Summer in Jackson

 

by Weston T. Graham (Class of 2008)

 

For the summer between my 2nd and 3rd years of law school, I accepted an internship position with the Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney's

 Office in Jackson, Wyoming.  The Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney is Mr. Stephen Weichman.  He hired me directly, and I took the offer contingent on one thing... namely, whether I could find a place to live!  Finding a reasonable, affordable place to live in Jackson, especially during the summer months, can be virtually impossible.  Well, as luck would have it, I stumbled upon a great place on the south end of town just a few weeks before I finished up my classes for the spring semester.  I ended up renting a room in a house, with my own bathroom, and a shared kitchen and common area with one other person.  My roommate for the summer was a German citizen and Jackson local named Monika Fourre.  Monika has lived in Jackson for the past 15 years, and works seasonally as the supervisor for the kitchen staff at either the Four Seasons or one of Jackson’s premiere private golf courses.  In describing her, Monika is one of those people that brings a smile to your face.  She has a wonderful personality, she genuinely cares about others, and she truly loves living life.  She is a good friend that I will miss. 

 

I began work at the Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney's Office on May 21, 2007.  On my first day, Mr. Weichman (Steve) asked me what I wanted to get out of my summer internship.  I told him that I accepted this job, and turned down the others, because I wanted to get as much in-court experience as I possibly could, and that this opportunity in his office offered me the greatest potential for that.  In my first two years of law school, I had already done several internships/externships where primarily my duties included legal research and writing, and that now because I was able pursuant to Rule 12 (i.e., the student practice rule), I was ready to step up in front of a judge.  Steve got a big smile on his face, and assured me that courtroom time in a prosecutor’s office shouldn’t be a problem.  And, he was right!  For the next three months, I was in court everyday, in both Teton County Circuit and District Courts, before Judge Timothy Day and Judge Nancy Guthrie, respectively.  I appeared as counsel for the State in numerous Motion Hearings, Emergency Detention Hearings, Involuntary Hospitalizations, Arraignments, Sentencing Hearings, Change of Plea Hearings, Status Review Hearings, Bond Hearings, Bench Trials, and a Jury Trial.  I appeared on behalf of County and Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Weichman, and Deputy County and Prosecuting Attorneys Brian Hultman, Clark Allan, Melissa Owens, Keith Gingery, Nicole Krieger, and Jim Radda.  Unquestionably, these people are a very talented and well-balanced group of attorneys, with a wealth of professionalism and expertise in their particular fields.  They were an extraordinary group of people to work with for the summer, day in and day out, and the knowledge and experience I gained from them is second-to-none.

Jackson is a very beautiful part of Wyoming… around every corner is picturesque scenery and wildlife.  In my spare time, and on almost every weekend, I went biking, hiking, camping, sightseeing, fly fishing, playing golf, out to eat, shopping, dancing, or white water rafting.  There was always something new to do, someone new to meet, or somewhere new to go… and I did as much as I could in the short time I had.  Having lived my entire life in Wyoming, and being a Wyoming native, I’m glad I spent my last in-school summer in a place in Wyoming where I hadn’t spent much time before.  My summer was absolutely a blast, one of the best times I’ve ever had, and I was sad to see it come to an end (and to have to come back to law school).  Wherever I go from here, or whatever I do, I’ll always remember my “Summer in Jackson”.