Liana Stovall
Political Science Pre-Law - Candace M. Williams P.C.
How did you hear about your internship?
I contacted the Career Services office for help in finding a legal internship in the North Georgia area. Ms. Geddings emailed me a contact from Handshake. I applied through Handshake & received an offer the following week.
What has been the most valuable (or favorite) part of the experience?
The most valuable part of this experience with Attorney Williams’s law office has been being in a position of helping people who are hurting. Learning first-hand how complex and generally inaccessible to the public the civil procedure is has increased my compassion for people handling matters in family law or domestic violence. No one calls this office because they have an easy or pleasant matter to resolve; they are in desperate need of assistance in resolving a problem they cannot fully solve on their own. One of the most rewarding moments of my time in this internship was interviewing the children of one of our clients to fill out affidavits of election to live with the father instead of the abusive mother. Our client is a Muslim man who fled religious persecution from his Buddhist wife and her family in Mongolia and China. He came to the US in hopes of protecting his children, but she followed him here to obtain custody of the children. It has truly been one of the greater joys of my life serving this family by interviewing them and managing the discovery and evidence process because I know the end goal is to protect the innocence and safety of these children.
How will this help you in the future?
For lack of a better phrase, I wore a lot of hats during this internship. My responsibilities included, but were not limited to, tracking office supplies, dealing with clients, handling intake calls, learning how to send proper invoices and managing the trust/operating accounts, as well as maintaining the Georgia State Bar standard of professional ethics. More specifically, the drafting of pleadings, eFiling, and discovery training I received at this internship will help me tremendously with my future career in the legal field. This experience has equipped me in skills for both legal work and general professionalism. I feel confident going forward in endeavors to work in other law offices, regardless of the type of law due to the experience, inter alia, in drafting, processing discovery, and managing accounts. I’ve also learned a great deal about the work culture in the legal profession and how to manage interpersonal conflict. My greatest desire for myself going into the internship was that the experience would affirm and clarify if becoming a lawyer is the right fit for my future. Not only have I been affirmed time and time again, but I have also been uplifted and encouraged in my dream of practicing law to advocate for victims of human trafficking and sexual violence. This internship provided and taught me tenfold what I imagined, and for that I am beyond grateful.
