Judges Help to Mold the Careers of Summer Interns in Putnam County

Putnam County Judge James Rooney meets with four summer interns inside a court room at the new Putnam County Courthouse last week. The quartet includes (l-r) Carolyn DeSiena of White Plains, John Bryon of New Fairfield, Andrew Babnik of Putnam Valley, and George Cornell of Mahopac. Photo by Eric Gross The practice of law covers a wide spectrum.

Four young area residents are spending a portion of their summer interning at the Putnam County Courthouse under the supervision of Judges James Rooney and Andrew O'Rourke.

The internship program has resulted in many success stories over the past nine years, where former interns have become partners in prominent Wall Street law firms, while others decided to enter government practice, and several young lawyers are now practicing law privately.

Judge Rooney described the internship initiative as a "blip along the radar screen in the young attorney's legal education. Nevertheless, my colleagues and I are thrilled to have been a part of their education and training, and like to think a career path was molded right here in Putnam County."

Judge Rooney's 2009 summer interns are George Cornell, 25, of Mahopac, and John Bryon, 23, a former Putnam resident now living over the Patterson border in New Fairfield, CT. Carolyn DeSiena, 23, a Yorktown High School graduate, and Andrew Babnik, 23, of Putnam Valley, are serving with Judge O'Rourke.

Cornell graduated from Mahopac High School and Cornell University, and is now attending Boston University Law School. He admitted being unsure what field of law he hopes to specialize in, but he called the Putnam court system a "real eye opener. Lawyers see the courtroom a lot more than they would in larger jurisdictions. Putnam is a small, tight-knit community that allows an attorney to interact with his clients on a regular basis. While a large law firm has it perks, most attorneys never see the inside of a courtroom. It is a different way of life. If you are interested in the law and enjoy its practice rather than being a behind-thescenes attorney in a big law firm, Putnam is an ideal place."

DeSiena, a graduate of Loyola College in Maryland, is currently attending Pace Law School. The young woman chose Putnam County for her internship because, "I wanted a place where I could get the most diversity. Judge O'Rourke and Judge Rooney are both 'multi-hat' judges. They are highly professional veterans who handle a myriad of cases each week, ranging from matrimonials to product liability, and even criminal cases. The integration between judges and clerks has made the experience exceptional." DeSiena said the interns feel as though "we are part of the team."

Babnik graduated from Putnam Valley High School and SUNY Albany before enrolling at the University of Miami Law School.

The young man learned from his professors in the Sunshine State that the best internship is to be associated with a judge. "My mentors have been 100 percent correct because I have gotten to experience a wide range of judicial matters in a relatively short amount of time. The judges have pointed out the good as well as the poor attributes of attorneys—what's proper and what's really not!"

Bryon, a graduate of New Fairfield High School and Penn State University, is currently attending law school at Pace. Bryon is unsure which area of law he intends to specialize in. "Being in a court of law with a multi-hat judge has given me an opportunity to view a wide variety of cases. Law school is theoretical. Students learn about subject matter, but rarely see them in practice until they come to court."

Judge Rooney, Putnam's former Chief Assistant District Attorney, reminded the interns that legal education never ends: "Once a judge or litigator believes his or her education is complete and all the answers are known— that's a dangerous place to be. Legal education continues for life, because a day doesn't pass when a judge learns something new. The law is a continuing educational process. I'm sure as the interns go on they will find this hypothesis true. The practice of law is a wide spectrum. These young people will succeed when they find what's right for them!"