Internship Reflection | Why Justice Matters: It Takes Effort to Achieve

My thirteen working days as an intern at the Judicial Reform Foundation (JRF) opened my eyes to horizons I had never imagined before, giving me a completely different interpretation of the world as I walked down the streets of my daily life. Stepping into the reality of the law for the first time shattered my idealized notions of it. Previously, my understanding of the law was limited to interpretations in books and movies, as well as research on classical legal theories for specialized projects. Yet, the JRF tackles real-life cases in society from the most pragmatic perspective—handling actual occurrences stripped of mere theory. Studying the law cannot rely solely on imagination; one must step into the actual arenas of the law to truly comprehend what "the law" actually means.

During these three weeks of internship, I tried many different types of work. Some were simple tasks like data scanning and archiving, running errands to submit legal documents, and other clerical work; others were experiential activities, such as courtroom observation, press conference observation, and correctional institution visits. In addition, there were slightly more challenging tasks like replying to letters from correctional facilities and conducting preliminary case screenings. With a complete blank slate regarding a legal background, feeling a bit nervous and at a loss when facing each task was inevitable. However, by staying open-minded and slowly studying the work, I found it wasn't as scary as I thought. Moreover, whenever I raised questions, the supervisors were always ready to assist.

The JRF provides legal consultation services to complainants, a process that inevitably involves receiving the pent-up negative energy of complainants who have nowhere else to vent. The JRF's job is to understand the truth of the facts, but it cannot make empty promises to complainants; until everything is certain, definitive answers cannot be given. Therefore, mastering the "art of conversation" so that complainants can leave without being consumed by emotion has become an important task for the JRF's Complainant Service Center. Frontline personnel at the Complainant Service Center must possess traits such as "emotional stability," "tactful expression," and "rational thinking and judgment." When faced with a complainant's emotions, one does not always have to take things to heart; sometimes, it is necessary to temporarily pause the conversation to let the complainant calm down. During my internship, a complainant came to the office emotionally without prior notice. As it happened, the three supervisors of the Complainant Service Center were all out of the office, and a colleague from the next department could only gently persuade her to leave. In addition, supervisors answer complainant calls very frequently. Observing from the side, I noticed that the clients on the other end of the line were often emotionally unstable or unclear in their logic, yet the supervisors never appeared impatient or angry, continuing the conversation calmly and firmly, completely undisturbed by the complainants' emotions.

The JRF is experienced in guiding interns, though these are still predominantly university students. Listening to the supervisors and other interns discuss cases during my internship put a lot of pressure on someone like me with zero legal foundation, but having other interns and volunteers around also kept me from feeling out of place in the office. One afternoon, the number of interns reached its peak, with over a dozen interns completely filling the volunteer desks, and some even having to work in the glasshouse. Being able to meet so many law students, seeing what they are like, and listening to their advice for high school students was immensely helpful for my choice of university major. The JRF holds winter and summer internship camps, which many non-law students attend, but internships during the semester are primarily for third-year law students. I met interns from Chinese Culture University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and Soochow University. Among them, Chinese Culture University required the fewest service hours—only eighteen hours. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to spend three weeks gaining an in-depth understanding of the JRF. The level of trust the JRF placed in interns was somewhat flattering. On my second day of internship, I began replying to letters from correctional facilities, and was even sent alone to run errands to submit legal documents at the High Court and Supreme Court—never having been to either before. I wondered what kind of impact it would have if any unexpected situations arose along the way? Over the seventy-seven hours of my internship, I transitioned from a state of tension to comfortable integration, feeling as though I had become a part of the JRF. Compared to other university students doing short-term internships, working every day for three consecutive weeks allowed me to participate in more activities and gain more experience and learning.

Over the past three weeks, under the guidance of the supervisors, I stepped into the JRF step by step and edged into the legal profession bit by bit. This experience has become my nourishment, and the changes brought by this experience have made me an individual distinct from others. I am grateful for the guidance of the supervisors during these days, and grateful to the clients who have crossed paths with me, allowing me to re-examine myself through the stories of your lives. I am grateful for the JRF's care for inmates and complainants, grateful for the contributions of legal reformers to society, and grateful to everyone striving and contributing in their respective positions. At the JRF, I felt a mingling aura of ideals and justice; even though the road ahead is fraught with difficulties, people still strive to practice it. If not for the JRF, who would be willing to listen to the thoughts of case parties? Who would care about their innocence? May everyone live in a fair and just society; in such an environment, there are no criminals, let alone wrongful convictions.

"The law is a road of no return." Throughout the three weeks of my internship, teachers and other interns repeatedly warned me of this. If one wishes to study law or pursue a legal career, one must think carefully before making a decision. At this moment, whether my life will be permanently anchored in legal work is something I am still pondering and weighing. Yet the law is indeed a road of no return. From the moment I stepped into the JRF, my worldview underwent a tremendous shift, which will be an important factor influencing my conduct and philosophy for the rest of my life. Because I once walked into a courtroom, I saw that the law is not the privilege of a select few, but rather something we simply do not understand well enough; because I once visited inmates, I discovered that beneath the darkness of the law lie injured people and kind people; because I heard the thoughts of an innocent death-row inmate, I realized how foolish and dangerous it is to be indifferent to the law or to seek retributive attacks. If I had not come to the JRF, I probably would never have been able to see this side of the world. The world has many faces, and we must learn to continuously view society from different perspectives.

"This work cannot rely solely on passion and ideals." I used to be full of imagination about the law, but was such a fantasy real? At the JRF, reality shattered my fanciful ideas. Yet it was also at the JRF that I felt a warm and steadfast strength.

Justice is precious because it is rare, and it matters because it takes effort to achieve. There is a group of hardworking people here—they are fighting, they are moving forward, and they are brave, resilient, and full of ideals. If there is one more such person in the world, society can have a little more strength. Having joined the big family of judicial reform, I too have grown stronger. After my illusions were shattered, a bigger dream sprouted within me, and this time, this dream is accompanied by a group of like-minded people and has a clearer direction forward.