Dear TLF Donors,
Thank you for your incredibly generous donation to Texas Law Fellowships. I was fortunate to receive a summer fellowship from your donation, and this allowed me to pursue public interest work this summer that I would not have otherwise been able to pursue.
This summer, I worked for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in the Family Criminal Law Division (FCLD). At the DA’s office I gained valuable experience working with criminal prosecutors on family violence cases, but I also had the unique opportunity to work with a special prosecutor who helps survivors of domestic violence seek protective orders in civil court. By the end of the summer I had sat second chair in felony jury trials and also performed direct examination in civil protective order hearings. The DA’s office showed me a crucially important side of public interest work, and working there increased my commitment to pursuing public interest work after graduation.
As I enter my third (and final!) year of law school, I am pursuing a variety of post-graduate public interest opportunities, and although I do not know exactly what I will be doing next year, I do know that I will continue to pursue public interest work. It is generosity like yours that allows UT Law students to see public interest work as a viable career option, and I am grateful that your donation has allowed me and many other UT students to pursue this incredibly important work.
Thank you again for your generous donation.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Matherne