Week 1: Settling In

My first week as an intern at GAIN was all about settling in and getting to know the team, the organization, and the work. GAIN serves immigrant survivors of crime and persecution, providing legal services to asylum-seekers and victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other forms of violence.

It was inspiring to meet individuals who have dedicated their entire careers to this work, and their passion and commitment are infectious. I spent much of the first week learning about GAIN’s two main service areas: the Asylum Program, which helps individuals seeking asylum, and the Victims of Violence Program, which serves immigrant survivors who face violence here in the United States.

While I didn’t have any formal assignments this first week, I had the opportunity to read case materials and learn more about GAIN’s history. What struck me right away was how real and immediate this work is. In law school, we often work in a “closed universe” of hypothetical cases and precedents. Here, there’s a living, breathing client behind every document – someone whose future depends on what we do. The law isn’t abstract in this space, it’s active, it’s urgent, and time doesn’t stop.

Even in just the first few days, I could feel a shift in how I understood legal work. Seeing how GAIN’s attorneys navigate complex legal frameworks in the face of real-world deadlines and stakes reminded me why I came to law school in the first place: to serve others and to help clients in some of their most vulnerable moments. I’m excited to keep learning, both about immigration law and about the resilience of the communities GAIN serves, as the summer continues.