Maya Henry

Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division – San Antonio, TX

What did you like most about your job?  

I really enjoy how expansive “consumer protection” work is. I’ve learned a lot about the extensiveness of the DTPA and how it was designed to protect Texas consumers as well as the tools the Attorney General’s office utilizes to ensure businesses are not engaging in deceptive practices.

What was the most surprising thing you learned at this job?

The most surprising thing I’ve learned during my time at the Office of the Attorney General is how diverse Consumer Protection work is. The Consumer Protection Division handles cases involving everything from internet/phone phishing scams, fraudulent and deceptive business practices, health care regulation compliance, the opioid crisis, disaster and emergency price gouging scams, and deceptive education/student loan practices. We work on a range of high profile, multi-state cases to local community-focused schemes throughout Texas.

How did your job change in a virtual workplace? How did you interact with your co-workers?

From what I know, the law clerk role itself has not changed much during the transition to a virtual workplace. I receive all of the same projects and type of work and the division is extremely good at remaining in communication with each other. We are actually allowed to work in the Downtown office a few days out of the week which adds an extra level of structure and sense of community rather than a completely virtual environment. My supervisor, the Office’s lead attorney, and I all meet daily to check in on my progress with certain cases and to discuss any new projects I want to take on. They really value my growth and education during my time in this internship and want to make sure I am on my way to becoming a competent attorney. I personally reach out to my other co-workers to understand their roles and the processes they undertake, such as discovery, public interaction and communication, prepping for trial, and press/media meetings, and how they are handled by each person.