Law in Real Life

I will never forget the butterflies in my stomach when my Civil Procedure professor called my name on the first day of law school. Beginning with that initial, nerve-wracking cold call 1L year, law students are being trained to become attorneys. There will be countless cases read and outlines created during law school (not to mention numerous more cold calls), but the end goal, for many, is to practice the subject matter our professors teach. During the Summer Associate Program at Weil, I have had the opportunity to work on assignments that bring to life legal topics I had previously only read about in casebooks. In my Corporate rotation, I helped the team review a registration statement, just like the S1s I learned about during Securities Regulation the previous semester. Throughout my time in the Restructuring group, I researched legal issues in connection with a motion being filed in a Chapter 11 case.

Applying the skills I have learned in law school to legal matters is exciting, but it can also feel intimidating to work on real cases as a rising third year law student. Besides, there are some things that attorneys may not learn until they start practicing. Weil’s emphasis on mentorship and collaboration has helped me feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance when I get stuck on an assignment. As I head back for my final year of law school, I am confident that the experiences I have had working at Weil this summer will translate into a deeper understanding of my courses and provide a foundation for the rest of my career.