Kraig A. Smikel

My experience at the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Idaho was an unforgettable experience. My experience not only motivated me as a law student, but also gave me direction in my career. Within the first few weeks I found my work at the office transitioning to the classroom. It was great to receive practical experience on issues that you normally cover in classes such as criminal law, criminal procedure, and civil procedure. The practical experience reaffirmed the idea that we are actually learning something in law school, and motivated me to continue to work hard. Further, my externship gave me direction in my career path. Prior to externing at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, I was not sure on whether I wanted to pursue criminal prosecution or defense. After my externship I not only decided that I am going to pursue a career in criminal prosecution, but that my career goal will be to eventually become an Assistant U.S. Attorney. In part, this is because of the atmosphere at the District of Idaho Boise office. Everyone in the office is personable and professional. They create an atmosphere that is fun and easy to work in. This experience helped me realize that this is somewhere I could see myself working in and would like the opportunity to one day.

Furthermore, the types of cases I worked on were top-notch. I had the opportunity to work on many different areas within criminal law. For example, I worked cases concerning asset forfeiture, RICO violations, drug conspiracies, and child exploitation. Also, I worked on a case concerning a former mobster that was hiding in rural Idaho. The case experience I received were assignments that I am sure I will not forget and greatly contributed to my excellent experience at the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Idaho. For the reasons set forth, I would highly recommend that anyone interested in pursuing a career in criminal law should seek at externship at this office.

Kraig A. Smikel

J.D. Candidate, 2016

Concordia University School of Law