Finding My Future in the Courtroom

Contributed by: Tate Reilly ’27, Criminal Justice

My connections with Patrick Clifford and the Office of Career and Professional Development at Albertus Magnus College gave me the opportunity to secure an internship at the New Haven Superior Courthouse under State Judge Brian T. Fischer. I believe that this internship was the true start of my legal career. It gave me the experience and knowledge that I would not learn in the classroom.

In most internships, you are limited to roles and experience. Fortunately, this was not my case. Being directly assigned to Judge Fischer, he wanted to get me as much experience as possible. I started out shadowing the state prosecutors, observing their manner in court, and understanding how much work goes into being a successful prosecutor. Shortly after, I shadowed the public defenders. I was able to observe how hard and tiring it is being a public defender. I was also able to talk to the inmates during questioning in holding. I was fortunate enough to observe different types of trials such as, family court, divorce court, civil pre-trials, and much more. 

The biggest takeaway for me was the fact that the emotions in a courtroom do not factor into the ultimate decision of the case. During my experience, I gained an immense amount of knowledge from various judges as well as attorneys, that will help me on my path to become just like them. 

All throughout high school, I wanted to major in sports medicine and be the trainer for the New York Yankees. My positive internship experience helped me discover a new interest in Criminal Justice and Law. I am very passionate about helping people who are underrepresented or feel that they cannot speak up. My plan is to help people whose civil rights have been violated. This internship has provided me with more than enough information and guidance on how to do that.