preview

Judicial Fellowship Program Statement Paper

Decent Essays

Judicial Fellowship Program Statement From enforcing traffic tickets to ruling on the legality of legislation passed by the Senate and Assembly, California’s court system plays an integral role in society. However, despite the massive influence the courts hold over the lives of all Californians, most know little to nothing about the way the court system operates. As an intern at the Superior Court of San Francisco, I came to realize how, even after taking multiple political science courses on laws and the judicial system, I only accumulated a shallow pool of knowledge on the inner workings of the court system. Talking with judges and attorneys and sitting in on court meetings did help me understand the judicial system in much more depth, but also brought up many additional issues I am interested in pursuing further. One of the most troubling pieces of information I have learned about the judicial system in California is how the legislature has almost unlimited control over the court budget. A system in which one branch of government controls another’s …show more content…

While the judicial system can be confusing for average citizens, it poses an even more insurmountable obstacle to certain groups of people, such as those who do not speak English as a first language, who cannot afford a lawyer, or who cannot leave their jobs or other commitments to spend time in court. This problem became poignantly clear to me whenever I would pass by the help center of the SF Superior Court and see lines stretched tens of people deep needing advice on how to navigate the administrative side of the legal system. Such people need to have a more accessible and efficient way of receiving help with court procedures, and I want to discover how the courts are helping or can help ameliorate this

Get Access