I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. As I child I dreamed about standing in the courtroom and putting “bad guys” in jail. Everyone supported my dream and encouraged me to pursue it. What they didn’t say what how hard it was to become a lawyer or how many steps I’d have to conquer before reaching my dream. Nothing could stop me though. Greatness is in my blood. Let me explain…

My name is Katie Deller. I’m the youngest of three daughters in my family. Both of my older sisters attended very highly respected schools and both are now very successful women. They are both quite proud of their academic achievements. I consider myself extremely fortunate to grow up in such a motivating and encouraging atmosphere. Many people my age don’t get to see the benefits of college and hard work; but I see it first hand everyday. I understand the advantages of putting the time and effort into a good education and the benefits of going the extra mile.

My sister’s successes remind me everyday that greatness is in our blood. Their success motivated me to work as hard as I could. I am currently a Junior, in my 7th semester at Penn State. I’m a double major in Crime, Law, and Justice and Sociology. In less than two months, I’ll be taking my L.S.A.T. exam to apply to law school. I’m extremely excited to start the next part of my life.

There are many things you learn in criminology and sociology but the most important thing for a future attorney is hands on experience. The first step on my road to becoming an attorney was to find an internship. All the intern programs were full last fall, so I had to find another alternative. I independently contacted a list of local attorneys to see if I could shadow them to gain some hands-on experience and learn about the everyday duties of an attorney. I was fortunate enough to come in contact with an extraordinary person: Attorney Stephanie Lynne Cooper. Ms. Cooper agreed to let me join her office as an unpaid intern for the spring semester. Moreover, she worked with me and the staff in the CLJ and SOC department here at Penn State to set up a more formal internship program for future liberal arts students. As a result, I was able to receive academic credit for my spring internship.

This internship is very important for my career because I will receive first-hand legal experience. There are two categories of law: “law on the books” and “law in action.” And thanks to this internship opportunity, I will have experienced both of these aspects of law. So far I’ve taken close to ten criminal justice classes – these courses obviously fall into the “law on the books” category, providing me with a valuable academic perspective. But, I was still missing experiences outside of the classroom, those lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom: “law in action.” You cannot teach the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach the first time you step in the courtroom for trial; you cannot teach the disappointment of your client being found guilty; and you certainly cannot teach the pride you feel when you get your first “not guilty” verdict. All of these lessons and interactions can only be experienced first-hand, outside the classroom. These are the things that MAKE you a lawyer. And these are the things I have been experiencing and learning in my internship with Attorney Cooper.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will describe in more detail some of the aspects of my internship and my continuing path to becoming a lawyer.