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By: Christina Brooks ’25
This summer I had the privilege to intern with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and with the 8th Judicial District, Erie County Supreme Court under the guidance of the Justice Henry J. Nowak. Thanks to the University at Buffalo School of Law Summer Public Interest Funding & Fellowship Program, I was able to have the amazing opportunity to work both internships this summer, and discover new career goals. It was a goal of mine to work alongside a judge during my 1L summer to advance my writing skills and observe the court system, but I am extremely grateful to have also had the opportunity to work at the DA’s office as this experience has allowed me to recognize my newfound interest in the criminal justice system.
Having interned for Judge Nowak this summer, I was able to gain a real perspective of the civil court system and the daily duties of a judge. I had the great opportunity to observe hearings and settlement conferences with Judge Nowak as well as a few civil trials in the Supreme Court. I also spent much of my time writing and conducting research to contribute to Judge Nowak’s court decisions and memorandum of law. Being able to observe court proceedings and conduct different forms of writing in the judge’s chambers has provided beneficial insight into our court system and has allowed me to improve my writing in ways that would not have been possible outside of a judicial internship. I am extremely grateful to Judge Nowak for allowing me to intern for him this summer as this experience was one that has taught me impactful skills that I will carry into my future legal career.
Having also interned at the DA’s Office this summer, I was able to switch from civil work to criminal work and gain a completely different perspective on our criminal justice system. I was placed in the Narcotics Bureau where I was able to experience and assist with the varying duties of an assistant district attorney. I had the opportunity to conduct a vast amount of research and writing, as well as write a memorandum of law that was submitted to the court. Along with my research and writing work, I also spent a great amount of time observing various court proceedings such as hearings, arraignments, sentencings, and trials. This was quite an insightful experience as my observations in the office this summer have opened my eyes to the impactful work that the DA’s Office does for our community. I came into the internship unsure of an interest in a possible career as an ADA, but through my experience with supportive and receptive supervising attorneys in the office, I have come to learn that a career as an ADA is now of high interest to me and would allow me to fulfill my desire to serve our Buffalo communities.
I am truly appreciative of my experience this summer as it was an eye-opening chance to view two different perspectives of the legal field and participate in the real work of an attorney. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Francis Letro and Cindy Letro for their generosity in support of my law school career; without their involvement in the Summer Public Interest Funding and Fellowship Program and their generous donation, I would not have been able to experience these invaluable summer opportunities and fully recognize the work that I want to do in public interest. Thank you again to the University at Buffalo School of Law Summer Public Interest Funding & Fellowship Program and to Frank and Cindy Letro for so generously supporting my summer of public interest work.
Name: Christina Brooks ’25
Fellowship: 2023 School of Law Public Interest Fellowship
Placement: Erie County District Attorney’s Office; and the Eighth Judicial District, Erie County Supreme Court
Location: Buffalo, NY
One important lesson I have learned from this fellowship: “I’ve learned to come out of my comfort zone and connect with people in different areas of law to expand my network. Also, to quickly adapt to different/new work environments.”
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