Meet PIAC’s newest intern, Jessica Colburn.  Jessica is in the midst of her second year at California Western School of Law.  You may recognize some of Jessica’s work on the PIAC Blog, whether it be her solo work product or teaming up with one of our attorneys to provide legal analysis.  You’ll see her at our upcoming MCLEs, where she has provided support for the presentation and will be working the sign-in tables for our upcoming Writ of Mandamus and Domestic Violence programs.  In the short time since she started in January, Jessica has made her mark at PIAC.  So, let’s take a moment to get to know the newest up-and-coming legal mind to join PIAC.

In her experience at California Western, Jessica has particularly enjoyed her coursework on human rights law, legal writing, and culture in the American justice system.  In addition to being a student, Jessica is a competitor on the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, where she gets to practice the advocacy skills that drew her to the legal field.  Those skills enabled Jessica to place second in her school’s oral advocacy competition.

For Jessica, law school and her internship with PIAC is just a continuation of her pursuit to advocate for the underrepresented.  From the time she began her undergraduate degree at Oklahoma State University, this has been her goal.  She knew she wanted to loan her voice to those who could not speak for themselves, but it took until a class as her undergraduate career came to a close to recognize that the law was her avenue to do so.  Almost on a whim, she enrolled in a class called Sociology of Law, and from that point forward, she was dedicated to attaining a legal education to become a stronger advocate for those in need.

Already, we at PIAC have seen that commitment in action, and we can’t wait to see what Jessica has in store next.  Whether within a role at PIAC or in legal work outside our organization, Jessica is sure to impact change as she moves forward in her career.