Before I knew it week two was here, and I was off running! It was filled with hands-on learning, first-time experiences, and exciting opportunities to see how the law is practiced outside the classroom.
Monday morning started off strong—I attended a mediation with associate Madison Miller and partner Rob Blank. It was my first time observing one and it was really interesting to watch both sides work through the process in real time. Seeing how much strategy, problem-solving, and communication goes into it gave me a whole new perspective on how attorneys advocate for their clients outside the courtroom.
Later in the day, the summer associates attended a Motions Writing Seminar led by partner Samantha Duke—great timing for me, since I had just been assigned two Motions in Limine to draft by my mentor, associate Passion Wells. The seminar broke down structure, tone, and how to be persuasive, which was super helpful. What made it especially helpful was getting to jump right into writing a real draft afterward. It was such a cool moment to realize I was using what I’ve learned in school on actual casework. Definitely one of those moments that made all of the hard work in law school feel worthwhile.
Research assignments also kept me busy throughout the week. One of them involved looking into issues for a case that was just filed. I later attended a meeting where my research helped inform how the team planned to respond to the complaint. It was awesome to see my work actually help case strategy and it was a good reminder that even early on, what we do can make a difference!
Another highlight of the week: depositions! I had the opportunity to observe two—one conducted by associate Seth Roebuck and another by associate Gabriele Bodanza. Both attorneys filled me in on the case and who they were deposing beforehand, and they were more than happy to answer my questions. It was my first time sitting in on depositions, and both attorneys were really impressive.
Later in the week, the summer associates attended a deposition seminar led by partner David Marsey to help break down the strategy behind conducting a deposition, preparing us for our own upcoming deposition workshop. I’m excited (and a little nervous!) to put those lessons to the test next week when we conduct our first mock depositions.
To round out the week, I joined partner Rob Blank and associate Renee Duffy for lunch at a delicious Thai restaurant. It was a great way to end the busy week!
The Tampa office has exceeded my expectations already. Everyone has made me feel incredibly welcomed and I truly feel a sense of belonging. From taking the time out of their busy day to look over and provide feedback on my assignments, to inviting me out for a quick coffee run, this has already been an amazing experience and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!
