Planting Seeds in the Desert: Interviews with Legal Oasis Interns (Part 6)

In this blog post series, interns who are participating in the Legal Oasis Internship program discuss their participation in the program and why they choose to live and serve in an underserved area. Background on this program can be found in the initial blog post of this series. It is our hope that others will be inspired by these stories.

The sixth post in this series is an interview with Jada Weyand, a 2L at Elon University School of Law.

The interview was conducted by James S. Perry, a small-town practitioner in Kinston. Mr. Perry is also on the Professionalism Committee with the NCBA and is currently the Executive Director of the Chief Justice Commission on Professionalism.

Jada Weyand is originally from Greenville, North Carolina. She is particularly interested in family law, juvenile defense and criminal law. After her 1L summer, Jada interned with the Pitt County Public Defender’s Office in District 3. Jada hopes to build a career serving her community and ensuring that vulnerable individuals have access to strong legal representation.

Describe your journey to law school.

I hadn’t considered being a lawyer until my sophomore year of college. At the time, I was taking courses concerning topics of social injustice. I became very passionate about these topics, specifically in the way they intersected with the law. I spoke with one of my professors, and we talked about career paths that would involve advocating for the issues that I was passionate about. She suggested becoming a lawyer.

Why did you go to law school?

I went to law school because I felt that becoming a lawyer would allow me to work in a field that excites me. I want to be able to feel passionate about the work that I’m doing, and I believe that being an attorney/lawyer would provide this. I also feel that the skills and qualities I possess would work in tandem with this career field.

I understand you are an intern with the Pitt County Public Defenders’ Office in Greenville. Please describe your responsibilities and what types of things you are doing this summer.

So far, I have had many great and practical experiences working at the Public Defender’s office. I have observed several different court proceedings, attended client interviews, and reviewed and summarized evidence, including discovery documents and police body camera footage.

Would you recommend that classmates consider a similar experience?

I would recommend this experience to other classmates, especially those considering a legal career in criminal law.

Do you think being a lawyer in Eastern North Carolina will give you an opportunity to fulfill your hopes and dreams for the future?

One of my personal hopes/dreams is to buy a house/land and have a big garden and lots of animals! Being a lawyer in Eastern North Carolina, specifically a smaller town, would make it a lot easier to buy and own a house than if I were to live and work in a larger, more urban city. Working in a more rural area also comes with the perk of a closer and tighter community. Many of the lawyers here know and work closely with one another, and it helps build deeper and more meaningful connections.