Instead of wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts during the summer as usual, Jariel Borges puts on a suit, a shirt and tie, and grabs his briefcase.
麻豆精品 S淚 enjoy knowing when I get up and put on a suit, I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to be utilized, I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to be useful, 麻豆精品 S� he said.
Borges, a senior legal studies student at UCF, is one of 70 UCF student interns from the Legal Studies Department this summer 麻豆精品 S� an increase from 66 student interns from summer 2016 through spring 2017.
Marc Consalo, the new internship coordinator for the department, is excited to see a growing interest in student internships.
麻豆精品 S淲hen I took the program over, I wanted to expand the definition of what a legal studies internship meant, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淚n the past, people thought it meant that you were going to a law office, do some filing, maybe do some client interactions. 麻豆精品 S�
Student interns work at public and private law offices, the public defender 麻豆精品 S檚 office for Orange and Osceola counties, law firms, the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida, to name a few places.
All the students are not located in Central Florida during the summer either; some students intern in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Collier counties, as well as in Coral Gables and Boca Raton.
As one of 12 interns with the public defender 麻豆精品 S檚 office, Borges gets ample opportunities to work on various law projects, meet with and interact with clients, and work side-by-side with other attorneys.
It was intimidating in the beginning, Borges said.
麻豆精品 S淜nowing I 麻豆精品 S檝e never had any legal background, I knew I had to put my best foot forward, 麻豆精品 S� he said.
Thankfully, he hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 had to go on the journey alone; many attorneys and judges have been willing to share their wisdom with interns like Borges.
麻豆精品 S淓verybody has been very helpful, especially when you are new and don 麻豆精品 S檛 understand the routines and the system, 麻豆精品 S� Borges said.
That is the key to success with internships, said Robert Wesley, public defender for Orange and Osceola counties.
麻豆精品 S淲e want to give them an authentic experience in the legal system, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淚 don 麻豆精品 S檛 think anybody is here to just resume build; they are really here to gain insight and valuable knowledge. 麻豆精品 S�
The public defender 麻豆精品 S檚 office has worked with UCF to get interns for several years, but this year has seen a stronger relationship between the school and the office.
麻豆精品 S淚t never was as organized as this, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淗aving a university in the community is such a blessing in so many ways. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a benefit for us and I hope it 麻豆精品 S檚 a benefit for the students. 麻豆精品 S�
Sara Fogarty can attest to the benefits of gaining an internship through UCF.
A senior legal studies student, Fogarty is also spending the summer interning with the public defender 麻豆精品 S檚 office, which has helped her make up her mind on her career path in law school.
But she also recognizes the seriousness of what she does every day she passed through the courtroom doors.
麻豆精品 S淢y first day here, and even now, it 麻豆精品 S檚 scary, 麻豆精品 S� Fogarty said. 麻豆精品 S淚f you mess up in school, you get a few points off, but if you mess up here, you can jeopardize the case. 麻豆精品 S�
Fogarty said that interning this summer has given her plenty of opportunities to talk with judges and attorneys about their career paths and does not mind spending most of her day in the law offices.
麻豆精品 S淚 absolutely love what I do here, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e supposed to do 12 hours a week, but I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 listen. I do 20 to 30 hours a week because I want to get as much out of it as possible. 麻豆精品 S