Q&A WITH SUMMER INTERN MELISA TOPIC

Melisa Topic is a second year law student at Chicago-Kent College of Law. She was born and raised in Chicago and was excited to intern with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee this summer - an organization that is closely aligned with her values and career goals. We had the opportunity to ask Melisa about her experience working with us this summer. Read more below!

Why were you interested in an internship at CLC?

I was interested in interning at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee because I wanted to see the type of legal work done at a nonprofit.

What inspired you to go to law school?

I always had an inkling that I was interested in practicing law, but my experience as a paralegal before law school solidified that decision. I viewed the cases we were working on as puzzles with various components and after assisting with many of these puzzles, I knew I wanted to make a career out of putting the pieces together (or practicing law). So, law school was the next step and a decision I have not looked back on.

What project area did you intern with and what has been the greatest lesson learned from this summer? 

I interned with the transactional team which works with local small businesses and nonprofits. The greatest lesson I learned is about the impact transactional work can have on communities and individuals. In law school you only learn about litigation as being a tool for change and advocacy. This summer showed me that there are a vast number of ways in which we as attorneys can do our part to advance civil rights and ensure equity and economic opportunity for all.

What was your favorite part about interning at CLC?

Other than the work I had the opportunity to do, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and people at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee. Specifically, every few weeks we had an all teams’ meetings where everyone shared updates on their work. These meetings were a great opportunity to not just connect and learn about the various work done across the organization, but to see the support and overlap in goals across teams that advance Chicago Lawyers’ Committee’s mission.

Would you recommend this internship to other law students?

Absolutely. It is a great opportunity at a unique organization. I think other law students can learn a lot throughout the summer while working alongside talented attorneys and contributing to a mission driven organization doing important work.