My Internship Site
Talamantes Immigration Law Firm
Talamantes Immigration Law Firm is located in downtown Chula Vista and specializes in helping people with immigration case around the Chula Vista and San Diego area. I am excited to work with professionals who try their best to resolve cases of immigration in order to keep them with their families. I hope that I will get a better insight as to how the current situation is for asylum seekers as well as pending cases that are at hand. I wish that this internship helps me start planting my seed in order to maybe pursue a career in law.
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Internship Photo Essay
The first day I went to my internship at Talamantes Immigration Law Firm, I was very anxious. I still remember the emotions that were overflowing in my body. The weather was gloomy in the morning adding more to my anxiety but I had to constantly remind myself to keep my head up. I showed up and there it was, a sign pointing me to my internship. I knew it was time to go and work and I went in not knowing what to expect. Little did I know this was going to be the experience of a lifetime.
This is my desk right next to one of the paralegals that work there, Vicente. I had a pretty big desk if I’m being honest and I was excited that I had my a computer to myself. I also had a window desk, although my view was only of a wall and the gated window. I really liked the office I was in as I was one room away from my mentor, Miriam Saldana, and I also got the opportunity to talk with Vicente a lot.
This is the break room where I would have my lunch from time to time. The pantry was full of utensils, coffee packs, tea packs, and other things you could find at home. This was the first place in which I didn't feel like I was in a super strict and professional workplace. I also didn't feel embarrassed about taking a lunch because almost everyone had food from home in their lunch bags.
Everyday I had my morning routine in preparation for my internship. I would wake up at 7 am, so I had 2 hours to get ready before I entered at 9:30 am. I would make myself either eggs or a milkshake. Then, I would iron my dress clothes and pack up my backpack with anything I needed. This internship gave me a snippet of what areal world morning routine may be like.
This is Vicente Saldana, the paralegal who I shared the office with. I really got to get close to him due to the fact that I decided that I didn’t want my internship to be boring, I conversed with him every now and then. Our first non-work related conversation was about music. We had talked for a little about different artists and genres and little did I know that he also listened to my favorite artist, Kendrick Lamar. After he told me that I just started talking to him more and I feel like I we had become good friends. I am truly grateful that I got to meet him.
One of my first tasks at my internship was to send out mail. I would either get handed the packets needed to be sent out or I would have to create the packets myself. After the packets were ready I had to create a shipping label. I would always send them to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). There are multiple USCIS locations so depending on the case or packet type, the location would change. I would create the label on USPS and after I finished and the package was sealed, I would hand it to the secretary so she could send it to the mail.
One of the other tasks that my mentor had me do was organize the files in the client case drawers. Before, the files were all over the place and were just set on top of the drawer. This was not good as there was too much weight on the drawers and it could possibly cause the cabinet to collapse. This was were I began feeling a sense of anxiety because I did not want to be the intern that ends up breaking some of the law firms furniture. This also made me want to leave the drawers spotless because I know that organization is key in a law firm.
This is one of the clients folders in which a lot of their records and documents are located. I used this for filing out G-28 Forms (a form that show the court who is representing an immigrant) and Eoir-28's (a form that is filled prior to an attorney going before an immigration judge). Other times I would have to make copies of receipts and bills that would show a judge that an immigrant has been present in the U.S for a certain amount of years. These would be organized into a packet known as an exhibit list.
In order for me to stay organized, I divided the copies and the original papers in their own respective stacks. It was quite rigorous making copies especially on paper that were 5”x12” sheets. These copies would then be put into an exhibit list that was on Microsoft Word in chronological order. Once that was all done, I pieced it together.
Once I was finished with piecing receipts and bills in chronological order, I had to stamp numbers on it. There are multiple exhibits in an exhibit list and it could go from single letters to double letters (A-BB). Stamping took a lot of time as well for me because I couldn't flip through the pages fast enough like I had seen my mentor doing. I also had to input the numbers each exhibit used into the Word Document.
This is an exhibit list that I helped create. This one was probably the most time consuming as this person has lived numerous years in the U.S and had multiple documents to prove he was here in the U.S. I believe this exhibit list was 300+ pages long so stamping numbers on it and imputing them onto the document took a while. I remember that day being quite hectic as we had a deadline at 3:30 in order to turn in to court. My mentor and I pushed through and we finished!
For my internship project I decided to make a zine about Asylum Seekers. I focused on who they are and what their process looks like. I made a document in which I took the info my mentor gave me, I created 2 rough drafts (one for myself and one for my mentor), and the final piece. In the image my mentor is holding the rough draft (left) and the final (right). She was very helpful with my project as she gave me critique on my content in order to produce my best work. This zine I focused more on the info than it did on the visuals.
This was my desk on the last day of internships. I had a mess prior to the last day due to the exhibit lists I had to create. I felt sad as I was cleaning up knowing that I wouldn't be going through my daily routine anymore. I wouldn't be talking with Vicente or Miriam anymore. When I finished cleaning the desk I felt the same emotions from the first day of internship come back to me.
This picture was taken on the last day. Miriam and Vicente really helped me out this internship. They gave me the guidance I needed as well as their friendship. I haven't interacted with adults the same way I did with them in a long time and for that I appreciate being give the opportunity of interning at Talamantes Immigration Law Firm.