As a first-generation college graduate, John Jay alumna Sharna McKenzie ’20 recognizes the transformative power of internships. Prior to coming to John Jay, and before interning with two New York Supreme Court Justices and a New York State Assemblywoman, McKenzie had dreams of becoming a teacher, but an internship with an attorney changed the course of her life, putting her on a direct path to the College and dreams of joining the legal profession. “Before coming to John Jay, I had a chance to intern with an attorney. I remember being in the court room witnessing a per se case—when someone represents themselves (or himself/herself)—and seeing how different the judge interacted with the person versus when they interacted with the client who had legal representation. That’s when everything changed for me,” says McKenzie, who hopes to become either a criminal defense, family, or immigration lawyer one day. “It was in that court room I saw how imperative it was for someone to know their rights and have legal representation. You have to know what you want to say to a judge and get it right because you only get one chance.”
“Dr. Davidson and Dr. Roure really worked to make sure I was prepared and understood what the legal profession looks like.” —Sharna McKenzie
At John Jay, McKenzie was steadfast in her commitment to pursue a justice-focused education and create a path to law school. A critical key to her goal was establishing connections with Charles Davidson, Ph.D., Director of the Pre-Law Institute (PLI), and Jodie Roure, Ph.D., Director of the College’s Diversity Pre-Law Pipeline Program (formerly the Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep program). “Dr. Davidson and Dr. Roure really worked to make sure I was prepared and understood what the legal profession looks like,” says McKenzie. “They both encouraged me to participate in programming; apply to internship opportunities with New York Supreme Court Justice Carmen R. Velasquez ’84 and Justice Evelyn J. Laporte ’81, and New York State Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright; and to network with practicing lawyers in the New York City Bar Association. I got amazing support from Dr. Davidson and Dr. Roure throughout my entire John Jay journey. They motivated me to pursue a career in the legal profession.”
Seeing The Possibilities
A central mission to both PLI and the Diversity Pre-Law Pipeline Program is diversifying the bar. Currently, 85 percent of lawyers in the American Bar Association are white. Only five percent of lawyers are Black, and only five percent of lawyers are Latinx. By promoting professional opportunities to students of color at the College, Davidson and Roure are helping them make connections and see themselves in legal and judicial work spaces. “I remember the Launching Your Career with the New York City Bar Association event. Dr. Davidson’s team sent out an email promoting the opportunity. I remember thinking there was no way I’d meet people who were practicing law and looked like me, who had my skin color, but to my surprise there were. I met federal judges and lawyers from all backgrounds. It was in that moment I realized I could be a lawyer.”
“Justice Velasquez really mentored me and continues to be a mentor to me to this day. She told me, ‘When you’re in law school, come back and work for me.’” —Sharna McKenzie
Interning with Justice Carmen R. Velasquez ’84
It was an email from PLI that brought the first judicial internship opportunity to McKenzie’s attention. “Because of my time at PLI and the Diversity Pre-Law Pipeline Program I felt it was an opportunity I was ready for, so I decided to give it a try,” says McKenzie, calling her internship with the honorable Justice Carmen R. Velasquez, a John Jay alumna herself, an eye-opening experience. “Interning with Justice Velasquez offered me a different perspective on the legal profession and gave me a view of the court room from the judge’s point of view,” says McKenzie, recalling how Velasquez really took her under her wing. “It was my first judicial experience, yet she let me review cases with her. We would go over briefs together. She’d ask for my opinion and really wanted to know what I had to say. It was an amazing learning experience and I felt fortunate because she valued my perspective,” says McKenzie. “Justice Velasquez really mentored me and continues to be a mentor to me to this day. She told me, ‘When you’re in law school, come back and work for me.’”
“The moments I shared with Justice Laporte in the court room offered me such a boost in confidence and confirmed for me that I belong in that space.” —Sharna McKenzie
Interning with Justice Evelyn J. Laporte ’81
Following her invaluable experience with Velasquez, Roure suggested McKenzie apply to intern with another John Jay alumna and Justice of the New York Supreme Court, the honorable Evelyn J. Laporte. Sitting side-by-side on the bench with Justice Laporte, McKenzie listened to cases, observed the jurors, and went over case decisions. She also felt her presence validated in a new way. “There were times when the prosecutor or the defense attorney would ask for a sidebar with Justice Laporte. Normally, this moment just involves the justice or judge presiding over the case and the lawyer, but every single time this happened in her court room, Justice Laporte would turn to me and say, ‘Join me. You need to be here. You’ll be a lawyer one day so you need to know what they’re saying,’” recalls McKenzie, who saw herself in Laporte. “The moments I shared with Justice Laporte in the court room offered me such a boost in confidence and confirmed for me that I belong in that space. Justice Laporte and I share a similar story of coming to this country with one dream—she wanted to be a flight attendant and my goal was originally to be a teacher—and then that dream evolved into wanting to work within the law. She shared what struggles she went through on her way to becoming a justice of the New York Supreme Court, and how she overcame those challenges. Learning Justice Laporte’s story, and knowing she believes in me, gives me hope that I can be like her one day.”
“During the internship, I had a chance to work with constituents and hear their thoughts about policy and changes they wanted to see in their neighborhoods.” —Sharna McKenzie
Interning with Former Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright
McKenzie’s opportunity to intern with former Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright came as a result of her participation in the Caucus CUNY Scholars Program, a program that enables students to learn about the work being done by the Black, Latinx, and Asian legislative caucus in the state. “Interning with Assemblywoman Wright was exciting because it was so different from the in-court experiences I had, giving me a chance to learn more about the policies at work in our communities,” says McKenzie, who witnessed Wright’s passion for uplifting the community. “During the internship, I had a chance to work with constituents and hear their thoughts about policy and changes they wanted to see in their neighborhoods. But a big part of my work with Assemblywoman Wright was around a law she was trying to get passed,” says McKenzie, pointing to New York A7818, a legislation that would require municipalities to expunge any DNA record stored in a municipal DNA identification index. “She put forward this legislation in hopes of stopping law enforcement from secretly storing DNA of innocent people not charged or convicted of a crime,” explains McKenzie. “It was inspiring to watch her advocate for innocent people and showed me that one person can really make a difference.”
“If you want a happy life and career of fulfillment, you need to do internships because they give you a glimpse of your future.” —Sharna McKenzie
Encouraging Others
Looking back at her internships, from the very first one with an attorney, all the way to the New York Supreme Court, and then the New York State Assembly, McKenzie is appreciative of what each experience has taught her about herself and what she wants for her future. “If you want a happy life and career of fulfillment, you need to do internships because they give you a glimpse of your future,” she says, offering John Jay students advice. “Apply to every opportunity that comes to you and get familiar with the field, the people in those work spaces, and the work culture. It’s so important to your future happiness. The worst that can happen is that you won’t like the experience, but that in itself is a good thing because it shows that it may not be the right field for you and you can change your dream for the future.”
After she accomplishes her goal of going to law school and becoming a lawyer, McKenzie hopes to pay it forward by creating a mentorship program where she can help young adults with their professional development and planning their internship and career journeys. “I want to do for them what Dr. Davidson and Dr. Roure did for me. I want to teach them how to connect with others, embrace the opportunities that come their way, and take advantage of the internship and experiential learning process. I want to prepare them to be the best version of themselves so they can have a future filled with success.”
