With visit, British interns gain insight in death cases

The death penalty is banned in England and most other European countries, so British lawyers-in-training must come across the "pond” if they want to learn about capital punishment laws first-hand.

That's why three British law students volunteered to assist with death penalty cases this summer at the Oklahoma County public defender's office.

Laura Sams, 24, of Hockley, England, saved for nine months before coming to Oklahoma City in April.

"I wanted to go somewhere that I could really live, rather than just visit, and from everything I'd heard, it sounded quite nice in Oklahoma,” Sams said.

The British interns came to Oklahoma City through an international program called Amicus, which sends 20 to 25 law students to the United States every year to learn about capital punishment.

The Oklahoma County public defender's office has hosted Amicus interns for more than 10 years, including five interns already this year, said Chuck Loughlin, an investigator for the public defender's office, who supervises the interns' work.

"We've actually used them a little bit more than we have before,” Loughlin said. "They help us do investigations on capital cases and conduct interviews.”

To prepare for her trip, Charlotte Wright said she researched Oklahoma on Wikipedia.com and viewed a YouTube video of Hugh Jackman's theatrical performance in "Oklahoma!” the musical.

"It was a bit of an unknown quantity,” said Wright, 25, of Syleham, England. "I didn't really know what to expect ... but everyone's been so kind and generous.”

Charlotte Baldrey-Chourio, 25, of Surrey, England, is still adjusting, having arrived only two weeks ago. But she hit the ground running with legal assignments at the public defender's office.

"You've sort of got to keep an open mind with these things,” Baldrey-Chourio said. "I've traveled a bit, but this is special and I do like it.”

By working at the public defender's office, the three women hope to gain a competitive edge in England's legal system, where job opportunities are tight for new lawyers.

Every day, the British interns have chances to visit their clients at the county jail, interview and subpoena witnesses, walk through crime scenes or observe death penalty cases in the courtroom.

"That was really good to see how the system worked and how court trials are done out here,” Sams said. "It's making me much more disciplined in my work, and I think a lot more about how to go about preparing for a case.”

Wright said she's found personal growth by working with clients and their families.

"I couldn't believe how involved I got,” Wright said. "I cared so much about what the outcome was going to be — and when it was a bad outcome, it was really devastating.”

Sams said she's even looking forward to a common interview question: "How do you deal under stress?”

"I can say, ‘Well, I've worked on death penalty cases, and I've sat with a guy who's facing the death penalty, so I think I could do all right,'” she said.