Intern Leiʻohu Turley - Summer Disaster Relief Internship Reflection

Ma ka hana ka ‘ike — in working, one learns. This ‘ōlelo noʻeau perfectly captures what my time at PONO Legal has taught me. I began this internship the day after returning home from my first year of undergrad, jumping straight into the work. From the start, I saw just how interconnected community organizations are in the disaster relief landscape. Guest speakers from federal to local levels shared how their roles fit into the broader recovery effort, helping us build our understanding of the many moving parts in disaster response.

A typical week in this internship has shown me what community lawyering looks like in practice. We begin the week with reflections on our assigned readings, then move into tabling at the Kahului or Lahaina Resource Centers. The rest of the week is filled with guest lectures and community events that deepen our connections and perspectives. One of the most meaningful parts of this summer has been building relationships with community members and organizers—learning from their resilience and leadership. 

As summer comes to a close, I feel deeply grateful to have spent this time contributing to the recovery process. Our mentors, Hiʻilei and Margot have equipped us with the tools and confidence to engage in this work thoughtfully and effectively, and that sense of kuleana doesn’t end with the internship. I carry it with me as I return to school. This program reminded me that real learning often happens in motion—by doing, by showing up, by figuring things out alongside others. Many of the organizations we partnered with echoed this same lesson: they began by helping, learning as they went. This was my first time working at the intersection of law and disaster relief, and thanks to this immersive experience, I now have the knowledge and grounding to continue this work—and to help others learn, too.