Post by: Wendy Wrobel
Hello! My name is Wendy Wrobel, I am a rising 2L and this summer I am working as an intern for the Office of General Counsel for University of the Nations, Kona. Originally, I was planning to be there on the island for two months, but due to current travel restrictions I am working virtually from here in Virginia Beach, planning hopefully to be on the Island in August.
YWAM is a global movement of Christian’s across denominations, with the heart to mobilize people to spread the heart of Jesus across the world.
The Office of General Counsel is made up of Julie and Allen Anjo, they do everything from tax and property law, to visas for missionaries or students, legal advice for affiliated ministries and NGO’s, religious freedom, and basically anything YWAM as a whole would need. YWAM is a ministry, school, and church all wrapped into one, and so there are many legal fronts they both need guidance and protection in. The privilege of working in such a small office is that I’ve gotten to learn a little bit of everything. From staying up to date on present day statutes, in addition to the nuances of Hawaiian property law, taxes, and copyright issues, among other things.
My first project with them surrounded the idea of creating a handbook for religious freedom legal preventative care for YWAM, as opposed to reactionary care. Every time I got close to finishing parts of the project this summer, the Supreme Court would make another ruling relating to religious freedom! Causing me to alter, edit or add new notes relating to how that effects important procedure or contracts within YWAM as a whole. I realized that I often looked at law as a constant, but in reality law is often shifting quickly in nuanced ways that are easy to miss.
I am so thankful for this internship opportunity. It has been a blessing for what I am learning on the legal front, in addition to the encouragement from the Anjo’s in the chaos that is 2020. Navigating an internship during Covid19 is new for all of us, but they have made the process easy and even fun. I look forward to continue working with them this summer, and hopefully getting to be with them in person this fall!
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice Intern. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.