Pre-Project Blog - Exploring the Lake County Court System

 For as long as I can remember, discussions related to law and politics were a part of my everyday life. My mom is a political scientist who taught pre-law classes, and several of my relatives work as attorneys, so conversations about current court cases and legal issues are normal at family dinners. Those conversations and my growing interest in the legal world pushed me to give my 8th-grade chapel talk on wrongful convictions. Once I entered high school, I wanted to learn more about the role of an attorney, and in doing so, I joined Mock Trial, where I’ve spent the past three years exploring what it feels like to think and argue like a lawyer. 

For my Hawken Project, I wanted to take the next step—from learning about the law in theory to seeing it in action. This internship will allow me to experience the court system up close and decide whether a legal career is something I truly want to pursue.

I will be spending my project across several different types of courts in Lake County, including the municipal, probate, juvenile, domestic relations, and the general division courts. My mentor, a Magistrate at the probate court, will help me arrange opportunities to observe hearings, shadow prosecutors and public defenders, and meet judges and other magistrates besides her. I also hope to attend jury trials, review case files, and watch appellate and Ohio Supreme Court oral arguments. Beyond the courtroom, I’ll visit the county jail, crime lab, coroner’s office, and work with probation officers. All of these different experiences will give me a more detailed and in-depth sense of the public sector of our legal system, giving me an opportunity to reflect on whether that is what I could see myself doing in the future. 

On the other hand, to understand the private side of the legal world, I’ll also shadow attorneys at Tucker Ellis LLP in downtown Cleveland, potentially observing client meetings or depositions when permitted. This will give me an insider view into the daily lives of a practicing attorney in the private sector, exposing me to a slightly different line of work. 

Throughout my Hawken Project, I hope to answer a few essential questions:

• How do different courts (municipal, probate, juvenile, domestic relations, and general division) function behind the scenes, and how do their roles connect within the broader judicial system?

• What factors influence attorneys to pursue careers in the public sector versus the private sector, and what challenges or benefits shape their decisions over time?

• Based on what I observe and experience, which areas of legal work align most closely with my interests, values, and strengths, and what might that suggest about my future path in law?