L at New York Law School 
Planning and Estates Law Project & Legal Hotline Intern 

Lia Di Lisio, Mount Holyoke College 
Social Work Intern 

Marvin Ponce, Rising 3L at Rutgers University Law School-Newark 
Consumer Bankruptcy Project Intern 

Melissa Fergusson, Rising 2L at Cornell Law School 
Immigrant Justice Project Intern 

Priya Maskey, Rising 2L at New York Law School 
Legal Clinic for the Homeless and Pro Bono Initiatives Intern 

Sam Wise, Rising 2L at Brooklyn Law School 
Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project (EDNY) Intern 

Stephanie Garcia, Rising 3L at New York University 
Legal Clinic for the Homeless Intern