A peek behind the bench: Clemson student completes unique summer internship with SC Supreme Court

Rising senior Cheney Everett recently completed a rare summer internship with the South Carolina Supreme Court.

A philosophy major in the law, liberty and justice emphasis area, Everett spent six weeks in Columbia observing the justice system at work from the inside. The coveted internship has been organized and funded by the Department of Philosophy and Religion off and on for more than a decade. Previous court interns from the department have attended Harvard and Yale Law Schools.

"I could gush on about the wonderful experience I've had and the kindness that was shown to me by everyone in the Columbia court system, particularly the Staff Attorney's office," said Everett, a Virginia native. "I just feel so lucky to have earned the kind of internship typically afforded to people already in law school, as most of the other interns around me were."

Other lawyers would unexpectedly drop in Everett's office and explain the intricacies of law without her even asking for help. She observed a murder trial at Richland County Circuit Court, a divorce hearing in family court, sentencings at a South Carolina Federal District Court and arguments in front of the state Supreme Court. Circuit Judge Robert Hood allowed her to watch proceedings from the bench and even offered Everett a rare look at his chambers.

"From the second I arrived, I immediately felt comfortable and looked after," she said.

Cary Berkeley Kaye earned her J.D. from Yale University and serves as the pre-law liaison and internship advisor to students like Everett in the Department of Philosophy and Religion. She said she was grateful to the court for welcoming Everett with open arms this summer.

Applications for the internship are taken from philosophy majors in the law, liberty and justice emphasis area, designed for students interested in social/political philosophy, the philosophy of law and questions of justice. Other opportunities available to students in the department have included interning with the 13th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office in Greenville and the Sixth Circuit Public Defender's Office in Chester, Fairfield and Lancaster counties.

It's a rare opportunity for an undergraduate to have the chance to observe all the different kinds of proceedings that Cheney saw during her time at the South Carolina Supreme Court. Helping to coordinate pre-law internships is very satisfying, because it gives students a way to explore their interest in law beyond what's available through our programming on campus.

CARY BERKELEY KAYE, LECTURER IN PHILOSOPHY

Prepare for law school at Clemson

Clemson offers robust options for students pursuing law school and a legal career after earning a bachelor's degree. The College of Arts and Humanities maintains a pre-law advising office and offers counseling from advisor Tim Garrison. This service is extended to students of all majors who hope to pursue law as a career. Founding Dean Nicholas Vazsonyi named pre-law as one of his four key pillars of the new academic home that opened in Fall 2023.

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