Political science and Spanish major manages court room as a bailiff during APEX Fellowship
Danielle Libby ’26, a political science and Spanish major at The College of Wooster, completed an APEX Fellowship with the Stow Municipal Court in Stow, Ohio over the summer. As it was her second year working for the court, Libby had some prior knowledge of the vast array of tasks that come with working in a court and discovered a love for federal immigration law. While onsite, Libby was a bailiff for Judge Lisa Coates and assisted in organizing paperwork and completing legal writing. Through her internship, Libby narrowed her future career goals and reflected on her experiences working in the court system.
“In any court, you have countless cases and different kinds of people. This makes the day- to-day very interesting because one day could be very simplistic and repetitive, but then the next day there’s an eight-hour jury trial where you watch body-cam footage, see evidence, and hear testimonies from witnesses, defendants, and officers.”
—Danielle Libby ’26
Q: How did you learn about the internship opportunity for your APEX Fellowship?
Libby: I originally learned about the program from the judge I now intern for because she previously had a fellow from Wooster. The position was a good fit for me because I wanted to learn more about the court system, and this internship gave me the opportunity to truly dive into my work at the Stow Municipal Court.
Q: What interests you most about the work you did?
Libby: It is really interesting how each day is different. In any court, you have countless cases and different kinds of people. This makes the day-to-day very interesting because one day could be very simplistic and repetitive, but then the next day there’s an eight-hour jury trial where you watch body-cam footage, see evidence, and hear testimonies from witnesses, defendants, and officers. This summer I helped bailiff for Judge Coates and completed a lot of paperwork and organization, as well as advance my skill in legal writing.
Q: Who was your fellowship mentor and how did they help you to succeed in this position?
Libby: My fellowship mentor was Professor Elizabeth Schiltz, the Purna, Rao, Raju chair of philosophy, department chair of philosophy, professor of philosophy, and chair of South Asian studies at the College. She provided some pretty great feedback that helped me reflect on my time at the court in a way I could apply to the weeks that followed.
Q: How has the internship helped you to see what’s next for you?
Libby: Since this is my second year at the court, I’ve discovered I really do enjoy working in the court system, but I don’t think I would want to be a municipal judge. My interest lies more in the field of immigration law, which I hope to pursue experiences with that in the future. My dream is to become a federal immigration judge somewhere down the line.
Posted in Experiential Learning, Showcase Stories 2024 on August 10, 2024.
