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I would like to begin by saying thank you to the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation for the Goodman Family Internships Award that allowed me to have this wonderful internship opportunity.

I am a U2 undergraduate student at 51吃瓜网 currently completing a Joint Honours in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist and Social Justice Studies (GSFS) with a Minor in French. I am interested in the intersection of politics, law and social justice, and I am passionate about how perspectives on race, gender and sexuality have concrete impacts on health policy and outcomes. Thanks to the Goodman Family Internships Award, I was able to gain valuable experience on these avenues as a Research and Communications intern with the HIV Legal Network this summer.

I chose to intern with the HIV Legal Network because I was drawn to its mission of promoting the human rights and dignity of individuals living with HIV. Having learned about the factors that contribute to the stigma and criminalization of people living with HIV in my GSFS courses, I was eager to gain experience with an organization working to directly counter these negative social and health outcomes. With its use of strategic litigation and community advocacy, the Legal Network ideally straddles both law and social justice, two fields I am interested in pursuing in the future. As such, it was both the Legal Network鈥檚 advocacy issues鈥攚omen鈥檚 rights, prison rights, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, immigration, drug policy and more鈥攁nd its advocacy methods that drew me to the organization.

As a Research and communications intern, I contributed to a diverse range of projects. First, I conducted research on Mark Carney鈥檚 new Cabinet, producing a 30-page briefing document summarizing the political platforms of Ministers relevant to the Legal Network. This document was shared with the entire team of lawyers and policy analysts for their assistance. Next, I worked with a Policy Analyst and the Communications Officer to create proposals for advocacy videos related to existing Legal Network reports on drug policy, shelter rights, and immigration detention in Canada. I also wrote several drafts for the Legal Network, including an issue of the 鈥淟egal Network News鈥� about drug policy in Ontario, a press release about the G7 following the summit in Alberta, a fact sheet about immigration and HIV in Canada, and a policy brief on Canadian investments in global health.

Moreover, I assisted the organization in expanding their outreach via social media. I created Instagram graphics and reels related to the Legal Network鈥檚 new reports, podcast episodes and litigation victories, and took over all social media accounts for the organization when the Communications Officer was on leave. I also brainstormed communication strategies to campaign against the newly introduced Bill C-2, or the Strong Borders Act. Finally, in the last two weeks of my internship, I worked on two substantive projects: an op-ed about systemic failures in Canada鈥檚 prisons and a podcast docuseries discussing how the excessive demand regime in Canada鈥檚 immigration system poses serious concerns for human rights. Overall, I am grateful to have been able to contribute to and learn from such a wide variety of projects.

Throughout my internship, I was fortunate to make strong connections with like-minded individuals who were passionate about health and human rights. One of the highlights of my time at the Legal Network was a staff social event, a rare opportunity for me to meet in person with the mostly virtual team. I got to speak at length with different lawyers and policy analysts about their respective journeys to the Legal Network, and I gained helpful career and academic insight from these conversations.

I also faced challenges during my internship. For instance, I had to quickly learn how to execute certain tasks under a strict time crunch and had to adapt to the pace of work that was expected of me by my team. In these situations, I had to learn to forgo perfection and prioritize completion. However, with an academic background in Political Science and Gender Studies, I was often able to utilize my prior knowledge and skillset to help me in times of uncertainty and quick deadlines.

This internship has had a profound impact on my future career aspirations. Having interned with the Legal Network, I can absolutely envision myself working at a legal non-profit in the future and am keen on seeking further opportunities in health and human rights. Because of the Goodman Family, I was able to wholly concentrate on my internship while knowing that I had the means to support my student costs of living. Thank you very much to he Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation for making this experience possible.

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