Why did you decide to participate in the REP-PP?
I have been wanting to do this program since I was a 1L; I am really interested in a career in federal public policy and this program will allow me to work and learn in a field that I am truly passionate about. This program will enable me to gain the skills and knowledge to succeed in this career path after law school. I also met with several lawyers who told me how important it is to get engaged in the city I want to work and live in as soon as possible; this program is especially important because I plan to move to Washington D.C. after law school, and since D.C. is very competitive for lawyers, I wanted to establish myself early.

I am very excited to be working in the city that I plan to move to after law school - Washington D.C. - and to immerse myself in the public policy sector up there. I am excited to finally get to do something that will feel fulfilling to me! I am also very excited for the people I will network with and meet in D.C.

I hope to enhance my communication, negotiation, and leadership skills, and make the connections I need to succeed. I hope to gain first-hand experience of policy and regulatory work, because you can only learn so much in class. I also would like my confidence to match my knowledge, which I know can be done by participating in programs such as these. As a lawyer, this opportunity will be extremely beneficial to me because I plan on practicing law and getting involved in public policy in D.C. This program will allow me to make the connections, gain the necessary experience, and put myself out there in a city that is already highly competitive for lawyers.

I believe that by participating in a program that seeks to improve our skills and experience in something we are passionate about, we are able to strive for excellence and leadership. These experiences will show us the ways in which we can improve ourselves, to allow us to be excellent. Participation in this program means that we represent Texas A&M to others, so we must be our most professional, respectful selves. Moving to a new city, outside of our comfort zone, to work in a field that has the potential to affect many people really embodies the core value of selfless service. This program allows those who participate in it to represent themselves and the institution by being respectful, diligent, and the best that we can be.

What are your personal goals for your semester in the REP-PP?
I want to work diligently in my placement to learn as much as I can about public policy and regulatory law. I really want to continue to improve my communication skills and become more confident in my knowledge and abilities. Experiences through this program will allow my confidence to match my knowledge. It is also a goal of mine to meet with as many professionals as I can, to learn from them, and to establish core connections that will be valuable to me for years.

Ramah’s blog post on the Aggie Core Value of Excellence

Texas A&M University School of Law’s core value of excellence can be exemplified by our behaviors in the workplace. I have found that this value can be demonstrated through the other core values of integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. For example, your excellence may stem from the fact that you show respect and loyalty to others. And from my experience this semester working at the Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy, exemplifying these values, and striving for excellence, will lead to a positive and enriching experience, good professional relationships, and greater professional and personal fulfillment.

I took this externship opportunity in Washington, D.C. because I was not only very interested in working in federal public policy, but I also plan to stay and practice law in D.C. Because of this goal, and because of how competitive D.C. is for the legal profession, excellence is something that I wanted to incorporate in every aspect of my experience. As a result, it has made me into a better future lawyer.

Working during a pandemic, in a virtual externship where human interaction is minimal and requires greater effort to attain, my desire to strive for excellence motivated me to go the extra mile. You really get what you put into this experience, and by being proactive in your communications, your desire for feedback from attorneys, and your questioning in areas which require a little more clarity, then you embody excellence. Excellence is not perfection; it’s optimism, enthusiasm for the work you do, diligence, the ability to admit when you don’t know something, and the strength to go outside of your comfort zone. This is something I learned from my time at the Department of Justice, through my work and the many virtual coffees I had with very experienced attorneys.

It’s also worth noting that “excellence” does not mean you have to have your entire life and career goals planned out. If there is anything that I learned in from my experience in DC, it’s that every single successful attorney I spoke with told me that their career paths never went the way they expected or planned, and that they always took opportunities that sounded interesting. This was very meaningful to me. Excellence is about taking opportunities, even those that you never expected to take, and making the most of them.

I am not perfect, and I do not strive for perfection. But I do strive for excellence; and this has led to me enjoying my externship placement, meeting and solidifying amazing professional relationships that I intend to maintain, and overall, feeling very accomplished in my personal and professional attainment.

Why did you decide to participate in the REP-PP?
This program is the reason why I decided to attend Texas A&M University School of Law. I knew coming into law school that I was going to pursue a policy-oriented career in Washington, D.C. I knew the Residency Externship Program in Public Policy would provide me with the opportunity to get more practical experience in the field before I graduated, and I have counted down the days until I could get back to work.

I am really excited to utilize my legal education and previous political/policy experience in an agency setting. I feel I have a lot more to offer substantively now that I am nearing the end of law school, so it will be fun to be able to continue learn more about the field while contributing at the same time.

I hope to build on my research skills. Additionally, I hope to continue to develop as a law student (soon to be lawyer) to get a better understanding of what being a lawyer in a political/policy-oriented position entails. Finally, I hope to get a better understanding of how large federal agencies operate.

I believe this opportunity will give me the opportunity to continue to utilize my legal education and prior political/policy experience in a real world situation. I will be in a very small office within a large federal agency so I will be able to get great hands-on experience working on substantive assignments. This experience will be crucial in ensuring that I am prepared for a future career in the field.

I believe my participation in the Residency Externship Program exemplifies the Aggie Core Values because simply participating in a public policy role requires you to embody each of the core values. Despite my very small role in a large agency (and an even larger government) I believe each person has the opportunity to make a difference, and it is important that each person in a public policy role faithfully adheres to the values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service.

What are your personal goals for your semester in the REP-PP?
I hope to take advantage of living in Washington, D.C. as much as I can. Covid-19 has definitely complicated things, but I hope to make connections in the field, explore D.C. a little more, and prepare to hopefully make D.C. my home when I graduate.

Justin’s blog post on the Aggie Core Value of Loyalty

At Texas A&M University School of Law, the Aggie Core Values are taught to us on day one. As future Aggie lawyers, we are taught to strive to possess these traits throughout our careers and lives. One of the values is loyalty. Former Executive Vice President of Texas A&M University, Dr. David Prior, once said of the core value of loyalty, “Loyalty and respect for tradition is about a sense of belonging to something greater than yourself. You’re a part of a history of traditions … of a larger community.” Through my time in Washington, D.C. this semester, I have seen what it truly means to belong to something greater than yourself.

This past year has been a trying one for our country. We have gone through a global pandemic and we have seen a mob storm the U.S. Capitol and attack our democracy. We have seen some of the most partisan politics our country has ever faced. Today, a barrier still sits around the U.S.  Capitol, and government buildings remain mostly empty with people still working from home. And with all of this, we saw a new presidential administration installed and the change that accompanies it. However, with all of the problems and changes our country has experienced this year, our nation still stands stronger than ever because of the men and women working in the government who have remained loyal to our country and its stability, ensuring that the needs of the American people are met.

Through the Residency Externship Program in Public Policy, and my externship with the Federal Aviation Administration, I have seen what it means to be a part of something much larger than myself. Every agency and institution has a mission, and the men and women at those agencies and institutions are responsible for furthering that mission. For the FAA, the mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. This mission has stayed true, even amidst the chaos, because of the dedicated men and women of the FAA and their loyalty to our country.

As Aggies, we are the future. One day we will be the people that keep our country operating. For those of us in public policy, we may experience chaos, we may experience partisan gridlock, and we may even find ourselves in situations where our personal interests conflict with the mission of our offices and agencies. Despite all of this, we must always remember that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. A mission on its own is just words, loyalty is what keeps the mission going. And loyalty is what keeps our country standing.