DIVERSITY CORNER
DIVERSITY CORNER
Q & A About the Diversity Intership Program
KARLA M . ARMSTRONG
SHANIA GRANT
How did you obtain your internship , and what did you expect going into it ?
KARLA : I received an email from the St . Thomas Career Development Center about the Palm Beach County Diversity Internship Program (" DIP "). I was thrilled at having an opportunity to intern within my community , and I received the email right after finals while I was on a trip with friends trying to mentally escape the pressures of law school . I read the mission statement of the DIP , and I thought it offered a perfect opportunity for me as an Afro-Latina Lesbian . I admire how it strives to bring everyone to the table .
As part of the DIP , I interviewed with the Palm Beach County School Board General Counsel ’ s Office , (“ OGC ”), and I was told what my summer would look like if I interned with them . I knew from the moment that I spoke to them that I wanted to be a part of their team for the summer . Shortly after interviewing , the OGC called me to offer a summer internship position . I was a mixture of nervous , excited , and grateful . Even though I had a career before law school , I had never worked directly under attorneys . As the summer neared , the worry cloud started to take over . What would it be like ? Am I capable ? What if a real-life experience would show me that I cannot do this ? One word summarized my thoughts – terrified .
SHANIA : As a high school student , mindlessly scrolling through Instagram , I came across a post about interning for the Palm Beach County School District . Ignorant to all of the different fields that go into running a school district , I thought to myself , “ What could the School District have to do with my career goal of becoming an attorney ?” Even with these doubts in mind , I went to the district ’ s website , and to my surprise , I saw the opportunity to intern with the Office of General Counsel . Once I interviewed with the OGC , I quickly fell in love with the team there , and I was inspired by its diversity . As a first-generation American and a black girl , I felt proud to see the wealth of
identities and diversity in the office , as it showed that I could , in fact , get there one day . When I received a call offering from me the position , I immediately accepted , knowing the OGC would provide me with a fantastic summer internship experience .
What kind of work did you do at the OGC ?
KARLA & SHANIA : We worked in four departments : personal injury , governance , labor and employment , and business operations . Each department immersed us in their work for the two weeks we were with them . For business operations , we attended the weekly meeting and researched new case law and statutory changes , for example , those dealing with garnishment and student loans . The personal injury department asked us to summarize an entire medical file in one of their cases . Governance had us reading new legislation and assessing possible impacts on the school board . Labor and employment entrusted us with summarizing deposition transcripts and researching the possibility of a four-day workweek .
Our internships overlapped with a hectic time for the OGC as they underwent many changes and adapted to new legislation . We had the opportunity of seeing OGC attorneys discussing the impacts of the changes and preparing for the worst-case scenarios , all while having a goal of providing an enjoyable and safe environment that embodies the community ’ s values .
What did you take away from your experience ?
KARLA : The experience at OGC taught me that passion , dedication , and heart can lead you down many roads , and that every law student should intern in different areas of the law . Every lesson is valuable – whether someone learns they like or dislike working in a specific field . Also , working with a high school intern like Shania , who knows she wants to be an attorney , was inspiring . Thank you to the OGC !
SHANIA : As a high school intern , I not only gained great experience with the attorneys at OGC , but also I gained Karla as an amazing mentor and friend . Karla is someone who I aspire to be like given all she ’ s accomplished , and because she is so proud of who she is . The environment in the OGC was so supportive as well . As a high school intern , I knew little about the law and all the legal jargon . However , the OGC made me feel comfortable to learn and ask for help while I was experiencing things that I never had before like my first trial , and a school board meeting . In addition , I was able to see the operational side of everything , which allowed me to better understand how the law governs and affects people ’ s lives . The whole experience made me believe that I can succeed while being unapologetically me .
Karla M . Armstrong is a first / second / third year law student at St . Thomas University .
Shania Grant is a senior at Florida Atlantic University High School . Shania is dual-enrolled and is currently set to graduate with a B . A . in Political Science with minors in Spanish and Criminal Justice in December 2024 . After graduating from FAU , Shania plans to eventually go to law school , and pursue a career as an attorney .
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PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 13