Even though it scared her, speaking in a courtroom in front of a judge was something Kayla Abrams-Mahoney '28 J.D. knew she would have to do at some point in law school as she pursued a career in criminal defense. This summer, she got her chance during her externship with the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office.
“The scariest thing about my future as an attorney was the idea of having to speak in a courtroom,” said Abrams-Mahoney, now a 2L at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. “Gaining that experience after only my first year was super valuable, and I am glad I got that experience as a student attorney because there is a lot less pressure and the judge knew I was only a student.”
Any initial fears faded quickly. Over the summer, Abrams-Mahoney appeared in court almost daily representing clients at the County Law Enforcement Center in St. Paul. She says it was one of her favorite things about her externship.
“I mainly did the arraignment calendar,” she says. “I represented, as a certified student attorney, the individuals who have been arrested and are making their first appearance in court to either enter a guilty plea or set up their next hearing date and discuss conditions of their release.”
Abrams-Mahoney was placed at the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office as part of St. Thomas Law’s Legal Externship Program, which offers law students the opportunity to explore legal careers and provides them with relevant professional experience.
The externship solidified for Abrams-Mahoney that she wants to become a defense attorney, likely as a public defender, representing individuals who otherwise could not afford legal representation. It is one of the reasons she went to law school.
“I have always wanted to pursue a career where I can advocate for people in marginalized positions,” she says. “I felt like law school was the best place for me to learn how to make that difference. The criminal justice system is extremely flawed, and I think public defense will be the best option for me to make a difference in trying to mitigate some of the harms that the system perpetuates.”
In addition to working at the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office, Abrams-Mahoney was an extern this summer at the Great North Innocence Project. The organization provides free legal services to people who have been wrongfully convicted and works to prevent future wrongful convictions through education and advocacy.
"My two jobs were super different," Abrams-Mahoney said. "At Great North Innocence Project we did a lot of digging through evidence from cases where individuals have reached out to us requesting that we re-open their case due to their alleged innocence and wrongful conviction. If GNIP takes their case on, they help them through the post-conviction litigation stages. After seeing so many first appearances in court with the public defender’s office, it was interesting to see how post-conviction procedures differed."
Across both externships, Abrams-Mahoney worked alongside attorneys and legal professionals she describes as "extremely compassionate and some of the most intelligent people” she has worked with so far in her life. The experiences made such an impression that she hopes to continue volunteering with both organizations.
"I learned so much from them, and they were always so eager to answer my questions," she said. "Everyone, at the end of the day, is there because they care about helping others, which is so special."
