The firm has had the pleasure of working with legal intern Johanna Stenberg of Finland for the past month. Johanna, who is a third-year law student at Tallinn University in Estonia, originally became acquainted with our state in 2012 when she was an exchange student at Morrilton High School (where she later graduated.) “I knew I wanted to come back to Arkansas,” she said. “And I wanted the chance to experience the practice of law and I was able to do that here.”
Johanna got more than she expected out of her first internship. Although she worked closely in the labor and employment group, she also got to see a different side of the law she hadn’t planned on – pro bono law. She traveled to Clarendon with Attorney Bill Waddell, who donates his time to pro bono cases in the Delta through Arkansas Access to Justice. She sat through two guardianship cases and saw first-hand the crucial role an attorney plays in helping these clients.
When a scheduling conflict forced one of the cases to be transferred to a courthouse an hour away, the clients were essentially stranded. They didn’t own a car and had walked to the courthouse for their hearing.
“The pro bono lawyer’s role in this situation - where the case was moved to another city and the clients did not have transportation - it would not have been possible without the lawyer,” she said. “I don’t know what the result would have been, but I know it would not have been good."
Her experience in the Delta reaffirmed her decision to become a lawyer. “It made me think about why I want to do this and it made it clear for me. Everyone should be treated equally and justice should apply to all," she said. "It reminded me why I wanted to become a lawyer and that this is the right thing to do. It made me feel like I really need to do something (to help the less fortunate),” Johanna said.
Johanna has returned home to Finland where she is in her final year of legal studies. She plans to enter a master’s program after graduation and focus on international business law.
“This gave me the motivation I need to finish my last year,” she said. “It is a lot of learning from the text books, and the opportunity to see the practice of law and how you apply what you learn in school was very important to me.”