My Legal Internship this summer began at North Penn Legal Services in
Bethlehem. Like any novice, I set out to prove to myself and to my
co-workers that I had what it took to become a great advocate for the poor.
I strove to become a drum major for my clients by sounding a beat like no
other. I set out to bang my drum as hard as I could. However, my
experience at the Bethlehem office reminded me that a drum major is only one
member of the band. A band performs at its best when all of its members are
working well together. Like a great band whose harmonic sound is the result
of a group effort by all of its members, the Bethlehem office’s success is
the product of its entire staff working well together. When working at
Legal Services, a lawyer must deal with various aspects of the law. Lawyers
or law students who seek to achieve the best possible outcome for their
clients must learn intellectual humility by checking their egos at the door.
I began
my first day at legal services by working in the same office as the Managing
Attorney whose experience and charisma encouraged all of her staff members
to seek her knowledge. Attorneys and paralegals would seek her advice
without any apprehension. I was perplexed by their openness, especially
among their peers, to admit that they were not sure whether they were
properly litigating their cases. Their openness to criticism seemed
contrary to my law school experience where students are graded against each
other and where students are wary of openly exercising intellectual
curiosity because they may look foolish before their peers and their
professors. By checking their egos at the door, these attorneys and
paralegals were prepared to be coached for optimal success.
As I
began to work on my own cases, I quickly realized that a drum major for
justice never plays alone. Every case that I worked on was never a sole
endeavor. I was coached on various aspects of the law from my first case to
my last case. If I chose to work on my cases alone without the help from
other staff members, I would have done my clients a great disservice. I
received vital feedback from all of the members of the Bethlehem staff. I
learned about the intricacies of welfare benefits, like who to contact for
welfare benefits and the guidelines for receiving benefits, from a
receptionist in the office; I became familiar with Social Security and how
to appeal an unfavorable ALJ ruling from two paralegals in the office; and,
I learned about housing issues from both the paralegals and the lawyers in
the office. The Bethlehem office, like a great band, creates the harmonic
sound of justice because all of its members work together to make good law.
My first
case dealt with a senior citizen who was being evicted for non-payment of
rent. The client was withholding his rent payment because the condition of
the apartment was negatively affecting his health. The client had called
Codes Enforcement for the city and he thought that Codes Enforcement would
substantiate his claim in court. I sought the aid of a seasoned paralegal
in our office to help me with this case, and she called Code Enforcement to
speak with the inspector. When the city’s zoning office would not
substantiate his claim, she instructed me to relate that to the client. We
then had a conference call with the client and helped him learn how to use
the pictures of his apartment to substantiate his case. The day after his
court date, the client called our office to joyfully inform us that the
judge had given the landlord ten days to make the needed repairs to his
apartment. This case is an example of the Bethlehem office working together
to create the sound of justice for an indigent client.
I came to
the Bethlehem office with drumsticks and drum in hand ready to beat the
sound of justice. My experience in the Managing Attorney’s office, on my
first day, was a humbling and harmonic experience. I witnessed the Managing
Attorney conducting the staff with each question they asked her and the
staff following her lead while they played the sounds of justice together.
I wanted to join this band for justice, but I would first need to learn how
to play the music for justice by checking my ego at the door.
