Berkeley Law’s Away Field Placement Program grants J.D. students academic credit for legal work performed for a non-profit or government agency outside the Bay Area. The Robbins Collection provides financial support for students working in a country, region, or city outside the U.S. that is characterized by civil or religious law traditions and institutions. In Spring 2019 the Robbins Collection supported the placements of Christine Chong and Danielle Craig. Read about their experiences in our Q&A below.
Christine Chong, JD ‘19
European Commission (Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, unit of International Data Flows and Protection) Brussels, Belgium, Spring 2019
Why did you choose the European Commission?
The European Commission and the EU generally have been at the very forefront of regulations concerning data privacy, which is my area of interest. Industries all over the world have been looking to the EU on this topic for many years, and it was also a special time because one of the EU’s regulations on data privacy had just gone into effect the summer before my externship. The European Commission and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers also has amazingly talented attorneys and legislators. I decided to take the internship because I wanted to learn from an international perspective from the best of the best.
What was a typical work day like?
The typical work day involved researching the private and public sector laws concerning data privacy. I wrote memos, attended meetings with representatives from countries within and outside the EU, and attended internal meetings with my team. I learned substantively about data privacy laws, but I also learned about how the EU Commission operates and legislates.
What is something you took away from your field placement that you never would have gotten from a typical classroom?
I learned so much from the attorneys at the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers. I had a thorough substantive dive into subtopics within data privacy that went far beyond what may have been required in the classroom because I was working with experts who are leaders in this area. But most importantly, the attorneys and my supervisors were inspirational. They showed me a new caliber of work and passion with their detailed knowledge of the past, present, and future of data privacy regulations. Their handle on specific wording in not just their own laws, but the laws of countries in different languages, and their drive to serve the constituents has given me renewed drive.
What will you be doing after graduation?
I will be working at the San Francisco branch of Arent Fox.
Do you have any advice to give to current J.D. students?
Whether it be on or off campus, I highly recommend giving your all to the opportunities you’re fortunate to have. The number of opportunities at Berkeley Law can be overwhelming, but it’s exciting because we have an opportunity to shape our own, unique experiences.
Is there anything else notable about the experience you’d like to share?
Brussels is a beautiful city and it was the first time I’ve lived outside the U.S. It’s also an incredibly cosmopolitan city. I read somewhere that the average EU trainee (intern) speaks four languages, and I thought perhaps it was an exaggeration. But almost everyone I personally met during my internship spoke at least five languages!
Danielle Craig, JD ‘20
Legal Resources Clinic, Cape Town, South Africa, Spring 2019
What was a typical work day like at the Legal Resources Centre?
There is no such thing as a “typical” day at Legal Resources Centre in Cape Town. One day I would be helping to draft a public comment for proposed legislature, the next I would be doing research into the legal standing of contested property ownership of a specific plot of land, then I might be out in the field meeting with and interviewing our clients in informal settlements, and the next day I might be helping to facilitate a conference with local community activists who do land rights across Cape Town and South Africa!
What is something you took away from your field placement that you never would have gotten from a typical classroom?
I think that one of the greatest learning experiences of this field placement was the varying perspectives and an ability to understand legal questions within a very different legal framework – this was not something that I would have been able to get from a classroom. I have always been very narrow in my academic and intellectual approach to things – I typically follow quite closely the instructions provided. This placement has taught me the value of thinking more broadly and approaching questions from very different angles. I think it is what makes away field placements the most unique and valuable.
What will you be doing after graduation?
I will spend the first year serving as a clerk to the Honorable Tracey Wollenberg of the Alaska Court of Appeals. After that I hope to become a public defender in New York City.
Do you have any advice to give to current JD students?
As a current JD student myself, I think the best advice I can give myself and others like me is to do their best to ignore the prestige race that law school so easily cultivates. Carve your own path and don’t lose sight of why you came to law school in the first place.
Anything else you’d like to share about your experience?
There’s too much to share in a single post. If you’re considering doing a field placement, then go! You will not regret it.