These weeks keep going by faster and faster! It feels like just yesterday that I was up in Orlando for the Summer Associate Program orientation, and now it is already the end of Week 5. Over the course of this past week, I gained a plethora of real life, practical experience. Specifically, I received the opportunity to draft several motions to compel better answers to interrogatories and summaries of plaintiffs’ responses, and even observe a Motion for Summary Judgment victory!

Week 5 began with crafting a summary of a deposition of a plaintiff that I attended last week, an experience I detailed in last week’s blog post. Writing deposition summaries is something that every lawyer, no matter how experienced, has to do, so learning what information to include and exclude while still being descriptive enough was valuable. I am especially thankful for the guidance I’ve received throughout the process.

Shortly after completing that assignment, I was tasked with drafting the factual background section of a Motion for Summary Judgment. This was also something that I had not had a chance to do yet, so it was fascinating to learn how to detail the underlying facts of the case in a light that best suits the client. My prior experience helping draft a Motion to Dismiss during Weeks 2 and 3 of the Summer Associate Program definitely prepared me for this assignment.

From Wednesday through Friday, I was assigned a multitude of projects dealing with various parts of discovery, including preparing summaries of plaintiffs’ responses to our requests for production and interrogatories, motions to compel better answers to interrogatories, and answers. I continue to receive invaluable guidance from the associates who never once hesitated to sit down with me and answer any questions I had. Writing the affirmative defenses section of an answer was particularly challenging, but absolutely furthered my knowledge of the discovery process as a whole.

The week concluded with starting my preparation for the summer associate workshop on direct and cross examinations on Monday, which I cannot wait for. The workshop will be presided over by Scott Sarason, the administrative partner of the Miami office, who has an abundance of trial experience!