I have contacted some of the 350 or so HLS students who are doing public interest work this summer—for which they get guaranteed funding, by the way—and asked them about their experiences. Over the next few weeks I’ll post some of their responses.
Yesterday, I heard from rising 3L Stephanie Brewer that she’s “infinitely happy” in her placement this summer in the Philippines. Take a look:
“I am spending the summer interning with the Visayan Forum Foundation (VF), an NGO in the Philippines that works to promote the rights and welfare of migrant workers, particularly domestic workers. My overarching assignment for the summer is to assist the staff in VF’s main office in Manila as they develop an international advocacy campaign aimed at bringing about the adoption of a new international Convention that sets forth the rights of domestic workers and establishes some minimum standards that employers of domestic workers must observe. Since I’ve done previous research and writing on the situation of child domestic workers in several countries, and since I am planning to pursue a career working with human rights NGOs, this is a perfect fit for me.
“The most fun part of my job, however, is not the legal advocacy work, but rather my interactions with child domestic workers here in the Philippines. I have visited several safehouses and other temporary shelters for child domestics who have escaped from abusive or exploitative situations in their employers’ homes and who are now pursuing court cases against their employers or simply waiting to return home to their respective provinces. These girls (as they are almost all female) are some of the strongest and downright coolest people I have ever met. After a session at one safehouse we came to an arrangement by which I would return at least once a week to give dance lessons to the residents there and to learn their own dances in turn, so that has definitely been a highlight of my summer so far!
“My internship has given me the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country, from Batangas to the Visayas, and to meet many interesting and well-placed people in the fields of child labor and anti-trafficking initiatives (examples that come to mind include the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, regional officials of the International Labour Organization, and the head of the Philippines’ coast guard for Manila). I’ve also made many wonderful friends in various VF offices, especially at headquarters in Manila.
“In short, I am having one of the best summers of my life, and I am infinitely happy, as always, to be doing public interest work rather than working at a firm this summer!”
