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Three John Marshall Law School students
are participating in the summer Judicial Intern Opportunity Program sponsored
by the American Bar Association Section on Litigation. The program paired
nearly 100 students from across the country with judges for hands-on
experiences.
Hardee Siong
Hardee Siong is getting a look at the
law, and life, in central Illinois. Rather than moving between floors at a
high-rise courthouse in Chicago, Siong is driving to the major centers of the
farmland to learn from judges in Christian, Fayette, Marion, Effingham, and
Montgomery Counties.
She made a trip to Vandalia to see the
old State Capitol where Abraham Lincoln argued as a young attorney.
The Chicago resident is living in
Taylorville, Ill., population of about 11,300, for six weeks this summer. "This
is an area of Illinois that I wouldn't have gotten to had it not been for the
internship," the third-year student said. "It really is proving to be very
interesting."
"I'm not working for just one judge,"
she explained. "I'm in courts in the 4th Judicial Circuit (5th Appellate
District) in the Springfield area. I am especially grateful to Chief Judge Gene
Schwarm and Resident Judge Ronald Spears of Christian County who have been so
helpful.
"I'm getting exposure to criminal
cases. I've been researching statutes for the judges, writing memos. I'm going
to have the opportunity to watch a multi-count felony case that could result in
a life-term sentence for the defendant, a first in the county," Siong
explained.
Her familiarity with the law, because
of her law school training and her litigation experience as a paralegal in a
Chicago law firm, have helped her transition into the criminal work.
Siong is sharpening her legal writing
skills. It is quite a change from the play writing she studied at DePaul
University where she earned a bachelor of fine arts. Siong also worked in real
estate for several years before starting at the law firm. Several years into
her work there, she decided to enroll at John Marshall as a part-time student.
After law school Siong hopes to
practice law, starting a journey that might lead her to a seat in the courts
one day.
Naheda Zayyad
Naheda Zayyad is getting a true
mentoring experience during her six-week internship at the Cook County Circuit
Court offices in Chicago's Daley Center.
Zayyad, a third-year student at John
Marshall, has been learning first-hand about remedies, claims, judgments,
compensation, and how to review briefs and motions during her internship with
Judge Alexander White in the Law Division.
She has also gotten to work on
workmen's compensation cases with Associate Judge Rita Mary Novak who has
assigned her to draft opinions on claims.
"I just swam into the materials,"
Zayyad of Palos Park said. "I find that I get a chance to sit with the judges
who have been more like professors to me. They are willing to go through the
intricacies of the cases and they really are taking their time with me."
Zayyad came to the intern position with
previous experience having worked for the presiding judge's office at the
Bridgeview Courthouse during her undergraduate years at Governors State
University. During her second year at John Marshall, she worked for attorney
Kenneth Anspach at Brodsky & Odeh learning criminal and immigration work,
and some environmental law.
Zayyad also has volunteered with the
New American Initiative for Citizenship project helping immigrants through the
immigration process. She's been able to give special assistance there because
of her Arabic language skills.
Earning a law degree will fulfill a
life-long dream for Zayyad who recalls being fascinated by Court TV at a young
age.
"My family encouraged me to pursue a
law degree because they recognized my enthusiasm for the law," she said.
Grace Mata
Grace Mata returned to her hometown of
Peoria for a summer internship at the federal courthouse, a place she was
familiar with from her work as a law firm clerk in high school.
Mata, who will be a second-year law
student at The John Marshall Law School this fall, is working with Judge Joe
Billy McDade in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. She
has already spent time observing court proceedings, doing legal research and
drafting orders for the court.
"I'm learning a lot and my legal
writing has improved," Mata said. "I'm getting help with revising and editing
my arguments from the judge's law clerks that have been most helpful." Mata and
the others on the judge's staff also appreciate the questions he raises and his
interest in their opinions on the cases they're researching.
It was as a student at Peoria Notre
Dame High School that Mata first became familiar with the Peoria courthouse.
The law firm she worked for after school would send her to handle filings and
she easily made friends with the court clerks and others. Then Mata went off to
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and after graduating she moved
to Washington, D.C. doing general legal work for a few years before deciding
she would enroll at John Marshall.
She was happy with the Peoria
appointment that meant she would again be working with many of her old friends.
Although Mata has two more years of law
school, she believes she's made the right career choice. "The law will be a
valuable and powerful tool in life regardless of my career choice," she
said. 
John Marshall third-year student Hardee Siong meets
with Resident Circuit Judge Ronald D. Spears in the Christian County Courthouse
in Taylorville, Ill. 
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Alexander White is
mentoring John Marshall student Naheda Zayyad during her American Bar
Association summer internship.
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