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Lianne Henderson is a second-year day student at New England Law | Boston. This past summer she worked as a judicial intern for the Barnstable Probate and Family Court. As part of our the November blog series highlighting student work, Lianne writes about her summer experience and explains how she found her internship. This summer, I had the opportunity to work as a judicial intern at the Barnstable Probate and Family Court through the Boston Bar Association’s (BBA) Summer Judicial Internship Program. I found the BBA’s posting on the school’s Symplicity website, which I checked daily beginning in December of my 1L year. I secured this position the same day I learned I would receive a generous stipend if I secured an internship that qualified as public service. My summer stipend was provided through New England Law | Boston’s Center for Law and Social Responsibility Summer Fellowship Program. Everything lined up perfectly and I was anxious to get the summer started. I worked for two judges doing a lot of research and writing, and observed many trials and hearings. The probate and family court was far more diverse than I imagined. I worked on matters involving divorce, custody and visitation, guardianship and conservatorship, and some jurisdiction. I reported directly to the judges, and drafted numerous findings, judgments, and orders. I also observed trials and hearings and conducted research to compose memoranda to submit to the judges. I often joined the judge after an interesting hearing and discussed how we both felt about it. It was an amazing experience to see the judge’s perspective. I was based in Barnstable, but through the BBA program I had the opportunity to have an orientation in Boston run by Attorney Denise Fitzgerald, the Administrative Attorney for all probate and family courts in Massachusetts. Additionally, I was connected to the BBA’s network and awarded the opportunity to do observation in other courts, like oral arguments in the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Whitey Bulger trial in federal court, and a tour of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Whenever I got an e-mail about one of these opportunities, I took advantage of it, despite the long commute. My biggest piece of advice is to be flexible. Had I limited my internship search solely to Boston, I would have had much more difficulty securing an internship. Additionally, most of the notices I received to observe other courts came within less than twenty-four hours of the event. Although it was inconvenient to travel to Boston for a one hour hearing, it allowed me to network and meet judges and attorneys, which was extremely valuable. Through this internship, I sharpened my legal research and writing skills and was able to see the judge’s perspective on numerous matters. I am extremely grateful for my summer experience through the BBA’s Summer Judicial Internship Program. - Lianne Henderson, Class of 2015
Each year, the Rappaport Fellows Program in Law and Public Policy hires law students from Boston area law schools for summer internships in state or local government offices with an emphasis on public policy and issues relevant to the Greater Boston region. The 10-week program includes a generous stipend as well as a mentoring program and weekly seminar series. Stephanie Rogers, a third-year day student, was the 2012 Rappaport Fellow from New England Law | Boston. As part of our blog series highlighting student work Stephanie writes about her experience working as a Fellow at the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
Once I confirmed my placement at the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCA), I knew I would enjoy the work, but I had no idea how diverse my experience would be, or just how much I would learn over the summer. During just my first week, I was exposed to veterans’ issues, insurance topics, antitrust law, conflicts in the Department of Professional Licensure (DPL), problems with for-profit schools, and the general inner workings of the OCA office. As a Fellow, I not only sat in on regular staff meetings and meetings with OCA’s under-agencies, but also a hearing at city hall about for-profit schools, a pitch from a private company OCA sought to hire to update its website, an OCA press conference to release results of a major survey, and a day-long conference about consumer credit issues.
One of the pieces of advice about how to get the most out of your Rappaport experience was to attend as many meetings as possible. I began doing this right away by attending five meetings and a hearing during my first week in the office. At one of those first meetings, I discovered that the DPL would be assuming oversight of occupational schools beginning August 1st, per a recently passed statute with the backing of Governor Patrick. I had several projects on my plate already, but I requested and was granted permission to work with the DPL on this transition. I had no idea I would be able to contribute to an initiative I found so important, and it remains my favorite part of my Fellowship experience.
I got more out of the Rappaport Fellowship than I ever thought possible. Not only did I gain legal knowledge, but I also learned how to interact in a government office, both a small one with a tight-knit staff when at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, and a large one with several smaller departments interacting when at the Department of Professional Licensure. I also had a glimpse into the life of a government lawyer at several angles, from chief counsel to hearing officer. I am very thankful to all responsible for my acceptance into the program and for giving me this opportunity. Government works, and I am anxious to begin my career within it.
