Danielle Uter, COL ’25, West Palm Beach, FL
I would like to begin by thanking the Career Services Summer Funding Committee for granting me the funding to take advantage of an opportunity to intern with the Florida State Attorney’s Office in their Felony and Domestic Violence unit. This internship opened my eyes to the inner workings of our state legislature, and how the state attorney and their assistant attorneys represent their citizens within their different departments.
When I first began working, I worked in the general felony division, digitizing old cases and uploading them to the case file system. In this, I was able to sort through and analyze years worth of cases, learning how to identify probable cause and how to build a case. Being that I was digitizing cases dating all the way back to the early 90’s, I was also able to see how cases and policies have changed over time. I also spent time in the Domestic Violence (DOVE) Unit, contacting resource and assistance centers across Florida to update the unit’s resource list. This was a very fulfilling task because I felt like I was directly assisting and making sure resources for victims were readily available if need be, as I was also able to hear stories of how these resource centers and the work of the DOVE Unit saved and changed lives.
Later, I was upgraded to the position of Assistant Legal Secretary for Felony Division V. Within Division V, I was assigned 3 assistant state attorneys to assist with filing cases, opening and closing cases, updating calendars, and making sure the attorney’s were well prepared with the necessary case information needed for court. I also attended court with these attorneys, watching them try their case. I admire the work of these assistant state attorneys, as they are the ones with their foot to the pavement when it comes to building a case, from presenting charges to deposing and interviewing witnesses.
As I continue to try to figure out what sort of law I wish to pursue, I believe my time with the Florida State Attorney allowed me the opportunity to live the day-to-day life of a trial lawyer, while also seeing all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into getting cases to trial. This is an opportunity that is quite rare and I’m ever grateful for the opportunity to get an exclusive look into a career I may one day pursue.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2022 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.
