This blog post is part of our ongoing guest Blog Series: “Opportunity Knocks.” For a full schedule, please see: http://law.scu.edu/lcs-blog/upcoming-blog-series-opportunity-knocks/
“Good morning, your honor. Amanda Alcantara for the People.” It rolled off my tongue perfectly. My voice was steady and confident. It resonated effortlessly over the milling-about of the thirty or so other DDAs, PDs, and defendants present in the courtroom. It was exactly as I’d practiced it. Nailed it, I thought. The judge looked over his glasses at me and smirked, “Good afternoon, Ms. Alcantara.” I looked at the clock: 1:30 p.m. I corrected my earlier thought: I’m an idiot. And so began what I certainly hope to be a long and fruitful career as a criminal prosecutor.
It most definitely wasn’t the only blunder I made this past summer when I had the honor of working as a law clerk for the San Mateo District Attorney’s Office. Yet, no amount of gaffes and the occasional public humiliation could stop me from looking around the courtroom and wondering: how did I have the good fortune to end up here for the summer? And, of course, the inevitable follow-up question: what do I need to do to stay?
No doubt I can attribute much of getting my summer internship to good fortune, but I also managed to get a lot of experience in and around criminal law even when I wasn’t dealing directly with criminal law and, ultimately, that allowed me to stand out when OCIs (and DA’s offices) came around. For example, I work part-time as a police dispatcher. Deputy District Attorneys work very closely with law enforcement on a daily basis and my experience with law enforcement was invaluable during my internship. I spoke their language and it showed. After my 1L year, I interned with a non-profit domestic violence organization and worked directly with domestic violence victims seeking restraining orders. This was purely civil law, but a number of our clients were simultaneously dealing with the criminal justice system. Some victims were testifying against their abusers in a criminal prosecution, others stood accused of domestic violence crimes themselves. This heavy overlap with criminal law provided me not only with knowledge, but a unique perspective. Now, I happened to have worked with law enforcement and domestic violence victims, but my fellow interns had experience clerking with judges, working with rape victims, and even drafting gun control policy. What’s fantastic about criminal law is it encompasses so many different areas of law and, for law students who want to go into criminal law, the internship possibilities are endless.
Experience is crucial, but don’t underestimate the power of the classroom and school activities. For DAs and PDs alike, the name of the game is courtroom experience and any prior courtroom experience is going to make you that much more an attractive candidate to future employers. This summer my fellow law clerks and I made court appearances two or three times a week each, and that means being bar-certified, which means having completed some crucial classes like evidence. The earlier all those classes are completed, the sooner you can get certified and the sooner you can get into a courtroom!
But how do you know what to do once you get into the courtroom? Luckily, Santa Clara offers some awesome classes and extracurricular activities to this end. For the past three semesters, I have participated in the Santa Clara Law Trial Team which is coached by two amazingly talented Public Defenders from Alameda County. In addition to providing me with the opportunity to compete all over the nation, Trial Team has taught me how to conduct a direct and cross examination, present opening and closing arguments, and make and respond to objections, among other things. So, despite my apparent inability to distinguish morning from afternoon (see above anecdote), I knew the basic tenants of courtroom presentation. Classes like Trial Techniques will accomplish many of these same goals. Moot court is also an excellent way to hone your courtroom skills. Over the course of the summer, my fellow interns and I argued dozens of Preliminary Hearings, Motions to Suppress, and the like. While most of these hearings focused on witness testimony, we had to write briefs days, and sometimes weeks, before ever seeing the inside of a courtroom. Moreover, at the end of the hearing, we had to present legal arguments and persuade the judge to agree with us. Not only does Moot Court teach you how to write a great brief, but it allows you to practice making arguments on the fly, a skill you will need as a trial attorney.
Despite it being 1:30 in the afternoon, I wasn’t entirely wrong when I greeted the judge, “Good morning.” It was my first appearance during my first courtroom assignment of the summer, so it was MY “morning.” During my summer with San Mateo District Attorney’s Office, I learned a ton about criminal law and courtroom procedure, but the most important things I learned were that I loved criminal law, I loved being in the courtroom, and I wanted this to be my career. Ultimately, getting the internship is just the first step; it’s the how you use that experience to guide you in your career that really matters.
Amanda Alcantara
Amanda Alcantara is a San Francisco Bay Area native and a 3L at Santa Clara University School of Law. She attended University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana for her undergraduate degree. Ms. Alcantara recently clerked for San Mateo District Attorney’s Office and is available for questions at aalcantara@scu.edu.
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