Schedule of Events

Within my experience in public service, I always knew I wanted to do something within local government or policy. After a few internships within local government, my gears shifted towards a legal career. My internship with Clunen and Oakman Law LLP solidified my passion for the legal profession.
 
As an intern with Clunen and Oakman Law, I had various responsibilities including assisting clients at court, organizing discovery, and drafted and reviewed legal motions. This internship taught me the value in attorney client relationships and the documents and steps taken before a court hearing. This presentation will aim to introduce the legal process and highlight the functions of an attorney, aside from persuading a court. Throughout my time working at Clunen and Oakman Law LLP, I learned the procedural processes of case law and the importance of representation to vulnerable populations such as children.

This presentation will be conducted with a PowerPoint with more information and will be approved by the Criminal Justice faculty sponsors before presented.

Growing up on military bases, I was taught to “…ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country -JFK.” From an early age, I knew that I would work in the Criminal Justice field - right now,  my only dilemma is choosing a career path. I became passionate about studying the historical context of the criminal justice system and analyzing case studies and procedures. Participating in the Oxford Program allowed me to explore my interests through a comparative experience in another country’s system.
As part of my study abroad program, I was able to study at Oxford University, experience the culture in England, and intern at a law firm in London. While working as a student intern with Bark & Co, my main tasks revolved around administrative tasks, archiving, attending court, taking notes, reading/analyzing case studies, delivering case files, and scheduling. I also visited jails within the courts while shadowing lawyers as they worked. Although my responsibilities were straightforward, I worked to complete every task to the best of my ability, striving for perfection, recognizing mistakes, attempting to correct them, asking questions, and completing tasks promptly. Through my experiences in the Oxford Program, I have seen that the expectations and challenges of an attorney appear to be the same as those in the United States. I am unsurprised that these aspects of a lawyer's daily work would be universal.

Ever since I was young, I developed a desire to work in the Criminal Justice system. Most of my life I have been surrounded by all types of law enforcement officers, giving me a good introduction to that world. As a CLU student, I was fortunate enough to secure an internship with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) which has given me a deeper understanding of the day-to-day experiences of an HSI Agent. .

Purpose Statement: 

As an intern with the HSI Office in Northridge, I was able to perform a wide variety of tasks. One of the first was entering data for potential bitcoin scammers into a spreadsheet. I sifted through bitcoin accounts and phone records from telephone companies to match-up fake aliases to real people so the case could be brought to a grand jury. As my experience increased, I was tasked with listening to jail recordings to find any incriminating evidence from a potential suspect, searching through camera footage to list vehicles in another scam and I even finding people’s social media accounts for a case. Several times I was able to go on “tours.”  These included a boat ride in Long Beach to see the port division of HSI, watch a sniff dog in action, and observe a soft interview of potential victims. The four months I interned were invaluable because I got to see what it means to be a Special Agent and the diligent work they do every day.

Throughout my experience in the field of Criminal Justice, I have known that I want to serve my community as a Law Enforcement Officer. In the Spring of 2023, I was given an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of many CLU alumni before me and work as a Traffic Cadet for the City of Thousand Oaks. My internship has given me insight into the work Law Enforcement does on a daily basis, as well as given me a domain in which to apply what I have studied at California Lutheran University. 
 As a Traffic Cadet for the Thousand Oaks Police Department, I handle community calls for service to keep sworn officers available to respond to crimes in progress. I respond to traffic collisions, prepare reports on such incidents for insurance purposes, I enforce the city of Thousand Oaks’ municipal codes, and handle calls for service that involve traffic concerns including abandoned, disabled, and illegally parked vehicles. First and foremost, my job is to serve the community through various means such as handing out stickers and flyers, attending local events, and engaging with community members on a daily basis. This internship has taught me the value of service and how vital law enforcement officers are to the community at large. This presentation will aim to highlight the ways in which Law Enforcement contributes to our society on a daily basis. 
This presentation will be conducted with a PowerPoint and will be approved by the Criminal Justice faculty sponsors before presentation.