Field Work Term Spotlight: Milaan Vasishta
Milaan Vasishta '28 studies Politics and Literature at Bennington. For her summer 2025 Field Work Term, Vasishta is interning at the New York Supreme Court.
How does your Field Work Term relate to your studies at Bennington?
As a politics student hoping to go into law in the future, my internship at the New York State Supreme Court gives me a hands-on learning experience and view of the legal process.
What does a typical day at your FWT site look like?
On a typical in-person day, I have a two-hour commute via train from my house to the court. Then, I am let into chambers around 9:00 am, where I meet with the judge and other members of her chambers to discuss the day.
Working under the judge's principle law clerk, I either attend telephone conferences regarding different ongoing cases in the court or in-person hearings presided over by the judge, if there are any.
Instead of being taught about law independently from the cases, I learn by doing. During the afternoon, I am usually assigned a few different ongoing cases to read through and discuss with the law clerk, who explains different legal terms and rules as we talk through the cases. I am also quizzed on legal reasoning and how it applies to the specific cases we discuss.
As my Field Work Term is hybrid, I also have virtual days. On virtual days, I work from home writing court summaries on different cases for the court, as well as filling out decision and order shells on ongoing motions within the court.
What has surprised you most about your Field Work Term position?
What has surprised me most is that—despite the fact that I am interning in the commercial division of the Supreme Court, which I thought would be fairly dull—it is actually extremely interesting, and the cases and interactions I have been present for have been a lot more dramatic than I thought that commercial law cases would be.
I am also surprised by how much I love this experience, as I am primarily interested in international law, not commercial.
What do you hope to do for your next Field Work Term?
I have been offered the opportunity to come back and do another Field Work Term at the Supreme Court, which I would definitely love to do. However, I would also love to work at a publishing house, as I am also a Literature student, or volunteer internationally.