There’s something special about the first time a young lawyer or law student speaks on the record in court. For Stevie Della-Giustina ’23, that moment came as a certified legal intern for the Office of the State's Attorney in Hartford, and he recommends the experience to every UConn School of Law student.
Della-Giustina grew up in a family that prized service to others. Both his parents served in the military and as army officers, they expected family discussion of the world's problems to come with ideas for solutions. He believes the legal profession offers a unique opportunity to be of service to others and to help bring justice for those who might not expect it.
“The law is at its best when humanity is centered," Della-Giustina said of his biggest takeaway from UConn Law. "Justice is part of the collective ambition that we have worked toward perfecting since our country was founded.”
Della-Giustina will graduate with a JD on May 14, his third UConn degree. He also has a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in public policy from the University. He plans to work as a special deputy assistant state's attorney with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice after he passes the bar.
At UConn Law, Della-Giustina co-founded the Criminal Law Society. He was also a member of the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal and the Italian American Law Student Association. He said he will always associate his time at UConn Law with being surrounded by intelligent people.
As a talkative child who watched “A Few Good Men” several times with his mother, Della-Guistina remembers being amazed that someone could make a career out of talking, which is how he viewed lawyers at his young age. He said he didn't realize thethat law school would require so much reading. Now, after three years of reading and speaking, he looks forward to applying those skills in service of others as a lawyer.