Natalie Slade

          This internship has taught me a lot about myself. Starting this internship was very nerve-racking for me. I have never worked in an office or been in a real working environment that is not babysitting or serving food. Throughout this experience, I have learned that I should trust myself and that I am able to learn from new experiences. I have also learned that it is okay to mess up and ask questions if you are unsure of something.

          If someone at CCHS in the future was to intern at the Courthouse, I would give them two pieces of advice. First of all, ask questions! I cannot stress this enough. It is very interesting to sit in on jury trials, civil cases, small claims sessions, and hearings but there will always be something that happens that you may be confused about. If you are unsure about a term a lawyer used or something that happened in a session, you will not be able to gain the full experience of this internship without learning by asking questions. The second piece of advice would be to always bring a sweater! I did not know this in the beginning, but they keep the courtrooms very cold. If you are sitting in on a case in one of the courtrooms for most of the day, it will be a lot easier to follow along and learn when you are more comfortable and warm in the cold climate of the courtroom.

          My favorite part of the internship was sitting in on Small Claims sessions and hearings. These are a very personal part of the judicial system that is not talked about a lot. Even though there is no judge present and it is a little bit more of a casual setting, it is very interesting to be able to sit in and see the more unspoken parts of courts.

          My Least favorite part was interfiling cases in the vault. Every morning we were provided with a stack of either docket sheets or files that we needed to file back into the File Vault in the Clerk's Office. This was my least favorite part because it was a tad boring and tedious work, although it is important to keep the courthouse organized. This job also has to be done diligently and cautiously because if a file is every put back in the wrong place, it would almost be impossible to ever find it again.

          I have learned many skills, some small and some important skills from interning at the Courthouse. I have learned many organizational skills such as interfiling. Some small skills I have learned, include: using a typewriter, transcribing docket sheets, and many more.

          During my time at the Concord District Courthouse, I have learned about the judicial system but also I have learned about being part of an office and a working environment. My experience at the courthouse has prepared me for college and the workforce in more ways than I could have imagined. Not every task we were given was fun and interesting but I have learned that every task is important for the courthouse to run smoothly every day.