Junior Romero, a 2L law student with a passion for administrative law, regulatory policy, and property law, discusses his diverse experiences—from interning in the Southern District of New York to managing political campaigns. He shares insights on how these roles have shaped his legal career aspirations and commitment to community service.
Can you describe your experience working at The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program? What were your primary responsibilities?
As a law school division intern with The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program, I was exposed to mentorship and learning opportunities that will undoubtedly help ease my path into the legal profession. The program offered workshops on how to be a successful intern within a judge's chambers, workshops on legal writing and research, and even seminars on time management and self-care. In addition to learning from the judge the program matched me with for the summer internship in their chambers, we also had the opportunity to meet and learn from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, as well as Circuit Judge Denny Chin. Additionally, the program hosted a pre-OCI event where interns had the opportunity to practice their interview skills and meet with multiple NYC-area law firms.
As an intern within Judge Wang's chambers, I helped draft an opinion inquest into damages, researched memos on complex legal issues, and assisted in determining a pro se plaintiff's claims. I also took notes on judicial proceedings like settlement and status conferences. I was glad to be placed with a judge who was always eager to answer intern questions and offer us advice. Being placed in the Southern District of New York was also an incredibly rewarding experience, as district and magistrate judges would rotate and meet with interns for lunch to discuss their paths to the bench.
How did your role as a Judicial Intern for The Honorable Ona T. Wang influence your career goals in law?
We always hear about good and bad lawyering in law school, but you get to see it up close as an intern in a judge's chambers. Lawyers will often have the same judge presiding over their client's matters. As such, it is incredibly important to always be prepared when heading to court, not only to be the best advocate for your client, but to also remain in good standing with a judge you will likely see again. Heading into my internship with Judge Wang, I had sworn off being a litigator. But after a summer seeing how well-written briefs and courtroom advocacy, as well as pre-courtroom negotiations, can help resolve complex problems and make clients whole again, I am now leaning towards litigation.
What motivated you to pursue a Juris Doctor at Seton Hall University School of Law?
I am the eldest child of immigrants who were formerly undocumented. I have seen firsthand how laws can have life-altering consequences and be inequitably enforced. I hope to contribute to the legal profession in a way that helps improve the lives of our most impacted communities. After a career mostly working in lobbying and local government, obtaining a Juris Doctor at Seton Hall Law was a natural next step towards accomplishing this goal.
As an incoming Associate Editor for the Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, what topics are you most interested in exploring?
I am still tossing around ideas for my comment, but I am very interested in exploring issues related to water, such as interstate water compacts or conflicts between water conservation, mineral, and mining rights.
Can you elaborate on your involvement with the Latin American Law Students Association and your role as the Hispanic National Bar Association representative?
LALSA, like other affinity organizations at Seton Hall Law, provides invaluable mentorship and networking opportunities. I am just starting out in my role as the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) representative for LALSA, but I will be one of the students representing Seton Hall Law at the HNBA national convention this year. As a first-generation law student and college student, LALSA provided a community for others like me from the first day of law school, in what can be an intimidating new experience. This is incredibly important because Hispanics already face considerable hurdles in getting to law school in the first place and are largely underrepresented among lawyers in the U.S.
How did your Master's in Public Policy from Northeastern University complement your legal studies and career aspirations?
My Master's program was incredibly writing-intensive, which was great preparation for law school, even though legal writing and writing a research paper are distinct. It also taught me how to better approach policy issues through an analytical lens, using both quantitative and qualitative data. This approach to problem-solving also served as preparation for the legal questions we answer in law school. By obtaining a law degree, and with my Master's in Public Policy in my back pocket, I will be able to both anticipate the potential impacts of a policy issue and assess whether the policy is legally sound.
What were some of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your role as a Community Services Specialist for Commissioner William McCurdy II?
Being in a small office, I wore multiple hats and took on a lot of responsibilities. I really enjoyed meeting with constituents every day and working to resolve any problems that local government had the power to affect. If our office could not directly resolve a constituent's issue, it was very likely we could connect the constituent to a government department or other agency that could. This was also the most challenging aspect of my role. Often, members of the community would come to us with very personal and stressful issues. This role required me to be patient, an active listener, and empathetic.
Can you discuss a memorable experience or achievement during your time as a Field Director for the Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus?
Political campaigns can be very high stress and high stakes. Here, I was tasked with managing the voter contact operation for multiple state legislative candidates in Nevada during the 2020 election cycle. While I had served on multiple political campaigns before, this experience was incredibly unique in that we had to reinvent our playbook due to the emergence of COVID-19. This meant testing out new voter contact tools, connecting with volunteers, allies, and voters in new and engaging ways, and constantly revising our messaging in a continuously changing landscape. By the end of my role, I had helped elect a new member to the Nevada state legislature and re-elect the state senate majority leader in hotly contested races.
In your role as an Organizer for Food & Water Watch, how did you approach building and managing coalitions around environmental policy goals?
I had never lived in New Jersey or even visited the East Coast when I took on this role as a community organizer with an environmental non-profit in the Garden State. Here, I put my political campaign experience to use to lobby local, state, and federal elected officials to adopt environmentally advantageous policies. To do so, I helped form and manage localized and statewide coalitions of diverse groups that included labor unions, faith organizations, community groups, and other environmental organizations. Here, I learned about the importance of identifying shared goals, managing expectations, and working with people with varying communication styles.
With your diverse background in public policy, community service, and law, what area of law are you most passionate about and why?
I am very interested in administrative law, regulatory policy, and property law. However, notwithstanding my prior work experience in government and environmental non-profits, I came to law school with an open mind about the area(s) I might practice in. As I consider where I will spend my 2L summer, I continue to maintain this open mind.
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