Multi-Talented Court Interns Have Many Interests
by Brooklyn Eagle (edit@brooklyneagle.net), published online 07-18-2007

ADAMS STREET — This year’s summer interns at the Brooklyn Supreme Court come from all over the borough and have many career goals. At a program last Wednesday, the interns introduced themselves to each other and to two interns from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
The court has 21 interns this summer, ages 14 and up. The program started Monday, July 2, and continues until the middle of August. The interns have many different careers in mind, but this summer, they will participate in a mock trial, the enactment of a fictional court case.v Interns from the Eagle interviewed four new court interns to find out who they are and what they’re interested in.
Steven Deolus, 17, a Brooklyn native from Bedford-Stuyvesant, was the one of the few interns who had actually participated in a mock trial. He said he would like to become a lawyer.
BDE: We overheard you say that you have plenty of experience. Where would you say a lot of it came from?
Deolus: I would say that it came from my school. I went to James Madison, and in that [high] school, they separate the kids by houses. I attended the law house, and they had a selection of excellent electives. I studied criminology. Then I joined a mock trial team and participated in a mock trial case.
BDE: What made you pick this internship?
Deolus: I picked this internship because I wanted to be a lawyer.
BDE: Is this internship benefiting you in any way?
Deolus: Of course it is! This internship is showing me a lot. Today’s lesson is about crisis care, and what to do with your future. It’s basically what to do if your dream job doesn’t work out for you.
Uriah Hunt, 14, a born-again Christian from Crown Heights, is one of the youngest court interns. He heard about the internship from a Summer Youth program.
BDE: Do you believe that you’ve gained more experience from this internship?
Hunt: Yes, I do. It’s a great experience. The job this program set me up with was to be in charge of a newsletter. They have me take photographs, do interviews and write articles, mostly.
BDE: Do you have a job outside of the internship?
Hunt: Yes, I’m a photographer for my church. My church is called the Nazareth Christian Fellowship.
BDE: What would you like your profession to be?
Hunt: I would like to be a plastic surgeon.
BDE: Why did you decide to join this internship?
Hunt: I decided to join this internship to gain experience and communicational skills.
BDE: Who referred you to this internship?
Hunt: I attended a Summer Youth Program, and they referred me because I was mature for my age.
Ariel Sanabria, 15, from Midwood, seems to know exactly what she’s doing, where she’s going and what she’s talking about in the courthouse.
BDE: How do you feel about this internship?
Sanabria: I feel very privileged. When I explain to my friends that I got this job, they always ask me how I got it. It’s great. I feel like I shouldn’t be doing anything else but this internship. I feel as if I belong here. BDE: What would you like your profession to be?
Sanabria: I would like to be an attorney.
BDE: You took a test on your knowledge about the law. Do you understand more now?
Sanabria: Yes, I understand a lot more. At first, everything regarding the law was a bit confusing to me. I mean, I always knew that I wanted to become an attorney; it was always there, even when I was a kid. But I didn’t know enough until I joined this internship, and I’m entirely grateful to be here.
Shatel Harpell, 16, from Flatbush, joined the summer internship program hoping it would give her a better view of what she wanted to be. She also hopes to gain as much knowledge of the law as possible. Before she started, she was debating between becoming an accountant and a judge.
BDE: What made you want to join this internship?
Harpell: I wanted to gain experience. Plus, I was always confused with whether or not I should be a lawyer or an accountant. And this internship showed me that I’d like to become a lawyer a lot more. BDE: Does this internship benefit you at all?
Harpell: Yes, it does. It teaches me the skills I need to know. It’s good!
BDE: The job they gave you, does that help you?
Harpell: No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t help me gain any more experience.
The interns were given a test featuring questions about the New York City court system and political figures. The highest score recorded was a 96.
Five interns said they want to become lawyers or attorneys, one wants to become a judge and two want to become surgeons. Some said they are interested in neonatal nursing. Others don’t know what they want to be. The interns who said they haven’t yet decided on a career also said they hope this internship will help them decide.
— Reported by Shaun Young and George ChirenoBrooklyn Daily Eagle