This summer, Disability Law United welcomed UC Berkeley Law student Naomi Chou as part of our internship program. Throughout the summer, Naomi gained hands-on experience supporting litigation across a range of disability rights matters while learning about a possible career in public interest law. From observing depositions and client meetings to contributing to education-related cases, her internship offered valuable insight into both the practice of disability law and the day-to-day work of a mission-driven legal organization. We sat down with Naomi to reflect on her experience, the lessons she’ll carry into her legal career, and what inspires her about the future of disability rights advocacy.
Summer Intern Spotlight: Q&A with Naomi Chou
What law school do you attend, and what drew you to law? I attend UC Berkeley Law. I became seriously interested in law after getting exposed to impact litigation – after undergrad, I worked at a public policy organization that filed an amicus brief in a suit against the Department of Education, and that left a big impression on me.
What made you choose Disability Law United for your summer internship? The most exciting thing about DLU was the opportunity to work on cases at the intersection of disability law and something else—immigration, education, housing, etc. DLU works on a wide range of cases, and I wanted to learn about disability law alongside other fields of public interest law.
What were your expectations coming into the internship, and how have they compared with your actual experience? I expected that the internship would mostly consist of research and writing, but thanks to the way the timing worked out, a significant part of my experience was getting to see parts of the litigation process, like depositions, client meetings, and meet & confers, which was really exciting.
What kinds of projects or experiences have been most meaningful to you this summer? I was glad to be part of a project representing public school students with disabilities because education issues are still very important to me, and I want to continue building my knowledge and skills on education law.
How has working alongside our attorneys and staff helped you grow professionally? Hearing about fees, grants, and workload as part of the everyday considerations of running an organization has given me more insight into the business side of legal practice. I wouldn’t have learned this professional knowledge without being included in DLU’s all-staff meetings.
What would you tell another law student who is considering applying for an internship with Disability Law United? You’ll be able to learn what cases you will likely work on ahead of time, which will tell you what topics you’ll learn about during your internship. If the cases interest you, go for it! Another plus is getting to meet interns and attorneys at other organizations DLU co-counsels with, so you will be exposed to a variety of topics and practices.
If you are interested in interning with Disability Law United, check out our careers page for more information.