Today’s interview is with Laura Schwarz, a foreign law intern working with Foreign Law Specialist Jenny Gesley in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background.
I am originally from Bochum, a city in the center of the Ruhr region in western Germany, where I grew up with two younger siblings. As a famous German musician sings, “Bochum is not a beauty,” but the warm and direct people make up for it. In school, I had a great enthusiasm for writing and languages. I finished high school with a dual qualification, Abitur/ Baccalauréat, meaning a German and a French degree.
What is your academic/professional history?
In 2014, I started studying law at the University of Cologne, Germany. To put the skills I had learned in school to good use and because I wanted to go abroad, I took the DFM German-French Law Program, a multi-degree program that results in participants obtaining three different degrees after studying German, French, and European Law in Cologne and Paris, France.
Back in Cologne, I took the first German state exam and started a two-year traineeship program, which is necessary to qualify as a lawyer in Germany. During this time, I had the opportunity to work in court, at the public prosecutor’s office, in a law firm, and at the German Federal Foreign Office.
How would you describe your job to other people?
As a foreign law intern in the Global Legal Research Directorate, I assist my supervisor, Jenny Gesley, with providing high-level expertise on the law of German-speaking jurisdictions and the European Union in response to requests from Congress, executive agencies, courts, and the general public submitted to the Law Library. I also write updates for the Global Legal Monitor and blog posts about recent, interesting topics for In Custodia Legis. I enjoy the variety of my work as no two assignments are alike and there is no such thing as a daily routine.
Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?
I have always been interested in legal research, but it was only through the German-American Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch-amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung e.V., DAJV) that I learned about the opportunity to intern at the Law Library of Congress, and I was immediately excited. It is the largest law library in the world and a leading legal research institution at the intersection of policy and research. It is also a great opportunity to meet experts who have first-hand knowledge of different legal systems.
What is the most interesting fact you have learned about the Law Library of Congress?
I am fascinated by the library’s many buildings, which are connected by a system of tunnels. Nowadays the tunnels are mainly used as pedestrian walkways and there are even cafes down there, but I learned that the tunnels were used as an elaborate system for delivering books in the past.
What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?
I like to relax with handicrafts, whether it be crocheting, knitting, or sewing. I am always trying new techniques and challenging myself. My friends and family enjoy my many homemade gifts, and I am always happy to see the finished product made with my own hands.
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