Over the next couple of weeks, IOFA will be welcoming a new group of interns here in our Chicago office and at our Transitions Initiative project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This week we are happy to introduce Amy and Laura.
Amy Gilbert,
Child and Family Law Fellow, Loyola University
Upon finishing
my first year of law school at Loyola University of Chicago, I am extremely
eager and excited to begin my summer (and beyond) with IOFA! I will primarily
be working on the Transitions Initiative project and I will also be traveling
to Ethiopia for seven weeks to implement Project Prepare. Not only am I
thrilled to be able to pilot such a significant and remarkable program, but
Project Prepare is also extremely important to me as I have worked with numerous
teenage youth aging out of care, unprepared and forced to enter into the
complex reality of adulthood. Prior to beginning law school, I worked as a
paralegal for the New York Legal Aid Society representing juveniles in abuse,
neglect, and delinquency proceedings in Bronx Family Court. I was amazed and
inspired daily by the powerful connections I was able to make with these youth,
and humbled by their strength and resiliency. I was also shocked and frustrated
with the seemingly countless obstacles and hardships faced by so many of these
youth. I am eager to continue working with this population, and to expand into
the international field. I am also looking forward to an incredible seven weeks
in Ethiopia and to combine my passion and goals with a wonderful group of
motivated and hard working people at IOFA!
Laura Horner, Legal Intern, DePaul University
My name is Laura Horner and I am one of
IOFA’s new legal interns for the summer.
I will be assisting IOFA in the planning and developing of the Cook
County Human Trafficking Conference, which will take place on August 16th
and 17th. I am very excited
about the opportunity to work with IOFA as human trafficking is an issue that I
have been interested in for quite some time. This internship will give me the
opportunity to learn more about the issue and to learn what steps can be taken
in order to combat human trafficking.
In the fall, I will start my third year at
DePaul University College of Law. During
my second year at DePaul I participated in two immigration legal clinics and
loved the experience of working with immigrants. Because of these clinics I am interested in
pursuing a career in immigration law. Through
these clinics I learned that human trafficking is a major issue in immigration
and one that is not easily solved. I am
hoping that this internship will help me understand the issues that arise when
working with trafficked immigrants and how to help them with not just their immigration
cases, but also with getting them the help they need as survivors of
trafficking.
I have only been at IOFA a few days, but I already
love the experience. I look forward to
the rest of the summer and what it has in store for IOFA.
Welcome Amy and Laura!
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