My Time With the ALMD: Intern Camdyn E. Neal
This series comes as a bit of a reflection from individuals who have spent time working with the Alabama Middle District. We lead off this new offering with a reflection from our current college intern, Camdyn E. Neal.
As an aspiring attorney hailing from a small town in Georgia, this internship has been a dream. When my Pre-Law Advisor, Debra Armstrong-Wright, approached me and asked if I would be open to her nominating me for this amazing internship opportunity -- I was extremely honored and excited to be considered. As an undergraduate student and now a graduate student at Auburn University, I have had access to a plethora of amazing opportunities related to my passions of justice, equity, and community outreach.
Upon completing my bachelors, I decided to remain at Auburn University and pursue a Master of Public Administration with a focus in Community Planning as I prepare to begin my legal career. Being an intern here at the Middle District Court of Alabama has been one of my most rewarding moments yet. I have had the opportunity to meet judges, law clerks, administrative staff, and other influential people that work not only here at our court, but in the legal field in general.
My time spent on the court’s oral history project has been inspiring. Professionals of the legal field are not a monolith and have an array of amazing qualities. They also have each contributed to jurisprudence and American culture in unique ways. It is my hope that this truth will be visible through our refined oral history project. I have been able to learn these professionals' stories, their passions, and their history, and enrich them so that they are robust and prepared for the community to enjoy!
I also have had the opportunity to be mentored by some of the court's current law clerks, Christopher Middleton, Benjamin Gunning, and Owen Senders. Their advice about the application process, deciding on which law school to attend, and more has been extremely helpful. I currently serve as a Pre-Law mentor at Auburn and have been able to pass along some of their wisdom to my mentees. This past fall, I had the opportunity to bring them to one of my favorite events, an Auburn football game!
In my free time, I typically enjoy reading books, spending time with friends, taking trips to Target, and enjoying whatever sport is playing on television that day! Although the law school that I will attend in the fall is still currently undetermined, I am certain that my time as an intern here at the Middle District Court of Alabama, has provided me with even more tools that will allow me to be a successful Civil Rights Attorney one day. This court is home to a lot of landmark civil rights cases, one in particular being the desegregation of Auburn, that has provided me the access to opportunities to be successful today. It is my hope that one day, I too, will come back to this historic courthouse to advocate for the promised equal justice for all.