Tyler Smith, JD

“The summer of 2020 I worked remotely for Legal Council for Health Justice, which used to be called AIDS Legal Council. The agency is based in Chicago, and I received a PILI grant as part of my job offer.

My summer experience taught me a lot of substantive areas of the law, including social security, name changes, the AIDS Confidentiality Act, implied breach of contract, and public benefits. However, the most valuable thing I learned was that attorneys are human. Before my experience, I placed those who passed the bar on some sort of pedestal and expected somewhat perfection from them. Instead, I watched my coworkers struggle with the law, ask tough questions, and admit when they needed help. Observing all of this made me feel much more confident in my own abilities. No one is going to expect me to have all of the answers or be an expert in everything after a day’s worth of research.”