While summer for many law students means working at a firm or a local public interest group, some take advantage of nontraditional summer opportunities.

Chapman 2L Stephanie Lincoln traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to work for the Open Society Justice Initiative.   She was fortunate enough to receive the internship after being selected as a Chapman candidate for the position by Professor John Hall.  In her work, Stephanie attended court proceedings at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), conducted legal research and drafted memoranda, and attended meetings with non-governmental organizations and governmental officials, which  left her with “a greater appreciation for the judicial independence that exists in the court systems of the United States.”

Chapman 3L Nicole Antonia Johnson spent her summer working in the Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ), a division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington D.C.  During her summer, Nicole assisted the Directors of the OTJ in maintaining liaison with federally recognized tribes and government officials, and in coordinating the DOJ’s legal and policy efforts relating to Indian Country.  Constantly dealing with rules of litigation, Nicole says, “Professor Litweller’s Civil Procedure ‘bus tour’ saved me more times than I’d like to remember.” Nicole was thankful for Chapman’s Career Service Office, who gave her the confidence to pursue the internship.  She says, “As students we have to remember that there’s a big world out there full of equally passionate people who can help guide us as we advance in our legal careers.”