Raul Amaya interned with Al Otro Lado in Tijuana and gained experience in client intake, document preparation, and fieldwork on active immigration cases.
How did you get your internship?
I got my internship by sending the organization an email directly. I was looking for immigration firms and organizations and Al Otro Lado came across. I held a meeting with the supervisors and they were glad to have me on board. I started the week after our meeting.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because I have previous experience in immigration law. I worked at an immigration firm in high school and I have been interested in the legal field ever since. Growing up in San Diego-Tijuana, I have experience in knowing the current status of immigration law and also have connections within the field. I thought it was the best path to pursue to gain even more experience.
What new knowledge and skills did you develop in this internship?
I gained many transferable skills during my internship but the one I developed the most was taking initiative through the client intake process. I had only one day of training and then I started taking in my own clients so I had to learn how to deal with every aspect of a one-on-one visit. Keeping in mind that most of the cases they come with are very complex or include unfortunate circumstances, I still had to navigate through the case to find the best possible solution. Client intake was such a big part of it because it sets things up for the entire process. Clients want solutions, so I work to give them the best solutions possible.
What advice do you have for other students as they begin their internship?
The advice that I would give another student would be to be an active participant in your learning, and by doing so you will grow. Since day one, especially considering my internship was unpaid, my main mission was to learn and grow. By focusing on that, I grew and learned more than I could’ve imagined before starting this internship. This will undoubtedly help with my future plans of becoming a lawyer.
What was your favorite or most satisfying part of your internship?
The most satisfying part about my internship was that right off the bat I was treated like family. They had a strong team bond already, and that the first week I felt like I had been there for months. This helped me grow because I felt more comfortable talking about things and asking questions. They were always open to help me and wanted me to grow and learn.
What did you find most challenging about your internship?
The thing that I most found challenging about this internship was hearing the stories my clients told me. To navigate a case I had to know the whole story and their stories, more often than not, were tragic. The immigrants I helped came seeking asylum in Mexico because they were attacked, threatened, or nearly killed in their home country. This was the hardest part of the internship by far.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
My internship experience influenced my plans for the future because even though I was sure I wanted to go to law school, I was not sure which focus area of law interested me most. Actually working directly on immigration cases in this internship made me realize that I do like it very much. The internship assured me that immigration is the way I want to go in the future.