2019 Legal Interns
New Hampshire Legal Assistance recently welcomed six new interns for the summer! They’ll spend the next few months in NHLA offices across the state, working closely with advocates in and out of the courtroom. In between orientation and getting straight to work, they each took a moment to introduce themselves and share what they’re most looking forward to from their civil legal aid experience:
Zachary Trinkle is a student at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and will be spending his summer working in our Manchester office. He is especially interested in family law work and is looking forward to supporting NHLA’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Project while he’s here. As for why he decided to work in civil legal aid? “My goal since I started law school has been to serve communities of individuals that would otherwise not have access to quality support and representation. Litigation and difficult legal situations can so often be tilted to disadvantage impoverished communities. It is our responsibility to work to balance that and provide support to everyone.”
Originally from Bow, New Hampshire, Kate Dumais studies at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She will be supporting NHLA’s legal advocacy work in our Berlin office and has expressed particular interest in housing law and NHLA’s Youth Law Project. When asked about her hopes for the summer, she told us that “I hope to gain an understanding in how I can go forward and use my legal education to make a positive impact in every community I become a part of, through the meaningful hands-on experience I will receive at NHLA.”
Emily Gold is a student at the Suffolk University School of Law. She is a Manchester native, and will be working in NHLA’s Concord office this summer. As she explains her interest in civil legal aid, she recalls her experience at a Boston community health center: “Much of my role involved helping folks apply for safe and affordable housing but it always seemed like the system was rooting against them. On many occasions, I contacted civil legal aid attorneys for advice and was always impressed with the kind and helpful voice on the other end of the phoneline. I decided I wanted to be the voice at the other end of the line.” Emily is especially interested in housing law and is looking forward to learning more about it.
Alex Brill will spend her summer working in NHLA’s Portsmouth office. She is a rising 3L at the George Washington University School of Law in Washington, D.C., and is originally from New Brunswick, New Jersey. With an interest in NHLA’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Project and youth law, Alex is looking forward to providing services to low income communities; in her own words, “I hope to work directly with clients to help them get the legal assistance they need, whether that means stopping an eviction or expulsion from school or getting a protective order. NHLA was a perfect fit!”
From Rye, New Hampshire, Michael O’Brien will spend his summer working in NHLA’s Claremont office. Having finished his 1L at the University of Georgia School of Law, he is looking forward to exposing himself to the world of civil legal aid; “I believe in NHLA’s mission, and I hope to learn as much as possible about the public interest sector and take that knowledge into whatever career path I choose.” He is interested in our Domestic Violence Advocacy Project, and is excited to assist our clients, regardless of their ability to pay.
Currently an undergraduate at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, Jacob Marcus will spend the summer working as NHLA’s policy intern. Having grown up in Merrimack and now living in Manchester, Jake is excited to be back home for the summer focusing on state-level issues that affect those communities; “Policy work with NHLA is a great way to explore the intersection between my interests in law and politics, and to better understand the ways that political systems both create and can be used to dismantle the barriers faced by our clients.”
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NHLA is a statewide nonprofit law firm representing low-income and elderly New Hampshire residents who cannot afford a lawyer. Through advice, referrals, direct representation and systemic advocacy, NHLA works to improve the lives of low-income and other vulnerable New Hampshire residents by providing access to justice. NHLA maintains offices in Berlin, Claremont, Concord, Manchester and Portsmouth.
