Published:
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The ACLU of Washington has many wonderful interns who assist with our work. We would like you to meet some of them.
As an ACLU-WA intern this fall, Brooke Glass-O’Shea has researched and analyzed a variety of issues, notably Seattle’s Community Police Commission recommendations and a proposal for sobriety checkpoints. A self-described “policy nerd,” Brooke says that very specific legal issues are her favorite to research because she loves the details of the law.
Brooke became an intern with our Policy Advocacy Group because she “wanted to learn about how policy gets made.” Looking into so-called sobriety checkpoints – where the police set up a roadblock and stop everyone who passes – has really brought home the process to her. She has waded through the mountains of research on case law and their effectiveness. While proponents of checkpoints have argued they significantly reduce accidents, a hard look at the data has raised serious questions about these claims and their constitutionality.
With a law degree from USC, Brooke says that a legal background definitely helps policy analysts understand issues and navigate in legislative waters. She envisions having a job doing similar work someday, as it combines her love of data, her legal training, and her desire to improve laws and policy.
For now, though, Brooke is applying to go back to school next fall to get a Masters in Fine Arts in writing. She already takes classes at Richard Hugo House on Capitol Hill and is writing a memoir of the time she spent teaching law in Ethiopia. This will be her fourth college degree. For Brooke, there is always something new to learn and explore. She says that she might settle down to a “real job” someday, but she will always be a student. Brooke plans to continue to travel and study, and she will make pies and play the drums wherever she ends up.
