One of the hallmarks of the legal education at St. Thomas University School of Law is the out-of-classroom experience. St. Thomas Law is committed to training students to be effective and ethical advocates by providing opportunities for them to gain invaluable real-world perspectives that cannot be achieved in the traditional classroom environment.
Second-year St. Thomas Law students, Jikky Thankachan (standing 2nd from left) and Catherine Yepes (standing far right) pose for their official portrait with the Supreme Court Justices (seated) .
The internship at the Supreme Court of Florida is one of the most highly sought-after learning experiences. St. Thomas Law was proud to send two of our best, Jikky Thankachan and Catherine Yepes, to Tallahassee for this semester-long placement.
“The moment I walked into the Supreme Court, I realized how fortunate I was to have this once in a lifetime opportunity,” stated Yepes, who was assigned to work with Justice Alan Lawson. “Prior to this distinguished internship, I did not have any legal experience. Now, I can say that I have been exposed to dissimilar fields, encompassing diverse factual scenarios and laws. Most importantly, I gained invaluable insight into the meticulous work that creates the foundation of our judicial process.”
That foundation is what makes the experience of the Supreme Court Internship such a transformative one. Our students have the opportunity to attend oral arguments, discuss cases with assigned justices, and assist in the drafting of orders or opinions.
“Witnessing oral arguments at this High Court allowed me to delve deeper than the briefs, to remind myself that there were human lives and real issues on the line.” noted Thankachan, who was placed with Justice Peggy Quince. ” I saw some outstanding attorneys argue some difficult cases, and I believe I will be a greater orator for it.”
Though both students were assigned to different Justices, they had one commonality – an affirmation about their decision to study and practice law, as well as the appreciation for having gained invaluable experience at the Florida Supreme Court that will prepare them well for any avenue of the law they choose to pursue.
