We1L Exposure

DALLAS – As a 1L with no previous law firm experience, I had two goals for my summer at Weil: to gain exposure to as many practice areas as possible, and to learn what I value in a firm. That is, to discover what I want to do and where I want to do it. And in the past weeks, Weil has made the answers to these questions easy to obtain.

To provide a wide breadth of experience, the Dallas office allowed me to rotate through three different practice areas: complex commercial litigation, tax, and private equity and mergers and acquisitions. I was able to get involved, through active participation and through observational learning, in each department, and to develop a more informed opinion of the direction in which I ultimately want to take my career. I was able to research pertinent legal matters for clients with vastly different needs; I was able to attend court hearings and meet local judges; I was able to conduct due diligence and listen to client calls. I was able, in short, to experience the worlds of a litigation, tax and corporate associate at Weil.

But these rotations did more than offer valuable insight into their respective practice areas–they offered valuable insight into the firm as well. In the process of completing work assignments, I became acquainted with each department’s attorneys. I learned how associates are trained and mentored. I learned how junior attorneys are given opportunities to develop. And I learned what the work culture of our office really is. These and other intangibles were just as enlightening as any project or memo; they taught me that where I work is just as important, if not more, than the work itself. Thankfully, I work at Weil.