Providence students experienced an inside look at law and order in Los Angeles in the most recent Avodah. The objectives of this Avodah ranged from the opportunity for students to get an overview of city/county court proceedings, gain a window into government assigned legal work and a vision for pursuing related work in their own lives.

Law keeping is central to a society. Big cities like Los Angeles have unique challenges in both enforcing the law and in the due process of law. Christianity’s distinctive view of justice and mercy gives us good perspective on how the law works. Because of the law’s central role in our societies, it’s an important topic.

Students heard from Dayan Mathai, a deputy district attorney and working in Los Angeles, who shared some of his specific cases with students. In his 15 years as a prosecutor, Mathai has handled about 120 jury trials, including 35 where the charge was murder. In the pre-discussion, students also heard from Carissa Knol (Providence-Class of 2013), who is a student at UCLA law school. She spoke to students about considering law as a career, entering law school, her current internship in entertainment law, and about what type of law she hopes to practice.

In addition to learning more about the court system, criminal investigations, and the particular challenges our justice system faces, students grappled with important questions pertaining to justice throughout the Avodah as well. These included discussions on how a Christian perspective encourages us to advocate for people and why people may be stuck in the justice system.

For a student perspective on why Avodah’s are important to their education, check out the video on our Avodah page.