Olivia Dedman, a rising senior majoring in public relations with a minor in legal studies in the Klein College of Media and Communication, took her interest in law and love for public relations to pave her way in an internship with the Lehigh Valley District Attorney’s Office this summer.
Even though the office did not have a PR-focused internship, Dedman asked if she could shadow their public information officer and help with any jobs they may need. Demonstrating her interest in the office helped her get her foot in the door, and her hands-on internship has grown into her finding a true passion.
While shadowing the public information officer, Dedman has taken on unique experiences like learning how officers are trained to use firearms, partaking in a mock hostage negotiation, sitting in on courtroom proceedings and observing jury selections. These experiences ground her knowledge in legal practices and, in turn, inform her work of conveying information accurately to the public.
“I’m really glad that I am prepared for those situations, and I would know what would be going on in that kind of situation,” she shared.
In addition to shadowing the public information officer, Dedman partakes in hands-on responsibilities that use skills from her courses at Klein, like writing press releases, researching news stories about the office’s cases, creating a new brochure for the internship program, updating the office’s website and social media and sitting in on community outreach meetings.
“When I love the topic I’m writing about, I love my job,” she said. “The best part of my job is having a job where it doesn’t feel like I’m working.”
While writing press releases on legal topics has been a new experience for her, she has taken it on with responsibility. In the legal field, appropriate verbiage is essential to ensuring information is conveyed properly.
“The most challenging part was learning how to write in a way that I’ve never written before,” she said.
However, Dedman’s experience shows how challenging efforts can be rewarding, and diving into hands-on experiences can make learning fruitful and exciting. She shares her excitement about her role with a smile.
“I am the person who is getting information out to the public,” she said. “I like that we can be the voice to help people understand what’s going on in their community.”
Steve Ryan, assistant professor in Public Relations, encourages students to follow Olivia’s example and leverage their networks to break into industries that interest them.
“Every type of organization needs the skills and knowledge we teach,” he said. “The opportunities are virtually endless. Whether you’re interested in agency work, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality, government, sports or—as in Olivia’s case—law, I encourage you to explore those interests. Don’t see an advertisement? Ask someone in the field. Use your network. You never know what kind of experience you can unlock.”