- Stephanie Rogers, Class of 2013
Want to learn more about the Rappaport Fellows Program? Stephanie Rogers and Gregory I. Massing, Esq., Executive Director of the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service, will speak more about the program and the application process on Thursday, November, 15th , 4:30pm – 5:30pm in Room 505. To RSVP, please email rappaportcenter@suffolk.edu.
Christina Bailey is a second-year day student at New England Law | Boston. This past summer she worked as a legal intern for the Massachusetts Securities Division. As part of our new blog series highlighting student work Christina writes about her summer experience and explains how she found her internship.
Throughout high school and undergrad I was opposed to the idea of networking to find a job. I wanted to know that I got the job entirely based on my own efforts and merits. But with the legal job market the way it is, I realized that I should welcome help, not reject it. In the end, having a connection is how I found my summer job.
In March 2012, my mom ran into one of her friends who is an Assistant Secretary for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and mentioned to him that I was in law school. He told her that the Secretary’s Office hires legal interns and that if I was interested, to e-mail him my resume. I had just begun thinking about jobs for the summer and so decided to take him up on the offer. Aside from several quick back and forth e-mails, I didn’t hear back for about a month. I wanted to have as many options as I could so I also applied to several small firms in Boston using the JobNet on the CSO’s Simplicity site. On the last day of classes, I received a phone call from the Secretary’s Office offering me a position with the Securities Division. I know that I was extremely lucky to get this job because I was hired based off my resume alone without having an interview.
I started the full-time position at the end of May. I was the only legal intern for the Registration, Inspection, Compliance, and Examination (RICE) section of the Division. As such, I was given a lot of responsibility. Throughout the summer, I constantly conducted researched and wrote memoranda. The skills that I learned in my Legal Research & Writing (LRW) course were extremely useful. I created detailed Excel files to help organize the production from several investigations and keep track of Investment Advisers who were in the processing of switching from the Securities and Exchange Commission to the Massachusetts registration. I also helped draft and proofread subpoenas, consent orders, and complaints; and I attended and took notes at several on the record depositions. In addition, I was entrusted with writing inquiry letters asking about certain disclosures made by broker-dealer agents attempting to register in Massachusetts.
The hardest part of my job was learning how to prioritize and complete multiple projects efficiently while in a working environment. However, I’m very happy that I was exposed to that difficult experience because I know that it will help me be better prepared in the future. My favorite part of the internship was doing real-world legal work in a professional environment. It definitely confirmed the fact that I want to be a lawyer.
I was extremely surprised by how much I liked working in securities. Before working for the Division, I hadn’t even considered securities as a field I might be interested in and honestly, didn’t expect to enjoy the work. I am so happy that I decided to take the job because I now want to pursue a career in securities and business law. This internship experience taught me to not be closed minded about working in different areas of law. As a law student, especially a 1L, there are so many fields of law that we don’t know about or aren’t exposed to. How are we to know we don’t like something before we try it?
Towards the end of the summer my supervising attorney asked if I wanted to continue working part-time during the school year. Currently, I work 20 hours per week while keeping a full class schedule. Fall semester has been busy, but working part-time has been worth it because working for the Securities Division has absolutely helped me with my future plans. Knowing I wanted to work at a large firm after graduation, I applied to 2013 summer associate programs this fall and received an offer for a summer associate position from a top firm with a large securities practice. I am certain that I would not be in the position I am in today had I not taken a chance by sending in my resume and accepting an internship with the Securities Division at the Secretary’s Office.
- Christina S. Bailey, Class of 2014
Michael Card is a third-year day student at New England Law | Boston. This past summer he worked as a legal intern for a New England Law alumnus at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. As part of our new blog series highlighting student work Michael writes about his summer experience and explains how he found his internship.
My summer internship came about as a last minute surprise from a friend’s connection. I slowly began looking for internships around Thanksgiving time of my second year. I had numerous promising leads that either eventually lost funding or required school credit which is not a possibility for internships not done through a school clinic. So, I was very disappointed and stressed as summer was quickly approaching. Right before the end of the second semester I had a number of job offers but none that I was really interested in. Then a friend called and told me a New England Law | Boston graduate was looking for help at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Under the supervision of this alumnus and two other attorneys in the Office of Faculty Activities, I was responsible for reviewing consulting and confidentiality disclosure agreements for, and between, Dana-Farber, Harvard Medical School faculty and pharmaceutical companies. This position was contract and intellectual property-based so I had a great opportunity to apply what my first year contracts course taught me and gain a head start on what I would learn in my intellectual property class. I was also able to apply what I had learned in my negotiation course as I reviewed the agreements and negotiated their terms with the pharmaceutical companies in favor of Dana-Farber’s faculty, the Institute’s protection of intellectual property and against liability.
