Weekly Blog #4

Throughout this week, I have begun to set up and confirm multiple informational interviews with professional attorneys in the human rights field. Through developing an elaborate contact list of attorneys, and having the opportunity to connect with them via cold calls, LinkedIn or email, I have been able to gain a deeper understanding of the different types of human rights lawyers that are present in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In addition, I have been able to discover which types of human rights law are most prevalent in my community. Based on my research, the types of human rights law that are highly prevalent in the area are immigration law and human trafficking law.

So far, I have been able to conduct one informational interview. The interview was held on September 25th, with Ms. Sara Wahl, a criminal victims attorney at the Human Rights Initiative North Texas, in Downtown Dallas. I was able to learn more about her everyday life as a human rights lawyer, and was able to gain a greater perspective on the types of clients she advocates for in North Texas, along with the kinds of cases they handle as a firm. I could definitely argue that this interview experience has allowed me to obtain a variety of professional skills, and has taught me how to compose myself in a professional work environment.

This week, I feel that I excelled in communicating with professionals via cold calls, emails, or LinkedIn, in an efficient manner. I also feel that I have excelled in maintaining a professional composure throughout my interview experience. However, I feel that I struggled slightly, in engaging in natural conversation with the professional I was interviewing. I feel that in order to overcome this obstacle, it would benefit me to deviate slightly from the planned interview questions, and engage in conversation about the career itself. I plan on incorporating this strategy into future interviews, so I can establish greater interpersonal skills with other professional attorneys.

In addition, I currently have a couple of informational interviews being confirmed for the next few weeks. I am thrilled to continue this interview process, and hope to gain more professional and interpersonal skills as a result. Overall, through the interview process, I hope to find a mentor who is willing to help guide me through my learning experience.