Judge: The Honorable Dennis W. Shedd
Why did you choose to join S&C after your clerkship?During law school recruiting, as a 1L with no idea what kind of law I wanted to practice (or even what city I’d like to settle down in), my goal was to pick the firm that would maximize my options later on in my career. I spent my first summer at S&C working in both the General Practice and Litigation groups, and became very interested in the Estates & Personal Group during my second summer in the pre-clerk program. I realized I didn’t have to settle on a “specialty” and that the attorneys in every group were truly generalists, with expertise in many areas of the law. I returned to S&C after my clerkship knowing that I would receive a variety of interesting and challenging matters as an associate in the Estates & Personal Group, and would learn from some of the best attorneys in the field.
How does your clerkship experience inform your practice today?
People always ask me why I clerked but didn’t become a litigation associate. In my view, my clerkship has enhanced my practice as an Estates & Personal attorney by sharpening my critical thinking and writing skills. In drafting a legal opinion, every word matters. This is exactly the case for the wills, trusts and other documents we draft every day in the Estates & Personal Group. I’d highly encourage any law student to consider clerking, even if you don’t plan to become a litigator.