Joe Thibodeau (Clough Public Service Fellow and Student in Boston College Law School)
This summer, I completed a ten-week legal internship at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). Through the generosity of the Public Service Fellowship at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, I received critical financial support that allowed me to work at an organization advocating for LGBTQIA+ equality, a cause deeply personal to me as a queer student and foundational to building an inclusive democratic future in the United States. Furthermore, I strengthened my lawyering skills through ongoing collaboration with GLAD’s team of smart, dedicated attorneys. The relationships, knowledge, and skills I developed at GLAD are invaluable and will continue to guide me as I complete my third year of law school and embark upon my career as a public interest attorney.
As an LGBTQIA+ Massachusetts native, the opportunity to work at GLAD this summer carried particular significance for me. I first came to understand my queer identity during the historic debates over same-sex marriage in the early 2000s. At that time, I followed GLAD’s tireless efforts to advance bold, creative legal arguments that challenged entrenched social norms. GLAD’s campaigns contributed to cultural shifts that have allowed many queer people like me to live authentically and openly as full members of society. Today, as LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly transgender people, face heightened discrimination and violence, organizations like GLAD continue to play a pivotal role in fighting to maintain and expand the inclusion of queer people. GLAD dives head-on into its creative and challenging advocacy fights and I was honored to roll up my sleeves and contribute to the organization’s critical work.
Through my internship experience, I built meaningful professional relationships with my supervisor and other members of the legal team through weekly check-ins, brown bag lunch learning sessions, and direct collaboration on projects. The mentorship and feedback I received at GLAD helped sharpen my legal skills and broadened my understanding of the different types of work lawyers do at a civil rights organization. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to assist multiple attorneys at GLAD on both policy and litigation projects. From day one on the job, I conducted extensive legal research based on the needs of the legal team. I also helped draft materials throughout the summer including legal memoranda, motions, internal fact sheets, and know your rights resources designed for public audiences. The feedback I received on these documents was invaluable and has helped me become a better legal thinker and writer.
Throughout my internship, I worked directly on projects that supported GLAD’s litigation and policy initiatives designed to combat ongoing discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people. At their core, many of these efforts focused on defending the rights of individuals to fully participate in their communities and exist safely and authentically in the workplace, in the classroom, or on the playing field. Promotion of LGBTQIA+ inclusion and the rooting-out harmful discrimination and marginalization lies at the heart of preserving the health and vitality of our democracy. Learning the stories of our clients, I felt driven to put forth my best work and grew deeply connected to GLAD’s mission beyond my own personal interests. I am humbled to have had this opportunity to make a small contribution at this organization that is fighting some of the most significant and high-stakes civil rights battles of our time.
I am incredibly grateful have received the Clough Public Service Fellowship to help fund my internship at GLAD this summer. Your generous support allowed me to pursue an opportunity related to my public interest career goals and expand my legal skills and network. Thank you for your continued support!
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