PICS Internship at the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York Mary Claire Bartlett ‘18 and Mary Heath Manning ‘17

The Courthouse

The Courthouse is located at 225 Cadman Plaza East in Brooklyn, NY. The remodeled building was opened in 2006.

The inside of the new building is modern in style. It is currently home to 12 District Judges, a Chief Judge, 16 Senior Judges, and many Magistrate Judges.

Judge Cheryl L. Pollak Judge Pollak is a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1975, and earned her J.D. from the University of Chicago in 1978, after being a member of the University of Chicago Law Review. After working at a law firm in New York for 7 years, she became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, eventually serving as Chief of the Narcotics Unit. On November 1, 1995, she entered duty as a United States Magistrate Judge.

Chambers Judge Pollak works in Chambers, which include her individual Chambers (her office), a waiting room for attorneys meeting with the Judge, and an office for her law clerks. Diana, the Judge’s Case Manager, has an office within the waiting room. The Judge and the rest of her staff spend a majority of their time in Chambers. The Judge holds status and settlement conferences primarily in Chambers. However, the Judge also has a courtroom in which formal legal proceedings take place. Sample Courtroom in the Southern District Sample Chambers

The Internship Each summer, Judge Pollak hires two PICS interns and one law school intern. The interns assist Judge Pollak and her two law clerks with the cases on the Judge’s motions list, and any other projects that may come up during the summer. As PICS interns, we have each worked on numerous civil cases, drafting opinions and reports for Judge Pollak to review. We have also been able to witness settlement conferences and criminal trials happening throughout the Courthouse. Through these experiences, we have both learned so much about legal writing and research, the criminal justice system, and the inner workings of a United States District Courthouse.

Our Co-Workers From Left to Right: Stefanie (Law Clerk), Mary Claire (PICS Intern), Judge Pollak, Grace (visiting high school intern), Diana (case manager), Mary Heath (PICS Intern), Ashok (Law Clerk)

Final Thoughts “This internship has been exciting, challenging, and educational all at once. Without any prior legal training, the learning curve was steep but after reflecting on the experience, I am amazed by how much we were able to accomplish during our time here. Judge Pollak and her law clerks were patient, kind, and attentive and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. Thanks PICS!” --Mary Claire Bartlett ‘18 “I don’t have enough positive words to describe my internship with Judge Pollak. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity, as it was engaging and stimulating. I never imagined I would learn so much in such a short period of time. Judge Pollak, her law clerks, and her case manager were welcoming and enthusiastic about helping the interns with difficult tasks and concepts.” --Mary Heath Manning ‘17