Sayre Potter was DGW Law’s 2021 intern for our Indigenous Student Internship program. After a summer in Victoria, Sayre shares some of his experience below.
As I began my first day at DGW, in the middle of the third wave of COVID-19 infections, there was a sense of lingering uncertainty in the air. While nerves and uncertainty are expected when joining a new workplace, these nerves were compounded in the context of a global pandemic. A thousand questions crossed my mind. How will I manage to connect with my colleagues in a remote environment? Who will I be able to turn to if I need help? Am I going to have to navigate the summer on my own?
Any uncertainty that I had previously felt disappeared as soon as I arrived at the office. From the moment I walked through these doors, I was hit with an instant sense of collegiality. Despite being one of the few people in the office, I was instantly made to feel supported. During my first week, I was surprised by the warm welcomes I received. Whether it was through an email, through a virtual coffee chat, or an offer to grab a coffee and take a physically-distanced walk, each member of the DGW team took the time to make sure I knew I was part of the team. After over a year of doing my law school courses from my living room with next-to-no social interaction, it was refreshing to know that I was not just simply another square on a screen.
The passion at DGW is contagious. Each member of the team has their own interests and expertise, bringing that expertise together to work hard for Indigenous communities. It was inspiring to watch the team use its collective knowledge to achieve a common goal. It is apparent that DGW genuinely cares about Indigenous communities and everyone works tirelessly and passionately to find solutions to complex issues. This passion carried over to my own work, driving me to bring my own passion and perspectives to the table.
While at DGW, I had the opportunity to work on interesting and challenging files. I was given the liberty to complete my tasks how I saw fit, with the support of the team to answer any questions that would arise along the way. This allowed me to be creative in the work I did. Whether it was utilizing my passion for languages to find pieces to a puzzle buried within texts written in German and Dutch, spending an afternoon at the archives, or doing work related to my own community, each day allowed me to bring myself into the work I did. Every new day brought new possibilities and new challenges. I looked forward to going to work every single day to see what new challenge awaited me.
The level of mentorship and support that I received at DGW was phenomenal and it was a highlight of my summer. The team at DGW genuinely cares about their students. They want to see you succeed and they will go out of their way to see to that success. Aside from learning more about the practice of Aboriginal law more generally, I was given mentorship in so much more, including research and writing tips, mental health considerations in the practice of law, and tips for starting my legal career as an Indigenous person. DGW helped to prepare me to become an effective advocate and I will always remember the important advice I received during my summer at the firm.
Any student hoping to soak up as much knowledge as possible during a summer term would be hard pressed to find a better environment than DGW. I am truly grateful to have been selected as DGW’s second Indigenous Student Intern. The fact that I had a remarkable experience, despite the challenges of the pandemic, is a true testament to how great the team at DGW is. If you are an Indigenous student and you are looking to learn and grow as a jurist, I strongly encourage you to apply to DGW. If you are fortunate enough to be welcomed on board like I was, it will be one of the best decisions you could make for yourself.
To learn more about DGW Law’s Indigenous Student Summer Internship opportunity or to apply, click here.