With no one to sign her FAFSA, LeAnn Campbell’s dream of attending law school was derailed for nearly 15 years.
Now 35, she completed her second year of law school at UF’s Levin College of Law in pursuit of a career in educational law and policy. Her struggle to access higher education motivated her to accept an internship offer with the U.S. Department of Education as the next step in shaping the future of America’s public schools.
But she received an email March 25 notifying her that her upcoming internship with the Department of Education was rescinded, a new interruption on her path to a legal career.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20 to close the Department of Education and return power over schools to the states and families, though Article I of the Constitution requires congressional approval to dissolve it. A 1979 law created the department, so it can only disband if another law is passed to repeal it.
Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency’s mass layoffs and budget cuts across the federal government have impacted hundreds of federal workers across institutions like the Department of Education. They also reached students like Campbell who want a career in government and the law.
She was supposed to be a legal intern in the Department of Education’s Office of the General Counsel during the summer in Washington, D.C., working with educational policy and other federal services. Now, she could miss out on professional experience in a public legal environment that could affect her early career, she said.
“I had nonprofit experience, and what I saw missing was federal experience,” Campbell said.
After the Trump administration arrived in office, Campbell worried about the status of her internship but hoped there would only be a shift in the work she would do. She didn’t expect to lose her role.
Campbell went to LinkedIn to express her disappointment about what the change could mean for the education system. More than 250 people liked and commented on her post to show their support as she deals with redirection.
“I really wanted to place emphasis on how many students have passions about certain areas of law that are now being impacted by the federal changes,” she said.
One of the post’s supporters was Christopher Hampson, an assistant professor at UF Law who taught Campbell in 2024.
“I expected the turmoil in the federal government would impact federal internships,” Hampson said. “I did feel disappointment for my students and a sense of urgency in helping them find opportunities for their summer.”
UF Law students don’t need legal internships to graduate but are required to complete 40 hours of law-related pro bono, or volunteer, service. Both of these opportunities can provide real-world experience that enhances legal education outside the classroom.
“It’s an important opportunity for law students, especially for those interested in federal government, to understand how different agencies work and getting experience in government work,” Hampson said.
He encouraged law students to reach out to faculty members and UF Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development for support in finding their next job.
“I see part of my role at the law school as helping students not just learn the law but take their first steps into the legal profession,” he said. “We are here to help adjust.”
Arman Tabassian, a 25-year-old UF law student, accepted an internship offer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was rescinded the same day as Campbell’s.
He began law school in 2023 after earning his bachelor’s degrees in sustainability studies and philosophy from UF in 2022. Growing up in an “outdoorsy” family, he said he was always intrigued by the environment.
He’s already participated in a state-level legal externship with Three Rivers Legal Services Inc. in Gainesville and a legal internship with the Public Trust for Conservation in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
“Especially with more niche areas like environmental law, it is very helpful to kind of just build a track record of interest in that area,” Tabassian said. He would’ve had an unpaid internship with NOAA this summer at both the Fisheries and Protected Resources Section and the Environmental Review and Coordination Section.
In February, NOAA laid off more than 600 employees. On March 13, a federal judge in Maryland ordered them to be reinstated alongside thousands of other terminated federal workers, according to NBC. But Tabassian’s internship was still canceled.
“In law school, each summer, it’s not necessarily required, but it’s basically an expectation that you’re going to be working,” he said. “NOAA was kind of the best-case scenario as far as progression.”
Tabassian applied for his internship in November and received his offer at the end of December. He resumed his job search after his offer was rescinded, but most companies had already closed their applications and selected interns, he said.
Tabassian said he hasn’t ruled out working for the federal government in the future, as opportunities can change between administrations. He is focusing his application efforts on public interest organizations, which he believes do similar work with more consistent goals.
“I think the big-picture thing I’ve been trying to think about is just the importance of federal work,” Tabassian said. “My bigger concern is just about the effect that impeding this kind of work will have in the long run.”
Josephine Cioffero is a contributing writer.
