During his time in India with Freedom Firm, Andrew assisted with managing over eighty active cases and drafted memos for use by prosecutors to use in hearings and upcoming trials. He completed a project that had been in the works since 2007, finalizing an amicus brief of sorts called a Writ of Petition that the High Court of Bombay can use to research the growing problem of traffickers who are improperly released on bond. Freedom Firm is dedicated to the liberation of children enslaved in commercial sexual exploitation, to their effective rehabilitation, and to justice against those who have profited from their misery. Despite having to operate within an often frustrating legal system, Andrew gained valuable experience that covers many aspects of life. “I got more than I could have ever expected out of this internship. I definitely furthered my legal education and will come back with stronger lawyering skills than when I left Regent in May, but more importantly, I have seen what I want to do when I graduate…” Andrew hopes to carry these experiences with him during his next two terms and into his career.
“To say this internship was life-changing would be an understatement,” says 2L Andrew Cziok, who came to Regent Law with a sense of calling to be an advocate for human rights. Andrew spent two months during the summer of 2012 in Pune, India with the Freedom Firm, directed by Regent Law Alum Evan Henck ‘07. Freedom Firm is an anti-trafficking NGO seeking to eradicate child sex trafficking in the red-light district of India. Freedom Firm carries out its mission by conducting on the ground investigations of the red light areas known for exploiting children, assisting police in conducting raids, using its legal resources to prosecute traffickers and offering rescued girls hope through effective aftercare treatment.
During his time with Freedom Firm, Andrew assisted with managing over eighty active cases and drafted memos for use by prosecutors to use in hearings and upcoming trials. He completed a project that had been in the works since 2007, finalizing a document similar to an amicus brief called a Writ of Petition that the High Court of Bombay can use to research the growing problem of traffickers who are improperly released on bond and are able to evade justice.
Despite having to operate within an often frustrating legal system, Andrew gained valuable experience that covers many aspects of life. As Andrew reflected on his internship he noted , “I got more than I could have ever expected out of this internship. I definitely furthered my legal education and will come back with stronger lawyering skills than when I left Regent in May, but more importantly, I have seen what I want to do when I graduate, I’ve had a taste of it, and I’ll carry that experience with me into the next two years of law school and share it with as many of my peers as possible. I can’t think of a way this could have been more successful in light of those things.”
Read more about Andrew’s journey here:
Regent Law Life in Photos: Spotlight on Andrew (Drew) Cziok, 3L
Intern Update 5/30/12 (Andrew Cziok) – Regent University. Center for Global Justice®
Intern Update – 6/6/12 (Andrew Cziok) – Regent University. Center for Global Justice®