Tuolumne County Public Defender interns reflect on summer experience
The Tuolumne County Public Defender intern class of 2021 is one like no other, because 2021 is a year like no other.
“In the spring, we selected two outstanding students to be our volunteer summer interns.” Public Defender Scott Gross said. Nicolas Kirsch is from Washington D.C. and is entering his second year of law school at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon. Christopher Gull is from right here in Sonora and will be starting his first year of law school at University of California, Davis.
Kirsch responded to a posting at Lewis and Clark Law School that was asking for summer interns for Tuolumne County. He liked that Deputy Public Defender Dana Gross was a Lewis and Clark graduate. He had also previously spent a summer working in Yosemite National Park, and was excited to spend another summer in beautiful Tuolumne County.
Gull initially applied to an open legal clerk position in the office. Office Manager April Sindelar thought he might better enjoy learning how to be an attorney through the office's internship program. As an intern, Gull would have the opportunity to attend court proceedings, instead of just being at the office doing data entry work.
After meeting with Scott Gross, Gull stated: “He convinced me to volunteer as an intern in the office. It would be more rewarding from an experience standpoint. Then, I was given the opportunity to go into the courtroom for trials, attend briefings with our clients on new developments in their case at our new jail, being invited to attend meetings with the deputy district attorney for case resolution conferences, view alleged crime scenes, write motions and serve documents.”
Looking back, Gull is glad that he jumped at the chance to intern in the office. He noticed that he got a lot more out of his internship than expected, recalling, “I had no idea I would be given such a broad spectrum of duties in the office. I
feel in four months I got four years of experience. I got the chance to, in essence, sit second chair on seven trials this summer, from jury selection to closing argument. It certainly provided me with a wealth of experience.”
Gull noticed that his internship at the Tuolumne County Public Defender's Office was more valuable than what he was hearing from his peers. “My friend interned this summer, at (a bigger city's office). In contrast to my experience, she never got to go to court or things of that nature. She was primarily in the basement filing documents into files, and updating books with new pocket parts. She was happy I got to do more than
she did. I found out that you get more attention being in a small county. The difference between a large county and small county programs was striking.”
Kirsch's highlight of the summer was meeting with Judge Donald Segerstrom. He is the former Tuolumne County district attorney and was presiding judge of the Tuolumne County Superior Court for several years.
“It was a genuine pleasure meeting with him and learning about his judicial philosophy, and about him as a person,” Kirsch said.
This summer, between Kirsch's first and second year of law school, he got the chance to meet with public defender clients, write letters, draft motions, and research new law. The Public Defender's Office represents youth as young as 12 years old and clients charged with all kinds of cases, even murder.
The Tuolumne County Public Defender's Office provides highquality indigent criminal defense by vigorously advocating for the rights of individuals facing criminal charges in adult and juvenile court. Our five lawyers and four support staff provide effective and competent legal representation to people who are charged with a crime and unable to afford an attorney. We share a love of the law and a desire to ensure balance in the justice system.
Interns assist experienced attorneys with actual legal cases. Novices are paired with knowledgeable practitioners to give interns real world experience while ensuring our clients receive the best representation.
Intern volunteers are offered an excellent opportunity to: enhance academic learning through hands-on work experience on real cases; network with professionals in the public interest law sector; conduct legal research and analysis; improve client communication and management skills; increase awareness of holistic legal practices; participate in day-to-day operations of a busy law office; and be a valuable part of an indigent client's legal team.
Scott Gross thanked the interns for their contributions, “We will be keeping an eye on them, confident that their internships at the Tuolumne County Public Defender's Office have set them off in the right direction. Both of these young men have been invited back next summer.” The Public Defender is accepting applications for volunteers with positive attitudes and a passion for helping those whose civil liberties are at risk. Call (209) 533-6370 to learn more.