Prison Project Reflections by Anthony Harris

Last week's prison project has had the biggest impact on me thus far over the summer. It was a very hands on experience to have as a law student. It was the first time that I had ever visited a prison in my life. To be able to not only visit a foreign prison but to also advocate on the behalf of prisoners for plea-agreements was a unique experience. Being given the opportunity and responsibility to serve as an advocate was unlike any task I had been assigned before. While the work was not easy and was often challenging, I tried my best. One of the reasons I chose to attend Pepperdine University School of Law was to gain what I felt was essential knowledge in the field of international law. Participating in the Prison Project allowed me to gain wonderful practical experience in international law.

In addition to working on the Prison Project, I enjoyed the connections I was able to establish with the visiting delegation of lawyers and judges from Los Angeles. Having essentially constant access to the lawyers and judges was also a first for me. Outside of working with them at the prisons we visited, I was able to engage in endless conversations with several of them. Each lawyer and judge availed themselves as open books and welcomed all questions and concerns regarding the legal world I had. As a result from these conversations, I was able to gain nuggets of wisdom and insight that I believe will be beneficial for my future legal career.