Nowhere Else I Would Rather Be

One of the greatest fears that summer associates face is making mistakes on assignments. At least for me, it was definitely one of my greatest fears. Setting aside leaving a stellar impression on anyone, I did not want to be seen as someone who does not understand the instructions or does not produce great work product. Assignments were one of the few ways attorneys could evaluate my skills, knowledge and competence. Because of this concern, from day 1 of the Summer Program I reminded myself to produce the best work possible, as I considered this whole program as a 12-week interview process.

However, my nervousness did not resolve my concerns. Quite often the assignments I received were very new in substance, challenging and not easy to comprehend. I would write down notes about an assignment not knowing the very essence of the whole project. I would think back and regret not asking more questions. Sometimes, I would call the assigning attorney twice and still have lingering questions that I did not spot earlier.

But there have been so many times when I thought, “I am so blessed to be at Weil.” The attorneys you work with expect you to grow from the mistakes you made. They don’t throw you in a jungle and expect you to survive on your own. They understand your situation as a summer associate and want to be available for any questions you may have. If time permits they sit down with you and explain, line by line, the mark-ups they did on a document you reviewed to help you understand all the comments. While they are busy, associates are willing to contribute their time and energy to teach you what you should know and what you are curious about. When you walk up to their offices or call them for further questions, they will welcome you with a friendly “of course!”

As the Summer Program is wrapping up, there is something very crucial that I learned about the attorneys at Weil: they are willing to nurture you as the best lawyers possible if you seek to become one. They value you as a person, and appreciate your passion for learning. They are great teachers, but also greater mentors. I would choose nowhere else but Weil to start my career as an attorney because every moment I interact with the attorneys at work, I think to myself: “I am so blessed to be at Weil.”