This summer, Tara Mohseni served as PAAIA’s Ansari Public Service Fellow and completed a judicial externship with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Through her placement, Tara gained hands-on litigation and judicial experience, including drafting orders, assisting chambers with procedural questions, and observing federal court hearings. The Ansari Public Service Fellowship supports Iranian American students pursuing meaningful careers in public service by making otherwise unpaid or underfunded opportunities more accessible and connecting fellows with a broader network of Iranian American professionals and mentors.
Tara’s Reflection
“When looking at 1L summer positions, I knew I wanted litigation experience. As an extern in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, I spent the summer drafting orders, helping chambers work through procedural questions, and sitting in on hearings that made the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure feel a lot less abstract than they did in my first-year classes.
One of the most valuable parts of the summer was learning to see cases from the perspective of the bench rather than the advocate. When drafting orders, it forced me to think carefully about how judges weigh competing arguments and translate that reasoning into something clear and defensible. I was able to watch that same reasoning play out live in hearings, and see how the attorneys in the room shaped it through their own arguments.
The Ansari Fellowship supported me in ways that went beyond funding. It gave me the flexibility to pursue a public-service placement without worrying about the financial tradeoffs that often make it harder for law students to take these opportunities, and it connected me with a network of legal professionals and fellow Iranian Americans in the field who understood exactly what that tradeoff meant. Those connections gave me a broader sense of the paths available in litigation and public service, and reminded me I wasn’t navigating this world alone.
This fall, I’m joining a law firm to continue building my litigation skills, and I hope to clerk for a judge down the road. I’m grateful to the Ansari Fellowship and PAAIA for making this summer possible, and for investing in the next generation of Iranian American leaders in law and public service.”
Looking Ahead
PAAIA is grateful to Tara for her dedication to public service and for representing the spirit of the Ansari Public Service Fellowship throughout her summer with the federal judiciary. We wish her the very best as she continues developing her litigation experience this fall and pursues her goals in law and public service. Tara will remain part of the PAAIA community, and we look forward to supporting her as she continues her professional journey and builds a career dedicated to leadership and service.
