Today’s interview is with Annie Naranjo, an intern working at the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background:
I live in Miami, Florida, but I am originally from Pereira, Colombia. This region is famous for its coffee production. Colombian coffee is often considered the best in the world for its quality and delicious taste. I am a second-generation college graduate and the youngest of my family. My recipe for happiness includes three things: coffee, salsa dancing, and vitamin “sea.” I do water sports and play volleyball in my spare time; there is no sound in the world better than the lapping of waves on the beach. I also have a passion for humanitarian causes. I genuinely believe that we have a mission to accomplish and I want to inspire future generations of women to strive for gender equality, youth development, and the defense and protection of human rights.
Annie Naranjo, a Global Legal Research Intern at the Law Library of Congress. Photo courtesy of Annie Naranjo.
What is your academic/professional history?
I have a bachelor’s degree in government and international relations from the Externado University of Colombia. I was a scholarship recipient of the University of Buenos Aires in 2012, one of most prestigious schools in Latin America. I attended the Harvard Extension School in 2013. I am currently pursuing a master of arts in global affairs from Florida International University (FIU), and will be graduating in May 2021. I started my professional career as an intern at the General Consulate of Colombia in Boston in 2013. Upon graduation, I moved back to Colombia to be closer to my family and took a position as a legal assistant and human rights advisor for a law firm until 2015. I then moved back to the United States and worked in the banking and marketing industry for four years. While attending FIU, I was given the fantastic opportunity to join the Global Legal Research Directorate (GLRD) at the Law Library of Congress through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
How would you describe your job to other people?
My goal is to improve the relevance and usability of products designed by GLRD. I provide specific support to my supervisors on two projects. First, I prepared a report on topics of potential interest for the U.S. Congress. This required me to research and objectively represent the collective interests of all parties, the work of the committees, and individual congressional representatives. My second project focuses on improving the accessibility and usability of the Law Library’s Guide to Law Online research guides for various countries. This project requires working with metadata, creating or reorganizing content, transferring links and descriptions from existing Guide to Law Online pages, and reviewing new links for inclusion.
Why did you want to work at the Library of Congress?
I am passionate about foreign, comparative, and international law. What interested me the most about the internship with GLRD was the opportunity to assist and provide its foreign law specialists with access to online resources, legislation, and database policy papers regarding emerging legal issues that Congress is approaching through legislation. My experience at the Law Library certainly increased my desire to pursue a career in international law.
What is the most interesting fact you’ve learned about the Law Library of Congress?
One interesting fact about the Law Library is that each quarter it produces at least 30 research products aligned with the previously identified legislative agenda. Another interesting fact is that annually, the Law Library commemorates Human Rights Day with a unique program that promotes understanding and recognition of a critical social, economic, or cultural human rights issue.
What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?
During my time in Argentina, I lived in a Jewish neighborhood by coincidence. It was a fascinating experience; the largest Jewish community in Latin America resides in Buenos Aires. Therefore, embracing diversity and respecting cultural differences, values, languages, nationalities, traditions, beliefs, and political ideologies helped me underscore my purpose to continue promoting more tolerance and education.