2018 Intern Video
Manas Khatore
I am a sophomore at Newbury Park High School and was a defense attorney for Mock Trial my freshman year. Through my Mock Trial experience, I learned about the summer internship that DK Law Group offered to high schoolers. I was ecstatic at the chance to work in a law firm. Ever since working here, I quickly learned that Mock Trial is not the full picture of the legal world, but my interest in the field has only increased.
From day one of this internship, I was pushed outside of my comfort zone which helped me learn and apply new skills. We were instructed to perform activities involving advocacy, in which we would stand up and deliver a statement with little to no preparation. Although scary at first, this was the most helpful activity for furthering my speaking and quick thinking skills. By doing multiple advocacy activities every day, I was able to get substantially better at delivering arguments in a matter of days. This kind of coaching and activity has taught me more about speaking, thinking, and receiving constructive criticism than my year of Mock Trial. Along with this, we had the opportunity of studying a case that DK himself was involved and were able to read and summarize depositions from the case, giving us a hands-on activity that relates to the real world. Additionally, we were able to interview multiple successful lawyers and judges, in order to gain insight into what this career truly entails.
This experience has given me an idea of what it means to be a trial lawyer, and how the legal world functions in real life. Although it was challenging and uncomfortable at times, this internship was truly an exciting and informative. Through working with the mentors and my fellow interns, I was able to learn and apply life-long skills that will help me in the future. I would highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in law, and I thank DK Law Group for giving me this incredible opportunity.
Matthew Mitnick
I could not be any more thankful for the law exposure and professional experience garnered to me from my internship at DK Law Group. During my four years at Westlake High School, I became very passionate about community engagement and civil service towards those in need.
As a rising freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I will be a step ahead of my peers thanks to DK Law Group. Serving as lead intern has taught me many team-building and communicative skills. The impromptu public speaking and self-advocacy engagements offered me immeasurable skills, allowing me to think on my feet and work effectively under pressure. Through reading legal briefs and summarizing depositions, I now better understand the mannerisms of law and how it pertains to real life cases. As a result, I feel much more comfortable working in an office setting and subsequently collaborating with others as a team. Interning at DK Law Group has offered me a glimpse into the world of law and provided leadership skills that will prove valuable for years to come.
Navya Batra
I am a sophomore at Oak Park High School and have been in Mock Trial for two years. With my experiences in Mock Trial, I felt I was competent in my abilities. I thought I knew enough already about what it takes to be a lawyer and all the struggles that will come from it. Coming into DKLG’s summer internship program my confidence was through the roof. As soon as I set foot into the office, I was greeted with evidence suggesting otherwise. Each day I spent in office I learned more about my faults, my strengths, and exposed myself and all my flaws. I still had much to learn. I was picked apart piece by piece ranging from the content I spoke or the way one hand was cupped at my side when I spoke. Every day in this program, I learned about my tendencies and all the different efforts I can make to become a better speaker and advocate.
Some of my favorite activities that we partook in Project Advocacy were our guest speakers. When a guest speaker comes in, we do not know anything about the guest or their successes. Yet with only their name, we must conduct a direct examination establishing foundation and credibility, cross examination proving the guest is not an expert, and a closing argument for either side. Whenever we have a guest speaker we are given no time to prepare questioning. While we are presenting statements or conducting examinations, we are given notes on how to become a better speaker.
Now that I’ve completed this internship, I’ve become a better speaker learned how to function in a working environment. Through reception, working with peers, and communicating with peers and authority I’ve learned more about the different requirements to working in a firm. Overall the entire program was a great addition to my experiences and helped me learn more about the law profession.
Priya Setty
When I applied for this internship, I was hoping that my three years of Mock Trial experience would be enough to reflect my knowledge on the field of law. Although they were enough to gain me a spot on this year’s internship team, I had no idea how much I had to learn. I have learned how to be a better advocate as the program Mentors, who are previous graduates of Project Advocacy, pushed me to improve on my public speaking skills. This internship also gave me a glimpse into a working environment in which I got to see what it really means to be a lawyer. Working in an office with a Judge, multiple paralegals, and even aspiring lawyers gave me exposure to the paths people pave for themselves in order to be a lawyer. Guest speakers such as Judge Long and Connor Karen have given me great advice as to how to pave my own path and hearing each of their stories has expanded my horizons in terms of how to take on my own career.
Being put into a working environment taught me about reality itself. I feel like I have gained a sense of responsibility and independency through this internship, which are essential traits to have as I move forward. With the skills I have gained from DK Law Group, I plan to apply them as I go into my last year of Mock Trial at Newbury Park High School. This internship has pushed me to think on my feet and has put me in uncomfortable situations, which are experiences that have bettered me as a speaker. I now feel more comfortable will my presentation, giving objections, and stepping outside the box. I am excited to introduce all that I have learned from this internship into my world of Mock Trial and improve my own performance. DK Law Group has taught me so much that will help me throughout life and can guide me through senior year, college, and my future path towards becoming a lawyer. My desire to become a lawyer has become significantly greater thanks to this wonderful experience.
