Interning at the Office of the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor (OSNP) offers an entirely new dimension of experimental learning to complement the more theoretical law-based courses that I have taken Williams. In Legal Studies 101: Process of Adjudication, and the winter study class “So you want to be a lawyer?”, we examined the general manner in which the American court system settles criminal and civil disagreements between individuals, various NGOs, and the government. Upon examining and analyzing the function of the criminal court system I became increasingly curious about the law’s overall effectiveness in facilitating justice as well as the specific processes through which this aspiration is achieved.

Created by the New York State Legislature in response to the heroin epidemic of the 60s, the OSNP is the only US agency solely devoted to the prosecution and investigation of narcotics felonies. The OSNP will afford me the unique opportunity to witness the law’s direct effect on the community it intends to protect through the various roles of the office’s three branches. During my internship I will observe extended investigations into large-scale narcotics trafficking with the Investigation Division, witness how the Trial Division prosecutes local trafficking cases, and ultimately also work with the Alternative Sentencing Division, which helps place offenders who are addicted to narcotics into special treatment programs rather than prison. At the OSNP I will obtain a greater feel for the nuances and processes of the legal system by directly working with the individuals whose public service demands justice within the community that they serve.
~Marcus Morrissette

Website:

http://www.specnarc.org/

Students:

Marcus Morrissette ‘