Rising second-year law student Ben Buckley is spending his summer making an impact in his home state of South Carolina as a summer law clerk for the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense Capital Trials Division. He is hoping to lay the groundwork for his future career in criminal defense鈥攈is ultimate goal being to become a public defender for those unable to afford private representation.
鈥淭he Capital Trials Division are essentially the appointed public defenders for every death penalty case in South Carolina,鈥 Buckley explained.
His responsibilities are varied, encompassing trial preparation and strategy, legal research and drafting capital motions practice, a niche area of legal writing.
In addition, Buckley plays a crucial role in mitigation research, which is presented to juries to lessen a defendant鈥檚 status below death, if found guilty.
鈥淲e regularly visit our clients in jails throughout South Carolina to assist with mitigation research, so we spend a lot of time with our clients, their families and childhood friends,鈥 he said.
Buckley also works in the Richland County Public Defenders鈥 Office, assisting with felony trials and gaining additional experience and skills both in and out of the courtroom.
鈥淚鈥檓 originally from Charleston, South Carolina, so it鈥檚 nice to be near home,鈥 Buckley said. 鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 working for a statewide office, my internship takes me all over the place. From interviews to court hearings, I get to work across the state, which has provided a great experience.鈥
Buckley credits Juliet Kostritsky, his contract law professor during his first year of law school, for providing a solid foundation for his legal education, which he is building on this summer.
鈥淪he is an excellent professor,鈥 he said, 鈥渁nd a kind and friendly face to introduce you to the law school.鈥