Rudman Summer Fellow of the Week: Katie Darling

Katie Darling is working this summer for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in the Human Trafficking Division.  She has also worked in the Gaming Enforcement Division. She is a Rising 2L.

(The following excerpts from a recorded interview have been edited for clarity and brevity.)

On what her work at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office involves:

The Human Trafficking Division handles complex criminal investigations and prosecutions, often involving vulnerable victims in long-term case development.

I'm currently assisting with a number of human trafficking cases, including major cases that are currently pending in the grand jury and have been under investigation for several months.

I've helped prepare materials for grand jury presentations and have been able to sit in on prep meetings with survivors.  Human trafficking typically involves young women coming from vulnerable backgrounds who are exploited by people they trust, oftentimes an intimate partner.

I was able to dive right in. I've supported the attorneys with legal research, drafting legal documents, and reviewing evidence; It's been wonderful. I was able to sit in on grand jury prep with a victim the first week of my internship. I've started writing some prosecution memos. I've listened to a lot of jail calls. We're currently attempting to gather additional evidence on an incarcerated defendant by analyzing his recorded jail calls to prove he has committed additional crimes while being incarcerated, so that he remains incarcerated until he has been indicted. This particular defendant is a significant danger to society and to his victim.  We have another grand jury hearing coming up, and we're hoping to put these new charges in front of the jury to ensure he remains in prison.

On what it’s like working with the attorneys at the AG’s Office:

The attorneys that I'm currently working with are incredibly intelligent. I've been fortunate to work with multiple Assistant Attorneys General in various Divisions. They all work together cohesively. They're kind, they're compassionate, they're empathetic. I've learned so much from them.  The attorney general's office is somewhere I would like to be long-term. It's the exact environment that I envision myself in after I graduate and become an attorney.  It’s truly been an incredible experience.

The Rudman Center fellowships support students who work during the summer for government agencies or 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that perform public interest legal work.   For more on the Rudman Summer Fellowship program, visit here.