Participating in Shurat HaDin’s winter internship was a valuable and rewarding experience. I gained substantive legal experience working on cases that are at theforefront of anti-terror law. I learned a lot about Israel’s security concerns and legal issues, and developed a new appreciation for the situation on the ground. Finally, I worked with a group of wonderful fellow interns, and made new friends from across the U.S. and the world. During my five weeks with Shurat HaDin I completed a number of legal projects. I researched and wrote memos on a variety of interesting questions, including which parent has a superior right to bring a case on behalf of a deceased child’s estate, and whether UN officials are individually immune under the International Organizations Immunities Act. I prepared a chart to organize contact information and damages documentation for a case with more than 80 terror-victim plaintiffs, gaining new appreciation in the process for the logistical issues involved in these cases. I researched the status of investigations and trials of ISIS terrorists involved in the Istanbul, Brussels, and Paris terror attacks so that Shurat HaDin attorneys can request information from the local authorities. I also created a uniform intake sheet for new clients. Finally, I fact-checked and provided sources for a New York Times editorial written by Shurat HaDin clients. As part of the internship program we heard from a number of fascinating and informative speakers. We learned about the process of jury selection in a terrorism case, and about the legal arguments both for and against the settlements. Daniel Reisner – who happens to be my international law professor’s former boss – gave a very interesting talk about legal efforts to prosecute Israeli citizens and companies in European courts. Additionally, Shurat HaDin attorneys taught us about the mechanics and complications of lawsuits under the Anti-Terror Act and Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. One of the most valuable parts of the internship, for me, was actually being on the ground in Israel, rather than simply reading about it from thousands of miles away. As part of the program we traveled north to the Golan Heights and visited Kibbutz Misgav Am, on the Lebanese border, and rode ATVs along the Syrian border. The drive from Tel Aviv took us just over two hours. This was a stark difference from my own home in New York, where it takes over six hours to drive to the nearest international border, shared with our friendly ally, Canada. It is one thing to logically know that Israel shares a border with Syria and Lebanon, but quite another to be standing on Israeli soil and see Hezbollah flags or Syrian sniper towers. Our guide along the Syrian border – a former IDF soldier who speaks fluent Arabic – gave us the best explanation of the Syrian civil war that I have ever heard. Importantly, while in Israel I was able to visit a handful of “controversial” sites. For example, we were invited to dinner in Hashmonaim, a settlement. The settlement issue is currently dominating the Israel narrative, at least in international media. I suspect most Americans have no idea what a settlement really is, much less have been to one. Two other interns and I also took a tour to Ramallah and Bethlehem, which included a visit to the Aida Refugee Camp, an extended tour along the security fence, and a return trip through an Israeli checkpoint. It was enlightening to hear our Palestinian tour guide’s perspective on the conflict. Ultimately, I believe that personally visiting these places not only gives me a better understanding of the situation, but also makes me a more effective advocate back in the United States. Finally, I really enjoyed spending a month living and working in Tel Aviv. I loved getting to know the city, figuring out the sherut taxis, and ordering 5 shekel cappuccinos at Cofix. It helped that the weather in Tel Aviv was far more pleasant than Boston in January, despite the rain. Ultimately, I am very glad that I was able to participate in Shurat HaDin’s winter internship. I will be enthusiastically recommending it to my friends at school, and I only wish I could have stayed longer.