Summer Job Diaries: Rising 2L Grace Voissem Externs with U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Grace Voissem '26's 1L civil procedure and legal writing classes are helping her navigate her externship with the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, as she writes motions and observes hearings, sentencings, and trials.
How did you land your summer job?
While I was preparing to apply for a judicial externship and researching which judges I wanted to apply with, I reached out to an alumnus I knew who had clerking experience. I asked him if there were any particular judges he recommended applying with, and he recommended applying for my judge’s chambes. He also put in a kind word on my behalf after I applied, and by the end of finals, I received an invitation to interview in chambers.
What is the most interesting part of your job?
I would say the most interesting part of my job has been the opportunity to ask the judge questions about the motions I am working up and the court proceedings. Being able to observe different hearings, sentencings, and trials is a great learning experience on its own, and I have learned a lot about procedure through observing. However, I have learned the most about jurisprudence and court procedure by asking the judge questions about his reasoning behind a ruling or questions about the procedural aspects of any given hearing.
What has been your most challenging assignment thus far?
I was just assigned a motion to work up that involves new case law from the Ninth Circuit, which was published less than a month ago. It has been challenging to research and analyze newer law because there isn’t necessarily a standard to follow, and it will likely be deviating from the past standard. Nonetheless, the clerks have been great mentors and guides throughout the process, and it is very exciting to witness changes in the law firsthand.
What new legal skill have you acquired during your summer job?
This position is definitely expanding my legal research and writing skills that I began developing in my Legal Research & Writing course during 1L. My writing skills are advancing with every motion workup I write, and I am becoming more confident in my writing as well. I also have developed stronger research skills while analyzing the case law cited in the motions, checking the legal propositions, and ensuring that my analysis is holistic and unbiased.
What bit of legal knowledge have you been able to display?
Definitely civil procedure. I learned so much from Professor Bornstein in my first semester, and now in chambers, I am applying the rules and case law I learned in her course on almost a daily basis. Civil procedure prepared me really well for this position, and I still reference my outline on occasion for quick information about specific rules or procedure.
How has Loyola helped you map your career path?
My career counselor has been a very supportive influence throughout my first year and has also been an incredible resource as I’ve navigated confusing processes or difficult decisions. As much as the Career Development Office has been a great resource, the student organizations have also assisted in career guidance as well. I didn’t know I wanted to be a judicial extern before I started at Loyola, and I learned about judicial externships from a panel that the Business Law Society hosted for 1Ls to learn about the different options for experience. After hearing a student talk about their own externship, I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do this summer.