INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

NATASHA QUIROGA

I am very fortunate to have interned at the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law for the spring 2007 semester. I am a graduating law student from the Washington College of Law at American University. This fall, I will become the first full-time Executive Director of Escuela Bolivia, a non-profit organization that provides educational enrichment via Spanish and English classes, parenting education and advocacy, and youth leadership development to the Latino community in Arlington, VA. I will also complete my Master’s in International Development at American University in the fall semester.

During my internship at the ABA, I worked on many different issue areas for Howard Davidson. In my first assignment, I wrote a report on child domestic servitude in the United States for ECPAT-USA. Throughout my internship, I researched and drafted memos on state child welfare laws and policies related to immigration issues, public disclosure of child fatality cases, and current state legislation on child abuse and neglect. I also worked with Jessica Kendall on the fatherhood project. Through this assignment, I researched state agency policies and procedures for non-resident fathers and also conducted interviews of children’s, parents’, and government attorneys as part of the key informant process.

As an intern at the Center, Howard made sure I took part in a wide variety of activities. I attended the Senate Staff Briefing on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Forced Labor and Slavery Conference at American University, and the Youth at Risk Commission meeting. I also took part in a conference call for the Child Welfare and Migration Network and was privy to a new study on immigrant children in the child welfare system. My final, and most challenging, assignment was to research and draft a memo on inter-country jurisdiction child welfare issues and to discuss the Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.

While most of my background is more international in scope, it was very enlightening to learn more about the domestic issues affecting the child welfare system. Interning at the Center is an incredible learning experience. The skills and knowledge that I gained will significantly contribute to my career goal of working in children and youth advocacy. I have been able to research many interesting topics and really feel that I have contributed to the Center’s valuable work.

This internship has been a great way to end my law school career! It has been a fantastic experience and tr uly rewarding to work with so many individuals dedicated to improving children’s lives. Thank you for the opportunity!