Four Internships Help Mya Levis ’26 Reach Georgetown Law
Major/Degree: B.A. in Philosophy
Minor: Fraud Examination
Mentors: Elizabeth Broccoli, Director, Pre-Law Institute (PLI); Michael Brownstein, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Philosophy; Bettina Muenster, Assistant Director, Office for Student Research & Creativity (OSRC); Professor Gabriel Camacho, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology
Programs: PLI; OSRC
Internships: New York State Attorney General, Student Assistant for Investigations; Bronx District Attorney’s Office, Prosecution Clinic Intern; New York City Department of Investigation, Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, Policy Intern; Brennan Center, Justice Intern
Awards: Carol Robles-Román Award for Legal Excellence; Office for Student Research & Creativity Undergraduate Research Scholar
Hometown: Tauranga, New Zealand; Manhattan, NY
Career Aspiration: Prosecutor for the Southern District of New York (SDNY)
Post-graduate Plan: Georgetown Law
What was life like before John Jay?
I grew up in Tauranga, New Zealand, with my mom, dad, and younger sister. I had a very quiet, idyllic upbringing. My family is on the more introverted side. Dad runs his own business, writing software for radio stations, and mom handles the accounting.
In high school, I was part of an Irish dance troupe that traveled to Los Angeles. I’ve always been very extroverted. I love being in large groups and chatting, which is very different from most New Zealanders who can be quite introverted, so being in Los Angeles, where people are super outgoing and talkative, felt like I found my kind of people.
I always wanted to move to a bigger city, so at 18 I moved to Auckland, which is New Zealand’s largest city. I got a job working as a file management support officer for the New Zealand Police at the Auckland Central Police Station. My time there was incredibly formative. In many ways, I became an adult there and learned so much about the criminal justice system. It was there I realized that I wanted to work in the justice field, surrounded by people who want to serve the public and improve the system.
Why John Jay?
John Jay was my dream school. While working for the New Zealand Police, I began to think about what I wanted to do with my life. I knew one of my goals was to move to the United States, so I began researching colleges on both the East and West coasts. I narrowed my search based on the institution’s mission. As someone who wants to work as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, John Jay stood out to me because of its focus on justice and its alumni who work in the legal profession. Knowing that the College’s students and alumni are devoted to public service, promoting justice, and genuinely want to make the world a better place, made John Jay the only choice for me. During COVID, I reached out to the College’s admissions team to learn what the process would be for me as an F-1 student, and they talked me through it. Unfortunately, at the time, there were a few obstacles in the way. Thankfully, a few years later, I was a green card lottery winner. A year after settling in the City, I applied to John Jay. I couldn’t wait to get started.
What sparked your passion for public service and the law?
My work with the New Zealand Police at one of the country’s busiest police stations really got me passionate about public service and the law. In my role, I worked 24-hour shifts at the front counter and attended to everyone who came to the station. I took down statements, wrote police reports, gathered evidence, and initiated some of the investigations.
I loved working one-on-one with the public, so having the opportunity to guide them through any of the processes, whether it was giving a statement, answering questions, or speaking with an officer to fill out a report, was rewarding for me. I also loved the puzzle element of criminal justice work. Figuring out which pieces go where and which law can be applied to the crime was a rewarding challenge.
The experience also enabled me to see how sometimes the system can cause more harm than good. In New Zealand, we were working with laws that, in many ways, were no longer relevant, but if the crime was committed, we had to enforce them. One case that comes to mind was that of a man who was led to believe his first wife was dead, and so he remarried. It turns out that the first wife was very much alive, and he was prosecuted for bigamy. Because that offense is on his criminal record, he was no longer able to land a job that required a background check. It was sad because the law was being very unforgiving and, in this case, created a cycle of poverty. It was in that moment that I decided I wanted to be a prosecutor, who helps create policy that better serves communities.
How did your mentors and PLI help prepare you for law school?
Being a philosophy major, and having a mentor like Dr. Michael Brownstein, prepared me for law school and to succeed on the LSAT. Philosophy is all about critical thinking and figuring out how to lay out and understand an argument—skills essential to a lawyer. I took a course on symbolic logic, which made a big difference for me on the LSAT’s Logic Reasoning section. What you learn in the class is how to basically break down a sentence into its components to understand exactly what it is and is not saying. I truly believe I got a high score on the LSAT because I took the symbolic logic course.
