From the Courtroom Gallery: A Middlebury Student’s Front-Row Seat to the Justice System

On a winter Friday in Windsor County court, a criminal trial ended with a not-guilty verdict. In the gallery sat a Winter-Term intern from Middlebury College, watching months of investigative work culminate in a single ruling. For Gabi Gerig ‘27, the moment was not abstract. It was the job.

“Gabi Gerig (J-term intern this month) went along with investigator Fabién Achinda ‘25.5 … to court in Woodstock, VT for a criminal trial, where our client got a not guilty!” wrote Susan Randall, owner and lead investigator at VTPrivateEye, in an email shared with the Center for Careers and Internships (CCI) advisors. “Fabién’s amazing investigation work was a huge reason for the positive outcome.”

A young woman in a white button-down and black pants, standsa arm-in-arm with a young man with khaki's and a white v-neck sweater. They are both smiling. Next to the image is a young woman sitting in a courtroom, smiling at the camera. — Left: Gabi Gerig ‘27 and Fabién Achinda ‘25.5 | Right: Gabi in the courthouse

J-Term internships wrapped up last week, and CCI’s deadline for the summer internship with VTPrivateEye is February 8, 2026, just days away. Gerig’s experience offers a real-time snapshot of what short, intensive placements can yield when students are embedded in professional settings with real stakes.

VTPrivateEye, based in Vergennes, Vermont, is not a typical internship site. The firm specializes in criminal and civil investigations, sentencing advocacy, and litigation support. Its interns shadow licensed investigators, assist with records requests and background research, and accompany staff into courts, correctional facilities, and field interviews. The work is hands-on and, at times, consequential.

Randall emphasized that point. “I thought you all would like to know this, seeing Middlebury students being so critical to this important work in the criminal justice system,” she wrote. Gerig’s January placement also intersected with a longer Middlebury pipeline at the firm. The investigator she shadowed, Fabién Achinda, is himself a recent Middlebury graduate (Class of 2025.5) and former VTPrivateEye summer intern. According to Randall, Achinda’s investigative work in the case was so central that “he also got a shout out from the defense attorney on the Defender General listserv.”

For VTPrivateEye, that continuity is intentional. The firm has hosted college interns for years, treating them as investigative assistants rather than observers. Interns take notes, draft memos, conduct social media research, and help serve subpoenas. They are present for surveillance, witness interviews, and intake meetings with defendants. Many describe it as, in Randall’s words from her website, “a front row seat on the criminal justice system.”

That exposure comes with structure. Interns are expected to work full-time, Monday through Friday, in Vergennes, with access to a laptop and a vehicle. Writing and interpersonal communication are not optional skills; they are core requirements. Applications for VTPrivateEye’s next internship cycle are due February 8, and résumés must be approved by a Center for Careers and Internships (CCI) Peer Career Advisor before submission. You can access the job posting in Handshake.

For Middlebury, stories like Gerig’s serve a dual purpose: they mark the end of Winter-Term while underscoring what is possible in a matter of weeks when students are placed in rigorous environments. They also arrive at a moment when many students are deciding whether to pursue similar opportunities this summer.

As Winter-Term fades and summer planning accelerates, Gerig’s day in court offers a preview of what’s next: internships that move beyond observation, ask students to contribute meaningfully, and, occasionally, place them in the room when outcomes are decided.