Akeem Earle, 3LE, has accepted an internship with the U.S. Department of Justice Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) for Summer 2021, where he will work in the Department of Justice’s Tax division.
The U.S. Department of Justice Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) is a competitive recruitment program for compensated summer internships. Law students who participate benefit from an exceptional legal experience and invaluable exposure to the Department of Justice. SLIP’s competitive selection process prides itself on considering the “whole candidate,” basing its choices not only on an applicant’s academics and leadership during law school but also on their commitment to government service, extracurricular activities, involvement in moot court or law review, past employment and legal aid and clinical experience.
Earle is actively engaged in the legal profession and the life of the law school; his hands-on experience and leadership skills will be a benefit to his SLIP position. In addition to working as a Paralegal Specialist for the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Earle is the Parliamentarian for the Student Bar Association and the Director of Communications for the Black Law Student Association. This spring, Earle will intern with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office in their Major Crimes Unit.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Earle said. “I always knew I wanted to be a litigator but to able to learn from attorneys in the world’s largest law office and the chief enforcer of federal laws is indescribable. I expect to improve on my research and writing skills throughout this internship and gain relationships with attorneys and staff that I will be able to cultivate throughout my legal career.”
He credits his classmates and professors at UDC Law for helping him secure this position, acknowledging Prof. Kosiso Onyia as particularly influential. He said Prof. Onyia “built in me the confidence as a legal writer,” and he explained he was able to use writing samples from her class to secure his DOJ internship. In addition to Prof. Onyia, Earle thanked classmate Tonée Jones for “constantly pushing me to go after the impossible.”
“Most importantly,” Earle added, “I thank my grandmother who recently passed. I wouldn’t be here without her consistently praying over me as a child and reminding me that if I put God first, everything else will fall into place. I believe she would be glad to see this wonderful opportunity God has blessed me with.”