Study Tours at Work?

Study tours were one of the things that I was most excited about at the beginning of the semester, but I was surprised to find out that I would have the opportunity to participate in similar tours through my internship as well! In mid-June I was able to visit the Supreme Court with reserved seats to hear the Court deliver its opinions. Towards the beginning of July, I observed a sentencing at the U.S. District Court, met with Chief Judge Richard Roberts, and received a tour of the courthouse. Today, I attended a Congressional briefing on domestic terrorism at the Cannon House Office Building. Next week, I will be observing a trial at the DC Superior Court, meeting with Judge Jennifer Anderson, and receiving a tour of the courthouse. In addition to these tours that are scheduled as options for all of the FJC interns, there are also the education and training programs that the FJC Education Division hosts for federal judicial branch employees year round. As an intern, I have the opportunity to assist in the preparation for some of these programs and even observe some of the programs that I do not work closely with. Last week, I observed some of the programs hosted for a delegation of judges from Argentina. Earlier in the summer, I attended the Leadership Development Program. Later this week I will be attending the Quality Improvement in Federal Problem Solving Courts Seminar, which I have been working towards throughout my internship. Next week I will be observing the New Supervisors’ Development Program. These opportunities have really enriched my internship and overall experience while in DC. They have helped me to build some of the things that I wanted to do while in DC into my work schedule, allowing me to do more with my time here. I am lucky to have been given so many unique opportunities and experiences. 

Megan Hurd