After gaining meaningful experience as summer associates at Bilzin Sumberg, Ben, Brianna, and I are excited to return and begin our careers as full-time associates!  We are currently in the midst of The Academy, a program designed to instill in us the values and culture of our firm.  The second day primarily focused on three topics: (1) building professional relationships, (2) contributing to charitable causes, and (3) effectively managing our time.

We began the day with a professional relationship-building seminar led by Tracy LaLonde.  The purpose of professional networking is to develop worthwhile relationships, and Tracy provided us with basic strategies that we can implement throughout our careers to accomplish this.  Our day continued with a presentation that focused on giving back to our community.  Jeff Levin and Mimi Klimberg of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation spoke to us about the importance of making time to contribute to and volunteer with charitable organizations.  They also guided us on how to find organizations that promote specific causes that are personally meaningful to us.  Finally, Grover Cleveland provided us with insightful tips on effective time-management skills, particularly in billing hours.  He also generously provided us with a copy of his book: Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks.  Our day ended with another wonderful meditation session with Oksana Esberard and a Happy Hour with the Recruiting Committee!

Day 2 of The Academy was certainly a success, and the three of us look forward seeing what the rest of the week has in store for us!