Empowering Change Through Education

What inspired you to intern at the Project?

On the very first day of my Conviction of the Innocent class, Brian Beals shared his story with us after a long day at the Illinois State Capitol. This experience changed my previously held beliefs and afterward I was all-in on becoming involved in IIP. 

‍What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I am hoping that I can help our clients and be part of a team that changes our criminal justice system for the better.

What are your future aspirations?
hope to attend law school after grad school.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
After taking the Conviction of the Innocent class, meeting some of IIP’s clients and learning about the shocking level of injustice in our “justice system,” I felt compelled not just to learn about but also to be part of the Illinois Innocence Project.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I want to gain hands-on experience while developing and refining skills that will be valuable as I pursue a career in law. My goal is to leave this internship not only better prepared for law school but also with the knowledge that I contributed, even in a small way, to the Illinois Innocence Project’s mission and its fight for justice.

What are your future aspirations?
I plan to go to law school.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
The Illinois Innocence Project is what pushed me to transfer to UIS last year. I heard about IIP for the first time on my first campus visit and knew right away that it was an extraordinary learning opportunity that I wouldn't let myself miss. 

‍What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I am hoping to find a place where I belong in the legal system and a purpose behind all of the time, care and hard work that I know I can give.

What are your future aspirations?
I would like to attend grad school then go on to law school. Eventually, I would like to teach at a university or law school.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I first heard about the Illinois Innocence Project when I was being recruited to play golf at UIS, and it immediately stood out to me. The fact that students could get involved in real advocacy work was something I didn’t see at many other schools, and it was a big reason I decided to come here. During my sophomore year, I took the Conviction of the Innocent class, and that’s when everything really clicked for me. Hearing the stories of people who had been wrongfully convicted, people who lost years of their lives for something they didn’t do, made the issue feel personal. It opened my eyes to how deeply the system can fail and how important it is to have people working to prevent those failures. That experience made me want to be part of the Project and learn how I can help make a difference.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I’m really looking forward to learning from the attorneys and investigators. This internship is such a unique opportunity to see how experienced professionals approach wrongful conviction cases: how they think, what they look for and how they fight for justice. I want to grow my skills in legal research and writing but, more importantly, I want to better understand how the system works in real life. I know I have a lot to learn, and I’m excited to be in an environment where I can absorb as much as possible from people doing such impactful work.

What are your future aspirations?
I plan on going to law school in the fall of 2026.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I was inspired by the Illinois Innocence Project’s mission to free wrongfully convicted individuals and advocate for systemic change, and the organization’s commitment to hold the state accountable. Interning here will enable me to directly change and impact someone's life.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I hope to develop legal skills for my future career.

What are your future aspirations?
I plan on going to law school fall 2026.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I was inspired to intern for IIP because of the stories I heard from exonerees in the Conviction of the Innocent course. Their vulnerability and strength were empowering and truly inspiring.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
Through my internship, I am hoping to gain knowledge and experience in the legal field while fighting for the wrongfully convicted.

What are your future aspirations?
I plan to go to law school.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
After having worked with prospective and established clients as a legal assistant and seen firsthand the way the legal system fails so many people, the mission and accomplishments of the Illinois Innocence Project give me hope that the issues can be fixed; that there is still integrity and justice in the legal system.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I hope to contribute to the great work that the Illinois Innocence Project has done to improve outcomes for people who have lost invaluable time, opportunities and resources while serving sentences for crimes they did not commit. I hope to explore possible avenues for my career after graduation. Among several options I am considering, legal advocacy interests me and I see an opportunity to learn more about it through this internship.

What are your future aspirations?
I plan to dedicate my career to improving the world around me. I am considering pursuing this mission as a clinical social worker, advocate, researcher or policy analyst. I don’t know yet which of these I will choose, but I look forward to finding discernment through this experience.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I heard about it from a friend who is a UIS student and my interest has always been in criminal law/corruption in the United States criminal justice system. 

‍What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I hope to gain experience for law school.‍

What are your future aspirations?
I plan to go to law school in 2026, stay with the Illinois Innocence Project and then eventually I’d like to run for District 1 Missouri House of Representatives.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I chose UIS because it is the only undergraduate institution in the country that has an innocence organization. I've been following innocence work since middle school and had hoped to work with an innocence project at some point in my career. I took the UIS “Conviction of the Innocent” course last spring, which furthered my interest in IIP.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
‍I'm hoping to work closely on legislation to better the lives of exonerees after they've been released. I am also interested in the reintegration of exonerees into society.

What are your future aspirations?
I am applying for law schools this cycle, hoping to attend a program in fall 2026. I would love to do more innocence work and also work in political campaigning, as I have interned for two campaigns in the past.

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What inspired you to intern at the Project?
My UIS soccer coach told me about the Illinois Innocence Project when I visited the University for the first time, and it played a big role in my decision to go to school here. IIP's mission is so inspiring, and being a part of it was something I decided to strive for.

‍What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I want to help give a voice to those who are unable to have one for themselves. I am also excited to learn more about the law and surround myself with people who share similar interests and goals.‍

What are your future aspirations?
I plan to go to law school starting in fall 2026, after I graduate in the spring. I am currently interested in being a lawyer specializing in criminal or family law but am excited to learn about a range of different legal avenues.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I was told by many professors to take the wrongful conviction class. As I was in the class, I was moved and inspired by hearing wrongfully convicted individuals. I knew I wanted to be part of something that could make a difference. I believe every part of the legal system is important and needs help. The biggest part is when people shouldn’t be in the system. Not only are these individuals innocent, their innocence was taken away. I want to be a part of helping to give back their innocence as much as possible.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I hope to have a better understanding of the legal system as well as make a difference by helping to get justice for someone who was failed by the legal system. 

What are your future aspirations?
I plan to go to law school.

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What inspired you to intern at the Project?
I heard about the Illinois Innocence Project through a friend who had interned previously. I have always had a passion for helping those in need and, along with that, a passion for helping those find justice. That is why I knew I needed to take this opportunity to advocate for those who were wrongfully convicted as well as use this internship as a way to grow my passion.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
Through this internship, I hope to learn more about why people are wrongfully convicted and the legal processes involved in helping them in order to establish a higher sense of advocacy for those who need it most. I also hope to advance my skills in research, case analysis and legal advocacy while building close relationships with my fellow interns and supervisors.

What are your future aspirations?
After I graduate from UIS in May 2026, I plan to attend law school in the fall. After completing law school I would love to work in family law and potentially the Department of Child Services as I am very passionate about helping those in need, especially families and children.

What inspired you to intern at the Project?
After taking the Conviction of the Innocent class, I was really inspired to learn more about the work the Project does and get involved.

What do you hope to achieve through your internship?
I want to learn more about the causes of wrongful conviction and would like to learn more about "Shaken Baby Syndrome" and experience working on SBS cases.

What are your future aspirations?
My ultimate goal is to attend law school and become a criminal lawyer. I would love to work for the Project one day in the future.