American Civil Liberties Union, Atlanta, GA
This summer, I was based in Atlanta working for the American Civil Liberties Union. My tasks were extensive and included both political and legal strategizing. I have always greatly admired the American Civil Liberties Union. Their commitment to civil rights and civil liberties parallel my own dedication to defending the rights of individuals and communities. One of the American Civil Liberties Union’s co-founders in 1920, Morris Ernst, was a fellow Eph—Class of 1909! I gained an interest in working with the organization after connecting with a former Williams College graduate who was the ACLU’s deputy legal director and director of the ACLU Center for Democracy. With the myriad of constitutional issues facing the southern states, I was prepared to embrace an arduous fight in general assemblies, courtrooms, and in press coverage.
My first task actually spanned through the summer’s entirety; the political director, a former politician, and I were to co-author the entire political/election plan for the ACLU of Georgia. The basics of this project involved data analysis. It included figuring out which zip codes, counties, and municipalities we were to target for election races and why. I put together a dynamic plan which listed certain treatment levels for various neighborhoods and counties. The treatment level is a number given to a geographical area, and the number corresponds to certain events or campaigning that the ACLU will sponsor in that area. Additionally, we pulled together endorsements, voting records, and legislative involvement to assess candidates’ stances on ACLU issues. The ACLU’s big focus right now is ending mass incarceration, protecting immigrants’ rights, expanding voting rights, and protecting the first amendment. Additionally, the ACLU is a non-partisan organization. We can give our stances on issues and opinions about candidates and their actions, but we do not endorse parties or their politicians.
Aside from the campaign plan, I assisted with a host of other projects. The ACLU, NAACP, National Incarceration Association, and major religious leaders have created a new committee to plan for a national conference and movement. This will take place next year and is to be labeled the Multi-Faith Movement to End Mass incarceration. I represented the ACLU and will be a part of the Design and Strategy subcommittee leading up to the conference. I created the schedule of events and presentations for most of our forums, roundtables, and community events. I also collectively worked on assignments with other interns. In Louisiana, we uncovered thousands of inmates who’d been sitting in jail for years without ever being charged for a crime. And we all worked endlessly to ensure that a prompt and thorough lawsuit would be initiated against the state’s attorney general.
Given that the ACLU’s work often reflects some of the pressing issues of the time, I learned a great deal from working with the communications department. As you would imagine, we were featured in a significant amount of media coverage, and I was honored to be featured in many press conferences for local news stations regarding the ACLU of Georgia.
I regularly interacted with our legal department and complemented their work. When I arrived, the office was finishing a lawsuit which I feel just about sums up the organization’s identity and mission. After the horrendous school shootings which occurred, students in Georgia—like many across the country—decided to express their frustration with a lack of gun control legislation by walking out of their classrooms. In some cases, students were punished for walking out of class. In other cases, students were punished for refusing to participate in the walk-out. The ACLU of Georgia filed two lawsuits on behalf of students who were punished for walking out and those who were punished for refusing to walk out. Throughout the summer, I appreciated working complementary to a number of lawsuits. One involved two poor, rural parents who were arrested because they gave their son—who had been suffering from daily, epileptic seizures—marijuana after nothing else worked. My favorite lawsuit was on behalf of a deaf man, who along with other deaf inmates, are expected to read lips for comprehension. He suffered physical abuse, neglect, and other forms of harassment because he could not communicate with guards and other inmates. These are large, constitutional issues that often found their way into appellate court, and I enjoyed all the experience that came along with it.
The last major experience involved an impromptu internship opportunity. After meeting the local solicitor general, he asked my supervisor if it’d be possible for me to intern in his office for a short period. My supervisor laughed it off, but then realized it’d be a great idea. So, I spent two weeks at the prosecutor’s office in Atlanta. They deal with immense caseload, hardly ever get to review cases before they’re heard in court, and must appease the ‘boss’, who’s politically elected. They’re also experimenting with restorative justice methods. We expunged the records of many citizens and offered leniency toward traffic offenses. We used new, alternative court systems to deal with drug/alcohol dependency and found new ways to focus resources on dangerous offenders. I took much of this experience back to the ACLU, and it has been used to reshape our future posturing on criminal justice issues.
I am and always have been certain about attending law school. The ACLU has only made me more excited about the endeavor. This past school year, I crossed paths with a parent at the Williamstown Youth Center who works with the Berkshire Bail Fund. It helps poor defendants who were granted bail for minor offenses but sit in jail because of their inability to pay. As I’ve learned at the ACLU, these individuals lose their jobs and are away from their family. Because they were granted bail, the judge sees them as entirely acceptable to not be held in jail. But for those who are poor, they sit, wait, and lose their livelihoods. Their families face the circumstances of eviction, food insecurity, and depression; their kids’ education and futures are greatly altered. I plan to assist with this organization as well as other large non-profits organization known for their litigation, lobbying, and political work.
The experience I’ve had this summer is beyond words. This report only skims the top of what had been an intense, dynamic, and rewarding summer. Because of the generous support from Dr. James Marver ’72, I was able to help so many families and individuals who felt threatened by government and citizens alike. I greatly appreciate all the ’68 Center for Career Exploration has done to ensure I’m provided with professional experiences. I want to specifically thank Dawn Dellea. She has been so patient and understating about any conflicts or inquiries I’ve had the entire year. Dawn always shows a sincere interest in my internship experiences and knowing how exceptionally thorough and passionate she is comforts me. I look forward to taking advantage of all the ’68 Center for Career Exploration has to offer in the future. Most of all, I look forward to the experience which will impact others both here in Atlanta and while at school.