After spending seven years in the working world before heading to law school, I wasn’t sure what it would feel like to press pause on a full-time career and dive into textbooks and cold calls. As rewarding (and intense) as my 1L year was, by the time May rolled around, I was more than ready to get back to the real world—this time with a new purpose and some legal training under my belt. I was excited to put what I had learned to use and take on new challenges outside the classroom.

From the jump, the summer program at Bilzin Sumberg delivered. I’ve had the chance to sit in on presentations where our attorneys advocated for client applications tied to exciting new development projects, worked on legal briefs dealing with some fascinating constitutional issues, and teamed up with the other summer associates for a mock real estate transaction that let us test our negotiation skills and have a little fun while we were at it.

What has made the experience even better is the firm’s atmosphere. Yes, the work is serious and high-stakes, but the people here don’t take themselves too seriously. Everyone’s approachable, supportive, and genuinely invested in making sure summer associates get the most out of the program. We’re treated to daily (free!) lunches with attorneys, plus plenty of fun events—like a tour of the Dolphins stadium, a cooking challenge, and other activities—that get us out of the office and give us a chance to connect outside of work.

Spending the summer at Bilzin Sumberg has been the perfect way to reenter professional life—surrounded by smart, welcoming people and doing work that matters. It has been a great reminder of why I chose to go to law school in the first place.