Notary Public

A year ago, I became a notary public in the State of Utah. (For those who don't know, a notary public is a legally authorized individual who can administer oaths and witness and authenticate documents. ) I decided to become a notary because at the time I was working for an attorney and we always had clients who needed things notarized, but had to go find a notary to do so.

The process is surprisingly simple, and it has been very useful to me in the past year.
To become a notary public in Utah, all you have to do is pass an online test (open book and not timed, how nice is that?), buy a bond (like malpractice insurance), and buy the stamp! The total cost is about $150, but you are certified for four years.


I've really tried to use my notary certification as a public service, and I have learned a lot about what documents my services are needed for. Here is a brief list:
1. Legal Bar applications
2. Divorce decrees
3. Affidavits (sworn statements from witnesses, kind of like a written testimony of what they would say in court)
4. Wills, Deeds, and Trusts
5. Power of Attorney
6. Long distance agreements

One important thing to remember about notaries: they can't notarize their own documents.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Utah Fourth District Court

This summer I was lucky enough to have two internships. The first was at the Utah Fourth District Court.

One perk about interning at the Fourth District Court: it's local (in Provo). I biked to work about half of the days, and it only took me 15 minutes.

Things I would recommend doing during your internship (if possible):
- Observe Drug Court and Mental Health Court. These are new programs that focus on rehabilitation and are unique from any other court hearing. I would highly recommend observing them to see how both justice and mercy are given through the court system.
- Tour the jail. If you haven't ever toured the jail before, I would highly recommend it. It's an eye opening experience.
- Help out with a jury trial. It was great for me to see the jury selection process and the different feel that a jury trial has as opposed to a bench trial.

I was sad to leave, mostly because of my great coworkers and the experience I had there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested (following the proper application procedure, of course).

Rhetorically,
Rebekah