Leslie Bravo | Summer Internship - Los Angeles Superior Court (Los Angeles, CA)

This summer I had the honor and pleasure of interning with the Los Angeles Superior Court under the guidance of Judge Shelley Torrealba at the Criminal Justice Center. Throughout my time at the LA Superior Court, I observed courtroom proceedings in criminal, civil, probate, mental health, appellate, and even federal court. I participated in presentations with judges, attorneys from the District Attorney's Office, City Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office, and Alternate Public Defender's Office, law school professors and admissions counselors from local universities, court reporters and interpreters, judicial assistants, and bailiffs from the LA County Sheriff's Office. I also participated in a mock trial with Deputy City Attorney Heidi Matz as my mentor and guide in the cross-examination of the defendant. I had the opportunity to spend time with Judge Cindy Pánuco at the Spring Street Courthouse, observing civil proceedings and a lengthy trial. Judge Pánuco took the time to explain her decision on said trial to myself and four other interns in her chambers, but not before asking us individually how we would rule among other things. It was uniquely enlightening to hear how a judge decides to rule on cases; it was also inspiring to see someone of a similar background as mine in a position that feels unattainable.

Throughout this internship, I learned a lot about the court system as well as how to prepare myself for a career in law. Something that particularly caught my attention was the position of research attorney in the appellate di-vision. This position involves using case law and history to help judges draft a decision to present to the other judges before oral arguments are heard and decisions are finalized. This was one of the many instances in which I realized that I did not have to pick between being the history nerd and the legal scholar in me.

This summer vividly illustrated to me the value of studying history at Stanford: I found out the importance of critical thinking, identifying bias, and critically evaluating evidence (i.e., primary sources) are center to real-life experiences and careers after graduation. Being exposed to these practices through historical research in my Stanford History courses, I easily identified many tactics and arguments that the attorneys can use in making a convincing argument to the jury. Trials felt as though they were a competition for whose interpretation of the story was more accurate. It strangely reminded me of debates between different historians about the same research topic. I particularly enjoyed analyzing attorney's questions, deciphering potential implications of their inquiries, and finding holes in the testimony.

In a trial, arguments have to be persuasive and also backed by evidence which is not unlike historical research. All in all, my experience at the Los Angeles Superior Court is one I will forever be grateful for and will not take for granted.