It is so hard to believe that the Summer Associate Program is coming to a close! It feels like only yesterday that we were arriving in Orlando for orientation!
The final two weeks were action-packed and full of mock trial prep. My teammate Andy Co and I met early in the week to develop our theory of the case before setting up a practice schedule with partners like Scott Sarason, Michael Holt, and Melissa Softness, to practice each section of the trial. These partners were so kind to volunteer their time and help us to sharpen our case. Before we knew it, the week of the trial was here!
On Sunday, each of the summer associates traveled to Orlando, where we met at the office to run through our cases. Andy and I practiced ours twice, and we gave each other as difficult of a time as we could as witnesses so that we would be prepared for anything at trial. By the end of the day, we were ready to head into the courtroom!
On the big day, we made our way over to the beautiful Orange County Courthouse. The courtroom itself was stunning with high ceilings and intricate wooden desks. After organizing our papers, the trial began. I argued a motion in limine and presented our closing argument along with two other witness examinations. Everyone did so well, and it was very cool to see everyone’s unique talents shine through in how they presented their cases. After the trial, we came back to the office briefly, before going out to dinner with the mock trial judges and our Orlando mentors to celebrate!
I spent the remainder of the week completing my last few assignments. On Tuesday, Erica and I had the chance to attend an evidentiary hearing in one of partner Frank Sheppard and Charlie Mitchell’s cases. It was amazing to see Charlie’s skill in cross-examining a witness so soon after we had done it in the mock trial! Then, on Thursday, we went out for a farewell lunch with the Orlando associates.
I am so grateful to RumbergerKirk and all of its fantastic attorneys and staff for such an amazing summer. The knowledge, skills, and experience that I was able to gain here were unlike those that I would have received anywhere else, and I feel truly blessed to have spent my summer here. Thank you, RumbergerKirk!
