by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

Editor’s note: Our “Expert Opinion” series offers thoughts, insights, and career advice from public interest lawyers, law students, and others who work for the public good.  This edition’s Expert is Adriana Dinis, a staff attorney with Gulfcoast Legal Service’s CHILD program. Dinis was a featured speaker at the 2013 Annual NALP Conference, and her journey to advocating for the rights of immigrant children was incredibly inspiring. On to the interview…

Can you give us a brief outline of how you got to the job you’re in today?

While I was an undergrad student at the University of Florida I did an internship at the local Juvenile Detention Center, ran by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. During that internship I learned how “lost” some of the children seemed while going through the DJJ system and this was worsened if they were also involved in the foster care system. After that internship I knew I wanted a job working with children. I decided to volunteer as a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) while I was in law school, where I was able to advocate in court for what was in the child’s best interest. I have always been interested in immigration law due to my family’s history. I arrived to the U.S. right before entering the 3^rd grade and going through the immigration system was not an easy process for my family. When I saw the job I currently have with Gulfcoast Legal Services where I could advocate on behalf of children during their immigration cases, it was the perfect fit. That was almost 5 years ago and every day I am thankful that I was able to find the job that I currently have.

Was this position what you originally planned on doing, or was your career trajectory part of an evolving process?

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I decided to go to law school. I knew that in order to actually figure out what I liked I had to do it so my #1 priority once I finished the prerequisites in law school was to begin taking internships and volunteering. Since I knew I wanted to work with children I decided to visit Hoyer Law Firm and tried to focus my internships to that area of the law. I volunteered with the Guardian Ad Litem Office and I interned with the Attorney General’s Office, Children’s Legal Services Division. I also did the Civil Poverty Clinic with Gulfcoast Legal Services. When the job I currently have with Gulfcoast Legal Services was posted while I was studying for the bar, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do.

How did your contacts with previous employers, professors, and colleagues influence your job search, if any?

Since I had interned with Gulfcoast Legal Services before I was a familiar face to the organization when I applied for the job. Also, during the time I applied for the job they were looking for someone with experience with the foster care system, something I had thanks to my internship with the Attorney General’s Office, Children’s Legal Services Division and my volunteering with the Guardian Ad Litem process.

Would you change your preparation for this position in any way if you had the chance?

No. I believe all the experience I received during law school and undergrad lead me to where I am today. It is only by trying out new things that you come to realize what you want to do.

A very real concern for many law students hesitant to pursue public interest jobs is how to pay off student loans. How have you utilized repayment plans or other programs to balance paying student debt, if any, with living expenses?

The Florida Bar Foundation offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program for attorneys in their programs. I also took advantage and consolidated my loans through the Direct Loan program and I hope to have the balance forgiven after working at Gulfcoast Legal Services for 10 years.

What advice would you offer to law students seeking a position in the public interest arena?

Start early in making connections. Whether it’s through bar associations, volunteering, working or internships every relationship you make is invaluable while looking for a job and also for once you’re actually practicing. I would recommend doing as many internships in areas you may be interested in to determine if it is truly something you wouldn’t mind doing every day. Being an attorney is frustrating many times and the last thing you want is to be stuck practicing something you do not like.