Community Involvement & Pro Bono

           Bilzin Sumberg interacts with many complex, high-profile cases as a top-performing law firm. From billion-dollar corporation lawsuits to impactful land development deals, the Firm does precisely what one would expect from “Big Law.” Yet, in my opinion, that’s not what impresses me most. While the elaborate negotiations and high

The American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct has a preamble that describes a lawyer as “an officer of the legal system and a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice.” Though I’ve only been working at Bilzin Sumberg for six weeks now as a summer associate, I can confidently say

With a little more than half of the summer under our belts, the Summer Associates have attended everything from Department-specific social events, attorney spotlights, client spotlights, and weekly Wellness Workshops. So many events have left us with a deeper appreciation for Bilzin Sumberg outside of just the great work we get to

Brian Adler and David Jessup Jr.

Dr. Maya Angelou left us with the following words: “[P]eople will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Small gestures can have a tremendous impact. Collectively such experiences create a culture. Before I started as a summer associate at Bilzin Sumberg this month, a small yet validating gesture led me to submit an application for employment to the firm.

It was March 2020, days before the world shut down. My day had a rocky start with a “Breakfast with the Bench” event at 7:30 a.m., where a law student’s nightmare came true: I spilled coffee on my white shirt—the same shirt I needed to wear to my interview at another firm later that day between my second and third classes. #MiamiTraffic made the prospect of returning home to change my shirt a pipedream.

But, it wasn’t the Miami traffic that got me; it was the interview at the firm. I received a less-than-warm greeting from the receptionist before waiting thirty minutes for the interviewing attorney. While the interview went fine, upon my departure I was informed by the receptionist that parking wasn’t validated for interviews. So, I returned to campus and entered class late in my stained shirt, with $21 less in my pocket.
Continue Reading Go Where You Are Validated

(L to R Jessica Buchsbaum, Betsi Cobas, Lucas Pizzutti, Saron Musa, David Jessup, John Trach, Nathifa Parker, Joseph Beguiristain, Joy Spillis Lundeen and Danielle Hall)

Last Friday, the summer associates and I had the honor of meeting Bilzin Sumberg Partner and Construction Group Leader, Joy Spillis Lundeen. Joy, a recent addition to Bilzin Sumberg, is regarded as the reputed go-to person for all things construction and has an impressive roster of clients.

Born and raised in Miami, Joy reflected on the dramatic changes to Miami’s skyline since her childhood and recalled the excitement she felt, and continues to feel, when admiring the City’s continued development. Interestingly, her passion for construction was largely inspired by her upbringing. Growing up, Joy’s family owned a leading, Miami-based architectural firm that contributed to the development of many well-known structures throughout South Florida. This familial backdrop inspired Joy to study architecture in college and when contemplating an area of law in which to specialize, construction seemed to perfectly align with her interests. Since then, Joy hasn’t looked back as she continues to trail blaze through an often male-dominated construction field.Continue Reading Constructing Our Future-One Attorney Spotlight at a Time

CrossroadAs law students, we are often told that we have to choose one of two paths for our career trajectories. We can either go the public interest or the private sector route. While we are by no means locked into one route for the remainder of our careers, our starting point is critical. This crossroad was particularly difficult for me because I have always been passionate about service and giving back to my community. Part of me wanted to start my career in public service, while the other part wanted to explore what “big law” had to offer. After much thought, I decided to go the private sector route, but I made it a priority to find a firm that values Pro Bono work as much, if not more than, billable work. This, among many other factors, made accepting the opportunity to work at Bilzin Sumberg a no-brainer. From the Bilzin Sumberg Cares initiative to learning more about the Pro Bono work that attorneys are actively working on, it became very clear that Bilzin Sumberg truly cares about its local and national communities.
Continue Reading The Best of Both Routes: Pro Bono at Bilzin Sumberg