NOTES FROM THE FIELD: JENNIFER LEE '22

Jennifer Lee '22 interned at the Anglo-American Law & Policy Program at the University of California, Berkeley, School of law during the 2020 winter term. Here is an excerpt from her intenrship report.

The Anglo-American Law & Policy Program at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law is a program focused on widening and deepening campus knowledge of British legal and political affairs, as well as their implications for the United States. Directed by Berkeley Law Professor Amanda Tyler, the program supports faculty and graduate student research and also conducts scholarly conferences. As a Research Intern in the Anglo-American Law & Policy Program, I had the opportunity to conduct research on legal institutions and policies in the US and UK. A cornerstone of the program is the annual R. Kirk Underhill Lecture, which features a leading figure from political or scholarly circles. The 2020 Underhill Lecture was scheduled to take place in April (before the COVID-19 situation became more severe) and was titled “Courts Supreme: A Conversation with President Brenda Hale and Justice Stephen G. Breyer About the Supreme Courts of the United Kingdom and the United States”.

I researched the US and UK Supreme Courts in preparation for Lady Hale and Justice Breyer’s April event. I specifically looked into the institutional qualities of each court, the ways in which they are both similar to and different from each other, and their overall history. Additionally, I had the chance to proof Professor Amanda Tyler’s forthcoming book, Habeas Corpus: A Very Short Introduction. In the editing process, I researched the history of habeas corpus law in the US and UK. In particular, I looked at the English Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 and US Supreme Court cases such as Hirabayashi v. United States (1943), which challenged the registration and curfew orders that the military had directed at Japanese-Americans in the West during World War II. I submitted all of my research in the form of a memo to my supervisor.

The work that I completed during my time at Berkeley Law has empowered me with deeper knowledge about US and UK law, stronger communication skills, and a desire to attend law school in the future. The opportunity I had to help plan Berkeley Law events with the Faculty Support Unit has strengthened my ability to work with people of various backgrounds, particularly of different ages. I sharpened my capacity to express my views, while also improving my listening skills and ability to receive feedback. These skills will not just serve me well in the classroom, but also in any professional workplace. In addition, my time at Berkeley Law gave me a firsthand look into what studying, researching, and working at a law school is like. I developed more nuanced research skills and enhanced my passion for studying democratic values and their manifestations in society. By fully immersing myself in this environment, I gained valuable experience and insight that has in turn motivated me to pursue a law degree after Dartmouth.

I want to thank the Rockefeller Center for supporting me throughout my internship at Berkeley Law. I am so grateful for all of the training I received prior to my term in the Bay Area, and without the Center’s continued help, the valuable experiences and knowledge I gained through my internship would not have been possible.

The Rockefeller Internships Program has funding for Dartmouth undergraduate students to help defray the cost of living expenses associated with a full-time, unpaid, leave-term internships in the fields of public policy, public affairs, and social entrepreneurship.