Lauren Gallaway has seen her future as a public defender – and knows it will be a challenge. But she is ready for it. Her summer position with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy introduced her both to the law and criminal procedure, and to how public defenders often cope with limited resources. It was a dual experience:
• The human: “I realized that the people that I was working with were everyday people that either made a mistake or were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was helping people during a difficult time in their life, even though it may not have turned out as they would have wanted it to.”
• The institutional: “I got a better understanding of the law and the legal process. This was something I would have been unable to do without actually being placed into the field.” Working in a public defender office also introduced her to time and budget constraints that often accompany the work. “I now know the amount of hard work I will need to continue to make a difference in the future.”
Lauren was able to have her summer experience because of a grant from the Chase Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program.
