2024 Summer Interns Reflect on Their Foundation Experience

From left to right: Ava, Jasmin, and Kate

The Indiana Bar Foundation [Foundation] welcomed three summer interns this year,  Ava Bellaver, Jasmine Hickman, and Kate Lantzer. All three completed five weeks at the Foundation, during which time they had the opportunity to observe legislative hearings, assist with events, and engage in various activities that advance the Foundation’s mission and vision. We asked them, “How has this internship at the Foundation helped you to continue to develop your duty to be a civically engaged citizen?” Below are their responses.

Ava Bellaver

Throughout the internship, I have experienced and learned through many influential moments and experiences. While I have always been inclined to learn more about law, government, and the civic world, interning at the Indiana Bar Foundation has fostered my determination toward a civil legal career. One experience that particularly stood out to me was touring the federal courthouse and meeting with Judge Sweeney. Talking about the judicial process and viewing where it takes place inspired me, and I felt that I learned a lot from conversations with the Judge. Additionally, another valuable experience was going to the Statehouse, and then viewing an oral argument. Seeing how case law and case precedent are created was an unforgettable experience. It encouraged me in my determination to one day be an attorney and be able to help continue to develop the ever-changing law. I look forward to continuing to learn more, as the statehouse environment was inspiring to take part in civic obligations. Viewing where law and arguments become civic reality places an emphasis on the importance of taking part in voting and participating where needed.

Educating oneself in government, civic, law, and current events and policies is important to keeping a civil community. Attending the Civic Education Institute teaches educators and attendees about important government procedures. I found it to be a very strong learning experience and realized how important it truly is to know about the country’s past, present, and what the future could hold. By viewing the lecture and therefore educating myself about the process of a bill becoming a law, I know that I am further developing myself into a better citizen.

The internship has taught me so much and taken me to many new experiences, further developing me through the program into a civically engaged citizen. Not only has it helped me in this path, but interning has shown me the importance behind doing my civic duty though various tasks. Behind the scenes work of law truly helps me see how important it is to be a good citizen in my community and I look forward to continuing in my civic duties and encouraging others to take part in their civic obligations.

Jasmine Hickman

Interning at the Indiana Bar Foundation has been an immersive dive into their missions and values for the past few weeks. Learning about the Indiana Bar Foundation’s continuous drive towards improving civil legal assistance and civic education statewide, along with getting to help with projects that align with these goals, has emphasized the importance of civic engagement and spreading that mission. We’ve attended the We the People Summer Institute, helped edit the Indiana Legal Help website to make it easier to understand, and attended meetings with the Foundation staff. It’s opportunities like these that put into perspective how valuable the missions of the Foundation are and make me want to continue these within my own endeavors.

Further, the Indiana Bar Foundation has provided me with unforgettable experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to be a part of otherwise. We’ve met judges and Supreme Court Justices including Hon. Judge Sweeney and Chief Justice Rush, and even gotten to attend an oral argument at the Supreme Court. One of our tasks was also helping set up and attend the Annual Meeting, where we got to network with the award winners and witness all of the good that the Foundation was bringing to Indiana. We’ve met some incredible people who have helped advance the Foundation and are incredible individuals within their respective fields. These opportunities have helped shape some potential career paths and build connections within the statewide legal field.

The opportunities that this internship has brought, along with being fully engaged in the Foundation’s missions have helped make it clear that civic engagement is valuable to more than just myself. These past few weeks have taught me to take these values of the Foundation to my core and further them within my career path and future, helping better the community.

Kate Lantzer

The internship at the Indiana Bar Foundation has helped me continue to develop my civic duty in multiple ways; however, two experiences stick out to me. On the first day of the internship, I read the 2023 Indiana Civic Health Index. I had no idea that Indiana was one of the worst ranked states in the nation for voter registration and turnout. Being an out of state college student, I did not vote in the midterm election this past year because I was not home and did not know how to fill out an absentee ballot. However, because of the knowledge the Bar Foundation has given me (and to support their mission to make all Hoosiers civically engaged), for the 2024 presidential election I will come home to vote or make sure I do figure out how to vote absentee because it is critical my voice is heard to improve the civic health of Indiana. I will also encourage my friends to do the same because I know many other students who were in similar situations this past election.

Additionally, the other interns and I got the opportunity to travel to Indiana University to attend the We the People Summer Institute for a few hours. As an alumni of the We the People program, it is always interesting to go to meetings or attend training sessions such as this one. While in Bloomington, we heard Dr. Robert Dion of Evansville University lecture about how the three branches of government worked together to pass the Civil Rights Act. Dr. Dion went into a lot of specifics about the process of creating and passing a bill in Congress. Learning about this process made me a more educated citizen, which is an integral part of being civically engaged.

I am grateful for the multiple learning opportunities the Indiana Bar Foundation has given me throughout these past few weeks. There have been plenty more, but I know these are my takeaways and they have not only made me more civically engaged, but have given me the knowledge to help my peers to do their duty to be more civically engaged as well.