By: Michaella Ottolini
I joined the Center for Global Justice as a bright-eyed, first-year law student. I didn’t know much about the law yet, but I did know one thing: I came to Regent to make a difference in my future legal career. When I discovered the Center and the much-needed research projects it facilitates, I realized my goal to make a difference didn’t have to wait until I graduated: it could begin as a student.
Since joining, I’ve been blessed to work on projects regarding both national and international policy. I’ve dove deep into standing state law remedies for survivors of human trafficking and more broadly researched how international bodies prevent human trafficking. I came to learn that much of the legal field is still underdeveloped in relief laws for survivors, but because of the Center, I was able to help nonprofit organizations find weak points in the law and seek solutions.
Because of my work at the Center, at the end of my 2L year, I was offered an internship I had a great passion for, further satisfying my desire to make a difference. I worked in Washington, D.C., writing briefs and motions on behalf of survivors of human trafficking at both the trial and appellate level. My time researching for the Center prepared me for the type of research I would be doing at my internship. Further, in my first semester of 3L, I was placed on a project with that same organization on behalf of Center, where I was given the opportunity to write the first draft of a cert petition to the Supreme Court of the United States. It was because of the Center that I was blessed to have these opportunities and truly make an impact in the fight for survivors.
In my last semester of law school, I look back on my time at the Center with fondness. I have learned practical skills and had unique experiences to prepare me for my career. The impact the Center has had on me has inspired and encouraged me. I didn’t have to wait until after graduation to fulfill my desire to make a difference: the Center has already set me on that path as a student, well preparing me for my future.
This post was written by a student at Regent University School of Law. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.