As a pre-law scholar in the PLI program, I was exposed to information about law school and the application process, had access to a free LSAT prep program, and regularly received guidance and support from Elizabeth Broccoli and Jerylle Kemp. During the Pre-Law Scholars program, we held a series of workshops where current law students spoke about their law school journey, from application to enrollment. Being able to hear from them gave me a clearer understanding of what I was getting into and opened my eyes to the different criteria I should consider: the types of courses offered, clinic availability, financial support opportunities, and the school culture.
I also leaned heavily on Ms. Broccoli and Ms. Kemp during the application process. Whenever I needed to talk things out, they were there to listen and offer words of encouragement. I would send Ms. Broccoli drafts of my personal statement to read and review, and she always provided me with constructive feedback that was very helpful. Ms. Kemp, who herself went to Harvard Law School, gave me a wealth of advice on how to handle law school.
What does winning the Carol Robles Róman Award for Legal Excellence mean to you?
It means I’m on the right path and that people believe in me. It’s a wonderful feeling to be named a winner of such a prestigious award. I know there were so many amazing students at John Jay worthy of the honor. The $10,000 award couldn’t have come at a better time, as it is lifting a huge financial weight off my shoulders. Money is very tight right now, and my financial situation was looking a bit dire. I was on the verge of applying for a private loan. Thankfully, I won the award, so I won’t have to take on any private debt. I’m using the award money to pay my remaining tuition, rent, and living expenses.
What did you learn during your many internships?
They all showed me a different view of the justice system. At the Brennan Center, I was working with the justice team on their law enforcement leaders’ program. So, I was able to see what leaders across the country thought about public safety and policy. The goal of the program was to advance training, legislative, and litigation efforts to improve justice around the country. I was part of a small team. My role was to vet new members, making sure they hadn’t made any harmful statements in the past, while ensuring the group remained nonpartisan.
Interning with the Department of Investigation was a really unique experience. I interned at the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD. Because of my previous experience with the New Zealand Police, I thought it would be cool to see another side of law enforcement—one that investigates officers. My favorite part of the role was outlining potential investigations the office could do, whether that was looking into allegations of misconduct, corruption within the department, or systemic issues, and then coming up with recommendations on how to improve the department’s training and practices.
At the Office of the New York State Attorney General, I was a student assistant in investigations and served in this role for two semesters while at John Jay. I feel so grateful to have had that internship because I learned a lot about criminal investigations and government relations. During the internship, I also really expanded my analytical skills. Incredible people surrounded me, most of them NYPD officers, corrections officers, and officers from other agencies, who were willing to share their knowledge and experience with me. I had the opportunity to shadow investigators and saw firsthand how investigations play out, the internal policies in place, and how training can be improved to ensure public safety. I loved being part of this work.
Last semester, I interned with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. It was my first time working in a prosecutor’s office. I was so excited to take that internship on because my goal is to become a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. As an intern, I wrote legal memos, conducted case research, used legal research tools such as LexisNexis and Westlaw, and shadowed attorneys working on cases. Interning with the Bronx DA gave me a glimpse of what my life will look like in a few years and got me excited about my future.
These internships all helped me dive deeper into a world I’m looking forward to working in—reaffirming my love of justice, solving problems, and providing solutions.
Why was Georgetown Law the right place for you?
Georgetown Law was the perfect school for me for several reasons. I wanted a law school known for its alumni network, especially members working at the Southern District of New York—Georgetown Law has many graduates who work here in New York City. I also wanted a law school with impactful clinical courses and experiential learning programs, where, as a law student, I could represent real clients in real legal cases. I was blown away by Georgetown’s clinic offerings, including clinics in defense, health justice, housing, and federal legislation. Aside from that, I was excited about Georgetown’s access to policy creation. As someone who wants to practice law and help shape policy, I know that being at Georgetown Law is the absolute right choice.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I will be working as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. I will be doing interesting and very important litigation in New York City, expanding my professional network, and helping to shape policy across the City. I hope to serve the community and improve people’s lives through my experience as a lawyer and in policy work.
