Savannah Valentine, a 3L at Miami Law, interned for the Florida Supreme Court this past fall. After seeing the application online, Valentine discussed the opportunity with her career advisor, who subsequently nominated her for the position.
Valentine, who received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University, knew she wanted to pursue a career in law after working at the Executive Office of the Governor of Florida, where she saw the impact of state laws during her undergraduate studies. Her interest in law only grew after working at a non-profit law firm. There, she helped handle civil forfeiture, eminent domain, and Fourth Amendment cases, a field of law she is interested in pursuing after graduation.
As part of the Florida Supreme Court Internship Program, now the FSC Fellows Program, Valentine interned for Justice John Couriel. She participated in regular team meetings where she discussed opinions on current and upcoming cases and received valuable feedback on her assignments. One of her favorite parts of the experience was working with others who shared her passion for the law. “Interning for the Florida Supreme Court was my favorite experience in law school,” Valentine says.
In addition to interning at the Florida Supreme Court, Valentine has volunteered at the ACLU of Florida, where she worked on the Florida Immigrant Detention Database, which gathers complaints regarding conditions of confinement and access to counsel in Florida’s immigrant detention centers. She is now interning at the Department of Justice’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division.
Valentine’s time at Miami has been marked by her peers, who she describes as the best and brightest people she has ever met. She is a member of the Moot Court Board and the International and Comparative Law Review, currently serving as a Senior Notes and Comments Editor. She has also enjoyed Miami Law's flexibility to pursue her interests and opportunities, such as spending the fall semester in Tallahassee for her internship at the Florida Supreme Court.
“None of this,” Valentine says, “would be possible without the support and coordination of the Miami Law advisors and staff.”
After graduation, Valentine will be clerking for Judge Norma Lindsey at the Third District Court of Appeals of Florida.
Read more about Miami Law’s externship programs.
