It is amazing how fast a year goes by! Just last year, I remember getting out of 1L exams and being suddenly faced with (virtual) on-campus interviews. But my 2L year went by in a flash and I have a feeling this summer will too.
Before I get started, let me quickly introduce myself since I’ll be writing here for 10 weeks. I attend FSU College of Law and attended University of Florida for undergrad, but I’ve become a true Seminole. I am from Jennings, Florida, which I describe to everyone as the last town going north on I-75 before hitting Georgia. Needless to say, Orlando is a culture shock for me, but a welcome one.
My first week here at Rumberger has been incredible. Memorial Day weekend just passed so I had some time to settle into Orlando before getting to the office.
Orientation started Tuesday and it was a pleasant surprise to see Rumberger hired an all-women summer associate class this year! It was amazing to get to know the other summer associates from the different offices, and my fellow Orlando summer associate Sam, while we went through orientation together. A lot of information came at us, from billing and unique Word features to document management and research. But we didn’t just sit in a conference room all day. We were treated to lunch, dinner, and happy hour social events with associates and partners, as well as staff, who have given us great advice on how to excel this summer. Many of the attorneys have given useful insight into why they each love Rumberger, and past summers have shared why they stayed. Needless to say, the atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and friendly. I can tell why so many people come to work with a smile on their face!
Thursday, Sam and I had the opportunity to go to lunch at Solita’s with our mentors. My mentor is associate Hannah (Klonowski) Steele, and I’m so happy to be paired with her since we had the chance to talk during my call-back interview in July last year. At lunch, we chatted about what makes Rumberger special, what made us interested in litigation, and fun things to do in Orlando.
Before getting to Rumberger, I genuinely expected to be in orientation or waiting for assignments my entire first week, but I was excited to receive my first research assignment on Thursday morning from partner Samantha Duke on a niche legal issue relating to trial transcripts. Soon after, I received two other assignments, one from partner Patrick Delaney preparing an evaluation for a warranty case, and another from Administrative Partner Chase Hattaway drafting a memo on whistleblower claims.
I am happy to say that this week has only exceeded my expectations for this summer so far. This week alone, I have been exposed to areas of the law I previously knew nothing about. I know the next nine weeks have even more to offer.
