Mahala Garcia-Bartch, COL ’26, Pennsylvania
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a legal intern for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in Pennsylvania (HIASPA), a non-profit organization that works to provide legal aid to immigrants struggling to navigate the complex legal system in the US. As a part of the intake team, my main role was to screen clients over the phone to assess their eligibility for the different legal pathways to permanent residency in the US. Through these calls, I was connected to people who had come from all over the world––Latin America, West Africa, The Middle East––who each shared their immigration journey stories with me. I learned so much about the hardship of migrating to the US and trying to navigate a confusing legal system on one’s own.
Since most of the clients I worked with were from Latin American countries, I was able to conduct their intake interviews in Spanish, without an interpreter. This not only allowed me to bolster my Spanish legal vocabulary, but also gave me the opportunity to connect with clients on a more personal level. Being able to learn from immigration lawyers and speak Spanish all summer made this internship extremely rewarding, as it gave me invaluable practice in the field I aspire to pursue in the future.
I also had the ability to learn more about immigration law from multiple avenues. Not only was I beginning to understand the different forms of relief learning from clients’ experiences, but in addition, every Friday the legal team at HIAS PA would bring in guest speakers to teach a 2 hour mini course on a specific kind of visa. These lessons really helped me understand the specific qualifications and legal procedures of the many types of visas, as well as the timeframe for filing and processing different kinds of applications.
However, my most memorable experience learning about immigration law was when our intern cohort took a trip to the Philadelphia Courts to watch judges who were hearing removal proceedings cases. It gave me insight into the procedures of immigration law in real time, and brought my work experience with clients over the phone to a new level.
What made working at HIAS PA truly an unforgettable experience were the legal staff–– always being supportive and communicative mentors––and also speaking to clients over the phone. I am so grateful to Penn Career Services for allowing me to pursue this opportunity that will be an internship I will remember for the rest of my life. I learned so much about US immigration law this summer, and being a legal intern for HIAS PA furthered my passion for working in this field in the future.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2024 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
