Summer 2009 - Cumberland School of Law - Samford University

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DanielMilton
Without the Public Interest Stipend,
Garner would have been unable to participate
in the internship.The stipend covered
transportation expenses for the internship,
which was located 50 miles from her home.
Garner lives in Atlanta, Ga., with her husband
and has commuted to Cumberland
School of Law for the past two years for
her education.
“Criminal law was something I never
thought I would do, but this internship
really exposed me to it,” she said.“Of all
the internships I have had, I enjoyed this
one the most.”
18 SUMMER 2009 • THE CUMBLERLAND LAWYER
Milton Views Work Ethic
as Crucial Component
When third-year student Daniel Milton
realized he did not have a job for the first
six weeks of his summer break, he turned
to fellow third-year student Andrew
Brashier. Brashier had worked with the
Legal Aid Society of Birmingham the
previous summer and knew that they had
an opening in a semicriminal law sector.
Milton had not yet taken any criminal
procedure classes, and he found himself
both nervous and excited for the internship.
“Criminal law class somewhat prepared me
for this internship, but the internship itself
was a completely new learning experience,”
said Milton.
Milton was assigned to work with
Jequette H. Clancy, acting managing
attorney of the South Court, Birmingham
City Jail. Clancy represents 20–30 clients
per day who don’t have the funds for representation
in minor crimes such as traffic
tickets and insurance.
Clancy had developed carpel tunnel
syndrome in her arm due to all the writing
associated with her work, which is one
reason why Milton was hired to serve as
her right-hand man. Milton assisted Clancy
during court hearings, making note cards
on all defendants, calling defendants’
contacts and assisting with sentencing
procedures.
“I absolutely loved working with her,”
said Milton.“She was patient with me
when I first started working, and made sure
I understood the entire process and what to
do and not to do in the courtroom.”
Defendants would receive their
charges from the judge and were then
called by Clancy and Milton to review
their charges and their options, a streamlined
procedure that Milton described as
“buffet-line justice” and “organized chaos.”
Throughout the internship, Milton gained a
great appreciation for Clancy’s work ethic.
“It was always really important for her to
give them [the defendants] a chance to talk,
just because nobody else gave them that
chance,” said Milton.“There are very few
people that I have met in my life that work
as hard as Ms. Clancy and are as happy
about their job and what they’re doing as
her. It was very inspiring and uplifting to
meet someone like that.”
Though Milton does not plan to work
in public interest, he felt the experience
taught him many long-term lessons.“I
really feel like I’m going to look back in
several years and see that I learned more
than what I thought,” he said.“It made me
realize the importance of people to be
represented, no matter what they do, no
matter if they did it or not.”
Though Milton’s career dreams
include litigation, he is confident that he
will always be involved with public interest
work.“Now when I look at firms, I look to
see if they offer any pro bono experience
that an attorney can get involved with.The
amount of work that they do for the less
fortunate is really telling to the firm’s
character,” said Milton.