From the classroom to the Attorney General's Office

Brandeis Stories

From the classroom to the Attorney General's Office

By Eliza Boetsch
August 18, 2026

Emmah Faris-Howes, a rising senior at Brandeis and member of the Myra Kraft Achievers Program, has known for years that she wanted to pursue a career in law. This summer, an internship at the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office is helping her discover the many ways that goal can take shape.

A politics major and legal studies minor with pre-law advising, Faris-Howes has used her time at Brandeis to better understand the kind of legal career she hopes to pursue.

What began as a spring internship in the office's Human Resources division has grown into an eight-month experience after her supervisor encouraged her to stay on through the summer. Initially hired as an HR Training Intern working two days a week, Faris-Howes transitioned to a full-time role with expanded responsibilities across attorney training, onboarding and professional development.

"I was actually applying to a different division," she says. "But my supervisor really wanted me to stay, so she created a special project for me which meant a lot. She has made me feel like a vital part of the team, which has been amazing for my professional growth and confidence."

Despite working in human resources rather than a legal division, Faris-Howes quickly realized she had landed in exactly the right place.

"I thought I was going to be doing filing and paperwork," she says. "Instead, I get to interact with attorneys from so many different divisions, judges and legal professionals from across the state. It's given me exposure to parts of the legal system I never would have seen otherwise."

Her work centers on coordinating trainings for attorneys and staff across the office, organizing continuing legal education sessions and swearing-in ceremonies and facilitating sessions on subjects she hopes to study in law school. The role has also taken her behind the scenes, from a tour of the Massachusetts State Police Digital Evidence Lab to a recent visit to the Massachusetts Superior Judicial Court, where she spoke with a justice about her career.

"The attorneys are getting refreshers on things they learned in law school, and I'm sitting there listening and learning these concepts typically for the first time," she says. "It's like getting a preview of what I'll be studying one day."

The internship complements an earlier experience Faris-Howes had in the office of U.S. Senator Ed Markey (MA), where she worked on constituent services and public policy. Together, the two roles have given her a broader understanding of public service from both the legislative and administrative sides.

Faris-Howes credits Brandeis with giving her the confidence to pursue internships that deepen her understanding of the legal field. That confidence showed up directly in a legal studies internship seminar, which required her to interview an attorney at the Attorney General's Office about federal accountability and civil rights.

"I was able to engage at such an advanced level because of what I'd learned at Brandeis," she says. "It's gratifying to realize you're using what you've learned in class in conversations with practicing attorneys."

She also credits a first-year seminar on critical race theory, taught by Professor Casey Andrews, with helping solidify her interest in civil rights law. Building on research she first began in high school with the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Faris-Howes explored criminal justice reform through both a research paper and a public-facing website. Her academic interests have also led her to pursue legal scholarship, including a published article in the Brandeis Law Journal. Together, these experiences have helped shape the career she now hopes to pursue.

"I was able to engage at such an advanced level because of what I'd learned at Brandeis. It's gratifying to realize you're using what you've learned in class in conversations with practicing attorneys."

Emmah Faris-Howes

While the legal experience has been invaluable, Faris-Howes says one of the internship's greatest lessons has come from the people around her. Working on a close-knit team, she has found mentors who trust her with meaningful responsibilities and encourage her professional growth.

"My boss, Taelor Russell Milius, has been incredible," she says. "She makes time for me to sit in on trials, connect with attorneys in other divisions and explore whatever interests me. She is my biggest professional advocate at the Attorney General's Office."

Looking ahead to her senior year at Brandeis, Faris-Howes feels more certain than ever about the future she hopes to build.

"The biggest thing this internship has given me is the ability to picture myself doing this work," she says. "Before Brandeis, becoming a lawyer felt like a distant goal. Now I'm meeting the people who do it every day, learning from them and realizing that one day, I'll be there too."