Week 6 was a short week with the holiday, but I was able to work with new attorneys and present another case summary to the Miami office.
I started off the week by meeting with Jordan Benatar, a first-year associate and former RumbergerKirk summer associate. We discussed time management strategies, and he shared how he learns from each attorney he works with. One great takeaway from this summer is that I will never stop learning as an attorney. There will always be novel issues on cases, unique challenges dealing with clients, and of course, changing laws and procedures to follow. As I am honing my professional identity, hearing how Jordan has been forming his has been very helpful. Jordan has taken me under his wing and has given me a lot of advice on maximizing my summer and 3L year.
After finishing my memo for Mike Holt and Steve Smith last week, I was given a follow-up research assignment. I enjoyed going back and forth with Mike to narrow my research focus and provide the best answer possible to help our case. This was another procedural research question, and it is satisfying to apply the research learnings to our case’s facts.
Partner Gigi Córdova brought me into a case that needed some urgent research done. I appreciate that even though Gigi is a busy partner, she took the time to explain the case and exactly what case law she needed. There was one moment when she could tell I was hesitant about an issue, and she went out of her way to thoroughly explain the goals of her motion. I finished the research that night and got great feedback!
I gave my second case presentation of the summer to the attorneys in the Miami office on Wednesday. I presented two recent appellate decisions involving liability and evidentiary standards, and also got positive notes on my work. My mentor, associate Erin Weinstock, helped me prepare for the first one and I utilized the same tips for my second presentation. The weekly meetings help everyone stay on top of current events around the legal field, relevant issues in the Miami court system and firm updates.
I finished off the week by finalizing a memo for Erin and Mike as they drafted an article related to Florida construction law. I had some experience working in construction litigation last year, but Erin and Mike’s experience has been very helpful to see in action.
We are having our first meeting for our mock trial next week, and I am eager to start preparing for it!
