On Tuesday evening, the Tax Department at Bilzin Sumberg invited the Summer Associates to a “Sushi Rolling & Sake” event to benefit Common Threads. Common Threads is a charity devoted to educating children and families about nutrition and healthy eating, and Jennifer Einersen, one of the attorneys in Tax, is a board member.
When we arrived, Jordan and I joked that we had learned more about cooking within the past two weeks at firm events than we had our whole lives: only one week prior, we attended a cooking class at Two Chefs, where we prepared tuna tartar, burgers, tostones, and chocolate soufflé. Sushi, somehow, seemed more daunting.
Hungry and curious, the Tax attorneys and the Summer Associates congregated around the instructor to learn her technique. She first talked to us about Common Threads and how quickly the charity is expanding. Then, the instructor illustrated step-by-step how to assemble a spicy tuna roll. Although her movements seemed effortless, no one expected the process to flow so smoothly on our end.
Once we dispersed and set out to create our own rolls, the experiment began. Despite the instructor’s warnings, I layered too much rice on the seaweed, creating a ring of white rice and sesame seeds an inch thick— which made it nearly impossible to fit a piece of the roll into my mouth in one bite. Another attorney, exacerbated by the tedious process of slicing the sushi, resigned to eating his roll burrito-style.
As we braved the common obstacles of sushi rolling, the Summer Associates and I were able to familiarize ourselves with the Tax attorneys. Although we share a floor at the firm, for many of us, this was our first interaction with the Tax Department since the Summer Program began. My favorite stories were those of how people came to love Tax; whether through a class they took in law school, or through previous work experience as an accountant, it was interesting to hear about the different paths the attorneys have taken.
After another successful Summer Associate event, I’m grateful for the Tax attorneys’ enthusiasm for getting to know the Summer Associates. It is encouraging to see an entire department show up to support a fellow attorney’s charity and to spend time talking to us about life at the firm. Overall, we as Summer Associates appreciate all of the time and effort that Bilzin Sumberg channels into integrating us into the firm. We look forward to the next event!
