Before knowing what I would do this summer, I had two goals: to get a professional internship relevant to my future career aspirations and to complete a travel abroad program before I graduate. I had no idea that I would be able to kill two birds with one stone, and when I saw the offer to do so in Dublin, Ireland, I knew in my gut that it was the right thing for me to do and the place I belonged this summer. I am so happy I made that choice. This summer exceeded all my expectations and made for an unforgettable experience I will always cherish. It was a summer of firsts, my first professional internship, and my first time traveling outside the United States or even on my own apart from my family. I made many friends that I am still in close contact with to this day and I look forward to reconnecting with them when I go back to campus this fall. I traveled to London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Edinboro in Scotland. Each location was a brand new place I had never been before filled with unique cultures and sightseeing that I enjoyed exploring on the weekends. Without this program, I would have never had the privilege to travel to these new places and meet these new faces.

My international experience was divided between two worlds: the daily tasks of my internship from 9-5 and the time I spent with friends outside of working hours. For my internship, I worked at Daly Khurshid Solicitors, a law firm operating out of the Capel building that dealt with a wide variety of legal issues such as family law, probate, immigration matters, human rights, and insolvency just to highlight a few of their many legal services. I worked under Gary Daly, one of the partners in the firm and my supervisor throughout my time working there. Besides him, I had many other kind coworkers and fellow interns I spent my time with throughout my shift. My tasks involved answering the phone, shadowing consultation meetings, remedial office tasks like scanning and filing documents, and attending court to observe cases and how barristers argued for our clients. Attending court was my favorite task at work, and it gave me a feel for what it would be like to argue for a case and the extensive preparation necessary to do so effectively.

Once work was over, I typically would grab a drink with my friends at a nearby pub and spend the weekday evenings hanging out at University College Dublin, the place where I and all the other members of my program lived for the summer. On the weekends I would either travel out of the country or go to pubs with my friends, getting good food and sharing drinks at the many pubs and clubs scattered throughout the city center. I also made it a point to always do some sightseeing during the day, and during my weekend trips, I saw Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, went on a canal boat tour and explored the city of Amsterdam, saw La Sagrada Familia and Casa Battló- two famous buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, and climbed Arthur’s Seat, a famous hiking trail in Scotland, and Edinburgh castle which was close by. I am very grateful to have gone to these places, and I likely would have never done so if I never joined this program.

Over the course of the summer, I experienced tremendous growth from the person I was when I came into this program. I am much more confident, a trait I learned from challenging myself both personally and professionally. Although I came into the program with no experience in traveling and working in the legal field, I am now very confident in my ability to travel to new countries and more sure of my decision to pursue law school after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. Coming back to Pitt, I am excited to return with this confidence and reconnect with all the friends I made while abroad. It will be nice to come back to campus knowing new faces and potentially running into them in classes or just on the street. Professionally, this internship confirmed my decision to go to law school and gave me some insight into what kinda of law I want to practice and specialize in at school. This will make for a more smooth transition into law school and bolster my resume for applying to future law internships.