The H bomb

Today, the executive director of the Berkman Center told a room full of interns that based on numbers alone -- people applying versus people accepted -- it's harder to get into a Berkman Center internship then it is to get into Harvard Law.

I think he was only halfway joking.

There's a very diverse bunch here, all of them talented, all of them with unique backgrounds that they'll bring to the range of projects at the center. If I hadn't felt honored to be here before (and I did) I certainly would feel that way now.

Opportunities at the Center

Every Tuesday the Center hosts a lunch with different speakers on Internet-related topics, and if the interns rsvp earlier enough they can join those. I was too late this time, but I will certainly try as often as I can to be part of these.

Interns are also encouraged to make contacts with staff, faculty and fellows with their respective interests. In fact, we were all told specifically that this experience would be what we made it. What contacts we made, who we reached out to, that would all be up to us. I think the practice I've had trying to make contacts over the past semester will come in handy as I try to get in touch with anyone I can affiliated with the center.

One comment in particular struck me, coming from the internship director to a few students hovering in the conference room. One Harvard Law student made a saracastic remark that as soon as he told people he was an HLS student, everyone assumed he was stuck up -- a few students jokingly called that "dropping the H bomb."

"Dropping the H bomb doesn't do much at Berkman." said the director, unimpressed.

"Because nearly everyone around here is from Harvard?" I asked.

Well, that's true, but really it's because we know there's so much to offer from all kinds of schools, she said. There's value in having different groups here and plenty of talented people out there outside of HLS.

How refreshingly novel. I can tell you, after working on applications for judicial clerkships, this is definitely not the perspective to which I am accustomed.

The Citizen Media Law Project

I soon met my fellow interns on the project. There are three of us, two Harvard Law students and myself. Because of my background in journalism, I will be working on outreach for the Online Legal Media Network, a network of pro bono attorneys that the project connects with online journalists in need of legal assistance. I'll be trying to get this service more publicity. I really couldn't be happier about the work for which I was selected.

We'll also be writing weekly blog entries about media law issues, updating the legal threats database -- a compilation of litigation and other legal "threats" such as cease and desist letters or advanced threats of prosecution -- and the legal guide, which breaks down state and federal law on a variety of media law topics.

Additionally, I hope to write a white paper while I'm here that could be published on the project's web site. Finally, as part of the Center's ongoing attempt to explain its goals and its internship program, all of us will also create a digital piece that explains what interning at the Berkman Center is like. There are few guidelines for this, so long as it answers some question future applicants might have about the center.

So, if any interested journalists or media law savvy readers out there know of a good topic for either a legal research paper or even just a blog entry, I would be happy to hear it!