The summer associates attend their first virtual event (L to R Carrie Waggoner from Flowers for Dreams, David Jessup, Lucas Pizzutti, John Trach, Saron Musa, Jessica Buchsbaum, Nathifa Parker, Joseph Beguiristain and Danielle Hall).

With nearly an entire week under our belts—and feeling adequately oriented—the Bilzin Sumberg 2021 Summer Associates had our first social event!

Like nearly every other aspect of life coming out of the pandemic, the summer program is operating in a hybrid-model. Since that entails continued inside time, Jessica Buchsbaum and Betsi Cobas brilliantly devised a way for us to simultaneously bring a piece of the outside in, exercise our creativity, and laugh with each other along the way. It was certainly a proverbial “three birds, one stone” achievement on their end.

With a box of supplies delivered in advance to my door, I joined a zoom session with Joe Beguiristain, Danielle Hall, David Jessup, Saron Musa, Nathifa Parker, and Lucas Pizzutti. Over the following hour, we each built our own little terrarium worlds; complete with arid succulents, moss, and an air plant.

While it was fulfilling to create a mini-garden with my own hands, I began wondering if there was an intended metaphor with the event. The terrarium could represent our summer program; a micro-sampling of life as an attorney. By creating our own terrarium, was it representing the summer associates crafting their own experience; selecting assignments we find interesting in the assignment pool and creating our own, unique 8 weeks? With Jessica, Betsi, and Jay Sakalo designing the summer program, the layered symbolism was quite likely.

Beyond the realization that this was now a “four birds, one stone” situation, it was the first chance to get know my fellow summer associates after work hours. To no surprise, I discovered that they are every bit as pleasant, funny, and engaging out of work as in it.

As we wrapped up the evening, we all basked in our collective creations; eager to see what the terrarium (aka the summer program) will look like in 8 weeks when we conclude. I am confident we will all be proud of our creations in the end.