Going into law school, I always intended to practice in the public sector. In fact, my mother and I had a dream about it right before I decided to go to law school. However, I had no idea what practicing as a public sector attorney would look like. It wasn’t until I had the privilege of interning with the City of Greensboro’s City Attorney’s Office that my vision for a career in government and public service began to take shape.

The decision to embark on a career in the public sector was deeply rooted in my desire to contribute to the betterment of society on a large scale. I had various ideas of what such a career could be like, yet when I entered law school, the realm of public service law remained an abstract concept, and my precise role within it was far from clear. During my first trimester at Elon, I wrote down what I was looking for in a career. I wanted my legal career to:

Allow me to have my hands in various pots at once;
Encompass work that has a tangible impact on the surrounding community;
Include transactional work, projects, and potentially some litigation;
Provide a healthy work-life balance; and
Offer secure and consistent benefits (i.e., salary instead of fees, insurance benefits, etc.)

The career I described in this list felt like a pipe dream when I first wrote it. I figured I might find something encompassing three of the five bullets listed, but I did not expect to find anything that included all five – not until I met one of the Greensboro deputy city attorneys in a local bakery.

Having moved ten hours south for law school, one of my first missions was to find a place to satisfy my sweet tooth. By happenstance, I chose to walk to a local bakery close to the law school. There, I placed my order, excitedly making small talk about starting law school with the person across the counter, who introduced himself as a Greensboro deputy city attorney (DCA). His wife owned the bakery. It now seems silly in hindsight, but, at the time, I had no idea city attorneys existed, let alone an entire field of municipal law. The DCA was the first person who informed me that municipal law was an actual practice area, and he explained how the law and local government intersect. I was exceedingly interested. A year after I met that DCA, I applied to intern with the City of Greensboro City Attorney’s Office.

My internship with the City Attorney’s Office was a transformative experience that solidified my intent to practice in government and public service. First, it allowed me to witness and participate in the tangible impact of legal work on local communities. The City Attorney’s Office played a pivotal role in addressing legal issues that directly affected the lives of residents — from civil rights cases to land use disputes. For example, I worked with my supervisor to address the nuances of upcoming short-term rental regulations. The office was busy trying to update local ordinances for societal advances not contemplated when they were written. Excitingly, the realm of short-term rentals was new terrain, which would influence and be influenced by other North Carolina municipalities’ decision making. I also had the chance to work with the DCA I’d met the year before. I assisted him with several Fair Housing cases brought by the city on behalf of certain Greensboro tenants. The work was more in line with traditional notions of legal work, meeting with the tenants as clients and filing civil complaints on their behalf. Seeing how the legal system intersected with everyday life was eye-opening and underscored the importance of public service. Not only could this work have impact on a community level, but it was deeply meaningful to the individuals being represented.

Second, my internship provided me with direct experience in navigating the intricacies of municipal law. I worked on diverse matters, from advising city departments on compliance matters to assisting with motions at the courthouse. The City Attorney’s Office supported me in every endeavor, even things I couldn’t have imagined doing, such as designing a method for approving development project appropriation requests for city departments, which entailed four written memos and an accompanying infographic. I’m a writer at heart, and so I also wrote various memos on nuanced matters, including short-term rentals, U-visas, Fair Housing matters, excise taxes, city charter amendment process, service contracts, Civil War memorials, Phase I environmental inspections, and more. The contract work that I completed included review of deeds of easement, title searches, cemetery deeds, and various contracts, the creation of template documents, and editing language in a variety of documents. I contributed to the litigation work by drafting requests for production and interrogatories, complaints and demands for jury trial in several Fair Housing cases, and I led a case review meeting with a tenant. Finally, I got the chance to plug in to the every day work of the government itself by attending city council work sessions, public hearings, and internal client meetings with city administrators. The work had many sides to it. It was challenging, dynamic, and enjoyable. Early in law school, a professor advised me to “find the happy job.” Through this experience, I know I can find it in this field.

Third, this internship introduced me to like-minded mentors who all contributed to a sense of purpose and contentment that permeated the City Attorney’s Office. Everyone there was driven by a shared commitment to serving the public interest. This ethos fostered a collaborative and supportive work environment where the common goal was to uphold justice and protect the community’s rights. The truth of their commitment extended to themselves and each other. Whether there was a family emergency, sickness, abrupt change in a child’s schedule, or any other unexpected life event, grace was given, options for remote work were accessible, and someone in the office ensured the work was completed one way or another. Such a collaborative environment that considers the human element of work is a precious find, made possible by the nature of the work and the people involved. Accordingly, the City Attorney’s Office has shown me this line of work can foster an uplifting environment where camaraderie is the norm.

The privilege of working alongside city officials, law enforcement, community organizations, and local residents provided me with a holistic perspective demonstrating the interconnectedness of public service, law, and its far-reaching implications. My internship with the City Attorney’s Office helped me truly understand the potential for careers in government. Although I know this office may have a difficult-to-replicate dynamic, and not every job will be like this one, had I not completed this internship, I would never have known it was possible in a legal career to find an area that reflected all my ideals. Often, we are told through the media that the things you love and the work you do rarely intersect, and if they do, you will eventually stop loving the work due to the stress of the job. Especially in the legal field, we often equate stress with productivity and feel implicitly pressured to choose between high achievement at work and our personal lives. However, I have always been determined to have it all: a job I love and can grow in, a family and long-term career, and work that aligns with my public service principles and affords me a comfortable life.

Through this internship experience, I have found a field in which my passion, purpose, and personal interests intersect, and I could not be more grateful for it. Working with the City Attorney’s Office gave me valuable insights into the real-world impact of legal work, helped me to hone my legal skills, and deepened my commitment to serving the public interest. The purposeful work and the encouraging environment I encountered reaffirmed my belief that a career in government and public service is not just a profession but a calling to make a positive difference in the lives of others. As I move forward in my legal career, I do so with a clear sense of purpose and a deep-seated determination to contribute to the betterment of society through my work.

Cassandra Sexton graduated from Elon University School of Law in December 2023. Cassandra received a $1,000 scholarship from the NCBA’s Government & Public Sector Section to support her internship with the Greensboro City Attorney’s Office in Summer 2023. Each year, the GPS awards one or more scholarships to law students who show demonstrated interest in public service and who work in an unpaid summer internship in a federal, state, or local government office in North Carolina.

January 11, 2024/by GovernmentandPublicSector