Leila Baker ’24, Politics Major and Hispanic Studies Minor, shares about their internship with Villacorta Law P.S & Cueva Law in Tacoma, WA
“Hello! My name is Leila Baker. I am a rising senior politics major and Hispanic studies minor. This summer I have had the incredible opportunity to intern at two different immigration law firms. As it is one day my career goal to become an immigration attorney, this experience has helped me learn lots about what this future may entail. I have learned various tasks ranging from how to put together court ready packets to how to contact clients to request information. I think one of the greatest elements of my in person internship would be the workplace environment. My co-workers taught me lots about how to properly interact with clients. They also very much helped with my Spanish. Everyone in the office as well as the majority of the clientele prefer to speak in Spanish and this has been especially helpful to be immersed in the language at work. In addition to speaking it around the office, they also have me translating documents and making phone calls where I can further practice my skills. Each coworker is always more than happy to teach me about what they are working on. Recently I got to learn about the entire green card process. I also help out with the files and granting petitions to those seeking citizenship. This is the internship in Tacoma, I attend this two to three times a week. As for my other internship I attend zoom consultations with a different attorney. This is very interesting 
because he has a wide variety of clients who are meeting with him to see if he might be able to help their case. Some are more simple like DACA renewals, others are explaining their situation and in search of aid to get citizenship or those in need of advice for their upcoming trial. For this internship I just observe and it takes place only a few hours a week. For both of these internships the one thing every employee has said is the best part would be a happy client. At both firms they have shared with me some client responses after a successful trial or case. The attorneys and the legal aids have been quite honest in saying the work is hard but absolutely rewarding. I am very grateful to Whitman for the internship grant, making this entire experience possible. As I prepare for graduation and thus my future entering the workforce, I feel so lucky to have been able to spend time working closely with what may be my future environment.
In the photos attached please find me calling a client. In the other, is the positive work environment. The law firm does a great job at creating a fun playful office as well as a productive serious one. However, when I asked my coworkers to take a photo we could all not stop laughing. I have chosen to include this because the lighthearted dynamic was what really inspired me to stick with this career choice. I learned about how important it is to be optimistic and positive because this line of work is often incredibly discouraging.”