I can’t believe we are at the halfway mark in the Summer Associate Program! I started the week Monday working on revisions for the Motion to Strike Plaintiff’s Pleadings for Perpetrating Fraud upon the Court for Partner Suzanne Singer. Then, Malina and I had a celebratory lunch with associates at Pubbelly Sushi because we had successfully completed the writing competition. Associates Katherine Becerra and Thomas Webb shared their experience in handling the writing competition and the mock trial.
On Tuesday, we attended the Motion Practice Seminar, taught by Partner Dan Gerber. I learned some helpful tips on how to argue motions in front of trial judges such as ensuring that I know each judge’s preferences and using phrases such as “opposing counsel incorrectly said” instead of saying “the other side misrepresented.” Malina and I had lunch with Director of Human Resources and Legal Recruitment Karen Garcia, Miami Senior Office Administrator Blanca Aguilera, and Thomas Webb and Katherine Becerra at Motek before Karen headed back to Orlando. We spoke about our experiences throughout the Summer Associate Program and about our upcoming trip to Tampa for the Opening and Closing Statements Workshop!
On Wednesday, I worked on a client memorandum assignment for Partner Michael Holt. I enjoyed working on this assignment because it required conducting research and reviewing the client file and case filings. This assignment was different from researching and drafting a motion because I wrote about opposing counsel’s arguments and our arguments about the case. After completing this assignment, I was excited to hear Mike tell me that I could help draft another memorandum about a separate issue!
On Thursday, I worked on an emergency, time-sensitive research assignment for Partner Douglas Ede regarding whether a privilege applied to an investigation. I worked on researching the area of law and drafting a research memorandum regarding my findings. During the weekly attorneys’ luncheon, we celebrated Partner Steve Smith’s birthday with delicious birthday cake. Malina and I also had the opportunity to talk with Partner Gigi Cordova who has been a supportive and incredible mentor to lean on this summer!
To end the week, I worked on a research memorandum for Partner Joshua Lerner regarding the admissibility of certain evidence at trial. It was fun to apply my legal knowledge about evidence to a case heading for trial! In the afternoon, I attended the Mock Trial Introduction Meeting and learned some ground rules about the upcoming mock trial. The problem for the mock trial was released and we were instructed to read and analyze the case packet. I can’t wait to get started on preparing for the mock trial and showcase my advocacy skills in action!
