One important decision (among many) that an aspiring attorney must consider is what legal market to practice in. Many factors go into this decision-making matrix, including—but not limited to—the demand for specific practice areas, paths to partnership, market trends, family, weather, food, and proximity to the beach. Of course, the order of importance of
Being a strong writer is a requirement for practicing law, but ask a lay person and they may tell you “legal writing” evokes thoughts of confusing contracts and memos filled with obscure Latin phrases. Fortunately for us, Susan McCloskey of Susan McCloskey Writing Consultants came to Bilzin Sumberg this week to help us keep our writing clear, effective, and sans-“legalese.”
The process actually began weeks ago, when Jessica Buchsbaum asked each of the summer associates to submit writing samples. We also completed a “Writer’s Inventory”, answering questions about our writing methods, strengths, and weaknesses. Susan used these materials to tailor her writing seminar to our individual needs.
Susan began by sharing proven writing techniques that improve organization, clarity, and concision. For example, Susan encouraged us to keep the purpose and the reader in mind when organizing and editing our writing. This is crucial for us, because we’ll be doing work for attorneys with wildly different preferences and expectations over the summer.
Continue Reading Legal Writing for Dummies (and Summer Associates)
The time for my final summer blog post has come. I know… try to hold back your tears (regardless of whether they are tears of joy or sadness). I’ve decided to take this time to share a few tips regarding how to make the most of your time as a Summer Associate at Bilzin Sumberg:
Continue Reading Five Survival Tips for the Summer Associate
It is hard to believe that we are at the halfway point of our summer. So much has happened and we have learned so much, but it still feels like we just walked through the doors and saw Bilzin Sumberg’s amazing ocean view for the first time.
Even though it feels like we just arrived,
Last Friday was the last day of the summer program! We are thankful to our summer class for their commitment and effort. It is our hope that we honored our commitment to them: a real-world experience and constructive feedback. Along the way
Getting toward the end of the Summer Associate program, we are all amazed at how quickly our time here has gone by. In addition to the interesting assignments and fun social events, the Summer Associates had a great opportunity
Following some of the great times we have had getting to know one another at social events like the Poker Tournament, we have also been gaining valuable work experience in all of Bilzin Sumberg’s different practice areas. This week, we focused on Real Estate Transactions, as the Summer Associates participated in the
On the first day of summer, we sat in the Bilzin Sumberg boardroom with Marshall Pasternack and Jessica Buchsbaum. Marshall was telling us that the summer program would fly by before we knew it. Well, here we sit nine weeks later and his words have proved prophetic.
The summer experience has been fulfilling in
Among the many wise words that Marshall Pasternack expresses to the summer associates each year, “enjoy every moment because the summer is going to fly by” has hit home the most. It is hard to believe – mind-blowing, in fact – that we have been working at Bilzin Sumberg for over five weeks and are
Bilzin Sumberg keeps all of the summer associates busy and on the move. Whether it be through community involvement, social events, or practical simulations like the mock real estate transaction, our calendars are often full of interesting opportunities to both learn and immerse ourselves in the firm.
Even with all of these