Name: Julia Eaton
Class Year: 2024
Major: Sociology, 4+1 Masters in Bioethics with the Perelman School of Medicine
Hometown: York, PA
Internship Organization: Philadelphia Bar Foundation
Job Title: Equal Justice Center Intern
Location: Philadelphia, PA
I was eager to apply for an internship with the Philadelphia Bar Foundation because it presented a great opportunity for me to further my educational and professional goals, particularly concentrated in the areas of sociology, philosophy, law, and bioethics. More importantly, I was seeking an organization with shared values and a similar vision, both of which the Bar Foundation provides with operations centered on equality, justice, and community. Through ethics-oriented work that is focused on evaluating and addressing historical patterns of social inequality and injustice, I am fortunate to be able to pursue my academic passions whilst still being intellectually challenged.
As an Equal Justice Center intern at the Bar Foundation, I am contributing to the development of a virtual system programmed for the effective and centralized delivery of civil legal aid. The overall purpose of the EJC is to implement a coordinated and streamlined model for the delivery of civil legal services, which will be accomplished through collaborations with nonprofit partners, stakeholders, and community members. Whilst this program will primarily serve the Greater Philadelphia region, I am compiling, reviewing, and assessing relevant data from studies nationwide. I am also examining the methodologies of former and existing nonprofit and government-funded access to justice projects. Ultimately, my research will culminate into a comprehensive analysis of community-based legal empowerment strategies, which will then be utilized as a reference when determining best practices to achieve the Equal Justice Center ideal.
Upon accepting this intern role and its responsibilities, I have grown both personally and professionally. Throughout this internship, I have been positively reminded that challenge welcomes growth, as each has signified for me an opportunity to reexamine my approach, perspective, and thought process. I am being introduced to an array of civil justice ideas and strategic frameworks, and my analyses of these have caused me to strengthen my critical thinking and logical reasoning skills. Concurrently, I am also deepening my understanding on a variety of legal and sociological issues. This will not only serve me in my future academic and career journey, but will also support me in becoming a more well-informed and thoughtful student, colleague, and community member.
My internship has been incredibly rewarding so far, and in a variety of ways I had not expected. Aside
from the knowledge I have gained from my research, I have also benefited an incredible amount from my interactions with Bar Foundation colleagues, trustees, and consultants. I am continuously learning new things about the legal profession, the American court system, and the extended efforts to correct these national patterns of civil injustice. As I become more aware of the differential treatment and suffering endured by minority communities, I become more impassioned about the need for change.
I have been extremely privileged by this entire internship experience, and to work alongside such an
inspiring team. I will now continue my academic and career journey with renewed hope, and a solidified sense of purpose, ready to specifically address the racial health disparities caused by our current system.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.