ANTWON SHAWN KENNEDY P.O. Box 21992, Brooklyn, New York 11202 ∙ (770) 765-2704 ∙ antwon.kennedy@brooklaw.edu October 15, 2017 Judge Mark A. Barnett U.S. Court of International Trade 1 Federal Plaza New York, NY 10278-0001 Dear Judge Barnett: I am a second year Brooklyn Law School student and a second-place winner of Brooklyn Law School’s Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship Innovators Competition, where I proposed an entrepreneurial solution, called Project Cite Soleil (PCS), aimed at empowering the women of Haiti through fashion, international trade and corporate ownership. I write to apply for the summer 2018 judicial internship with the U.S. Court of International Trade. My interest in the internship stems from your work on the International Trading Services, LLC and Julio Lorza case, which dealt with section 592 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and recovery of monetary penalties for misclassification of sugar, my experience working for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its Complex Financial Instruments Department, experience in the Innovators Competition, and involvement on the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Team. My experience at the SEC helped strengthen my research ability by exposing me to unfamiliar topics dealing with complex securities laws, regulations and requiring me to write detailed memos providing solid legal analysis. From that experience, working on cases related to international securities fraud, customer protection rule violations and fraudulent underwriting practices, to name a few, and the research skills the work encompassed, I believe that my experience with the SEC prepared me to succeed as an intern for U.S. Court of International Trade. PCS, is my way of helping one of Haiti’s poorest neighborhoods, Cite Soleil, by providing an opportunity for Haitian artist to enter the world of international trade. Utilizing my problem solving abilities, I have been able to network with people both in the United States and Haiti to help move the project forward. To prepare for the project and an opportunity to work with the Court, I am currently taking an international law course. From the course, I am hoping to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals of international law as it applies to trade, investment and human rights. I believe the internship will offer me the additional skills and experience necessary to run an effective and compliant international project. In the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition, I utilized my critical thinking and problem solving skills to exploit inconsistencies in the evidence in order to support my team’s theory of the case and helped my team advance to the quarterfinals. In addition to the Competition, I had to balance my first year course work with learning the Federal Rules of Evidence and how to apply those rules to objections within a trial. The culmination of my experience confirmed my interest in litigation work. In closing, I am confident that my strong experience and passion for international law and compliance will allow for me to succeed as a judicial intern with the U.S. Court of International Trade. I have enclosed my resume, transcript and writing sample for your review. Thank you for considering my candidacy and I hope to have the opportunity to interview with you. Sincerely, Antwon Kennedy
