Taking Their Lead: Amplifying Incarcerated Voices

By: Alexis DiCarlo ‘24

First, I want to thank the New York Bar Association, and the donors that make the Catalyst Fellowship possible. Additionally, thank you to Lisa Patterson and the University at Buffalo School of Law Summer Public Interest Funding & Fellowship Program for your help in making this fellowship happen for me. This fellowship stipend has given me the ability to work in public interest full time this summer, and without it, I would not have been given the opportunity to help people on this level. Public interest is exclusively what I’m interested in as a law student, so this fellowship allowed me to be fulfilled for my summer position, help indigent clients, and learn about the field I want to work in upon graduation. As an e-board member of Buffalo Public Interest Law Program, I know the importance of these fellowships, not only for the students who receive them, but for the community. Fortunately, law students, in their volume alone, provide nonprofit organizations with significantly more reach, allowing them to help more people, faster. These fellowships have been so important to my law school education, as they’ve given me the hands-on tools necessary for lawyering in post-conviction.

I had the opportunity to spend my summer at The Legal Aid Society in New York City. There, I worked in the Wrongful Conviction Unit, where I advocated for innocent people’s exoneration. I have never done more substantive work at a legal internship. I did a ton of legal research, which allowed me to expand my knowledge of post-conviction claims in New York, as well as the statute that allows innocent people to move to vacate their conviction. I also gotthe chance to interact with my incarcerated clients, which I think is one of the most important parts of legal internship/education. Direct client contact is something that I believe is instrumental in building a positive, trusting relationship with a client, especially one that is currently incarcerated.

Most incarcerated people have had negative experiences with the system, with lawyers, and even with people who claim they want to help them. Trust is not a given, it is something we as legal professionals have the responsibility to build. It’s also become something I’ve enjoyed working at. There are so many kind, giving, smart, funny people inside prisons who may never be able to contribute to their communities again because of the way the system operates. At my internship, I was able to engage in policy work, and advocate for laws that will better protect incarcerated individuals, or really anyone who’s been in contact with the system. I know that it will be important for my career post-graduation to have an advocacy/policy component to my job. This summer has reinforced that idea. I love direct client representation, and I want to have these connections throughout my career. But working on the macro/systemic level is also something I aspire to do.

I’ve met so many tireless advocates this summer, some of which are formerly incarcerated. Throughout my law school career, all I’ve wanted was to join the existing efforts in making this legal system a more just place. My work these past few years, including this summer’s internship, has fortified the idea that we must listen to those who are directly affected. For me, that means riding on the backs of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their families, to continue advocating for policies that protect people in prison and helping those currently inside become free.

    Fellowship: Catalyst Fellowship

    Placement: The Legal Aid Society

    Location: New York, NY

One thing I’ve learned: “The most insightful advocates are those who have been affected by the system directly. Listen to them, and follow their lead.”