In 2022, the Zoning, Planning and Land Use Section awarded its first scholarships to deserving law students. In order to meet the requirements for the 2022 Scholarship, the recipient must have been an unpaid intern working in a North Carolina government or public interest law department (State, Federal, City or County) who was also enrolled in an American Bar Association accredited law school.

The ZPLU Section is accepting applications for its 2023 scholarship awards – now through April 15.

Last year’s recipients were Ashley Loveless, a 1L from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and Austin Morris, a 1L from Wake Forest University School of Law. By accepting this scholarship, Ashley and Austin agreed to write an essay about their experience as interns. Here is a synopsis of their essays.

Austin Morris

Where did you intern?

Ashley: I interned with the Durham City Attorney’s Office.

Austin: I interned with the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office in Prosecutorial District 13. I chose to work for the District Attorney because I always enjoyed serving the public and had spent two years working in the Davidson County Courthouse.

What did you learn about the law?

Ashley: Before walking into my internship, I could not have articulated exactly what it was a municipal attorney did, and no way I could have understood just how broad the job of a city attorney is. I had the opportunity to not only learn from behind a desk but at the various City department locations. Being able to go out and see the places that the City Attorney’s Office was serving helped create meaning and a sense of purpose for me in my assignments. I had the opportunity to draft a motion to dismiss for a land-use-related case and to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision in Austin v. Reagan National Advertising and its implications for municipal zoning restrictions.

Austin: I did a lot of assignments in a wide range of areas. My favorite ones, and the most rewarding, were researching cases to counter motions filed by defendants and observing district court. I saw a variety of cases on every type of charge imaginable. When I was not in court, I spent a large amount of time doing research for different attorneys. These topics were usually completely new to me and gave me the opportunity to learn them from scratch.

How is an internship different from law school?

Ashley: I had never heard any of my law school friends or professors discuss local government law. Discovering this field felt like uncovering a secret. By the end of my summer internship, my decision to pursue this field was confirmed. I was able to contribute to work related to employment law, non-discrimination ordinances, eminent domain litigation, bus advertising policies, city-county interlocal agreements, liability research, and so much more. I had never been to a city council meeting in person before my internship, and I had the opportunity to sit in on several of them throughout the summer. It was a wonderful way to learn more about the city, both as a legal intern and as a Durham resident.

Austin: You can read about cases all day and practice them in mock trial situations, but nothing will ever compare to the real thing. Knowing that there was pressure to find the best cases to formulate the best arguments, while addressing the possible counter arguments, gave the research an added edge that class did not. This research largely resembled the projects and assignments that I had done in my first year of law school, but knowing that so much more was on the line and the realness of the arguments I was helping make made it much more enjoyable.

How did the scholarship help you?

Ashley: The scholarship allowed me to focus on experiential learning by providing funds to help pay for daycare for my two young children. I want to emphasize my appreciation for the ZPLU for providing this scholarship opportunity for students in unpaid government internships and for selecting me as a recipient.

Austin: An unfortunate actuality is that government internships are on a volunteer basis. As a student, money is already hard to come by. However, this became even more troublesome after I had to change my living situations, and the rapidly growing inflation began to hit. This inflation affected every aspect of life and the money that had been set aside to cover the expenses of the summer and allow me the flexibility to work for free began to quickly dwindle as the costs of gas and food skyrocketed. Without the financial support from the ZPLU Section, there is no way, without any doubt in my mind, that I could have completed the internship. The scholarship was a blessing that can truly not be understated.

The ZPLU Section will award up to two scholarships to students interning during the summer of 2023. Access the application online. Preference will be given to applicants interning in the field of zoning, planning, and land use law. Please forward any questions to LaSara Carter.

Terri Jones is the Town Attorney for the Town of Garner and a member of the ZPLU Section Council.

March 15, 2023/by ZPLU