The hardest part of my internship was learning the current regulations as well as the future changes, that were scheduled to go into effect in August 2012. In order to effectively negotiate agreements I had to learn the current rules and regulations. However, to make sure the faculty and institution would not be in violation come August, I also had to learn the new regulations. I definitely learned the most as I researched the current and future regulations as well as the applicable intellectual property laws.
My favorite part of my experience was being able attend the conflict of interest advisory board meetings in which the board members discussed the current and future problems/positions of the partnership between cancer research institutions and the private sector. This was a completely unexpected and amazing experience, and something I will always remember.
This summer internship truly opened my career interest spectrum in terms of seriously considering healthcare and similar areas of law. Upon entering law school I was sure I only wanted to practice regulatory or securities law but now may also pursue a post-graduation position in this area of law due to this summer experience. Finally, I found my internship in part because the hiring attorney likes looking out for New England Law | Boston students and graduates which makes me extremely proud to be part of the New England Law | Boston network.
-Michael Card ’13
Michael Martucci is a second-year day student at New England Law |
Boston. This past summer he worked as a law clerk at the Law Office
of Susan, T. Aguiar, a busy solo
practice in Boston, MA. As part of our new blog series highlighting student
work Michael writes about his summer experience and explains how he found his internship.
My summer job search began
around the middle of March. Having absolutely no legal connections in the area,
the NEL|B CSO Symplicity
site was my only resource for finding a summer internship—and it proved to
be a valuable one. It was really important for me to be in Boston for the
summer, so I dedicated about 8-10 hours each week looking through the site for
new job postings and preparing cover letters. I kept a detailed record of dates
and places that I applied, and made sure to follow up on every application and
email. By the end of April the persistent effort paid off when I received an
offer for a summer law clerk position at a busy solo practice. It was exactly
what I was looking for: small firm atmosphere, located in the city, and to top
it all off, it was a full-time, paid position.
I was very fortunate in
that the attorney I worked for truly enjoyed teaching law students the
practical “ins” and “outs” of the profession. I expected to spend my summer filing papers
and answering phones, so I was quite surprised on the first day when the
attorney handed me a stack of files and asked me to begin research for a
summary judgment motion. In fact, she allowed me to participate in almost every
aspect of her personal injury law practice. My responsibilities included legal research,
drafting memoranda and legal documents, filing documents at the courthouse,
meeting with clients, and communicating with opposing counsel over the phone. It
was a great hands-on experience of what it was like to work as an attorney.
My favorite part of the
internship was gaining practical legal experience—it really helped to boost my
confidence in school. I have no doubt that I am a better student this semester
because of the work I did over the summer. The practical knowledge has helped
me frame my classwork in a way that allows me to comprehend the material
quicker and more thoroughly than before. This has been especially helpful given
the heavy workload that accompanies the second-year of law school. The hardest
part of the position was constantly juggling several different projects at the
same time, especially since I had no prior legal experience. The biggest
challenge was time management. However, successfully completing all the
projects was by far the most rewarding part of my summer, and the constant juggling
actually became enjoyable.
Throughout my whole
experience, I found the skills I developed in my first-year Legal Research and
Writing (LRW) course to be most useful as I spent the majority of my summer researching
cases and drafting arguments. Not only did I get to bolster my research and
writing skills, but I also drafted a wide array of court documents, which ended
up being very helpful for my LRW class this fall.
Overall, the biggest
take-away from my summer internship was the confirmation that I made the right
choice to go to law school. I find the work challenging and engaging, and I can
honestly say that I want to make a career out of it. Furthermore, it ended up
being one of the best summers I can remember. For my next internship, I would
like to challenge myself by working in a larger firm as the contrasting
atmospheres would be helpful in pinpointing a direction for my future. However,
regardless of what I do next, I know that the knowledge and experience I gained
working this past summer will put me in a great position to succeed.
- Michael J. Martucci, Class of 2014
Students
have access to internship and postgraduate job postings and can participate in
on- and off-campus recruitment programs through our Symplicity site. To
access, you will need your Student ID# and a password (sent to you in November
of your first year.) If you don't have a password, please email the Career
Services Office (CSO) at cso@nesl.edu. To identify your own career goals and create a
personalized job search strategy, call the CSO at 617-422-7229 to schedule an
appointment with a career counselor.
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