At the beginning of November, the Associate Committee at Bilzin Sumberg organized an Associate and Of Counsel Day focused on networking, business development, and collaboration. The Committee, consisting of Erin Stafford, Hannah Lidicker, Ellina Berdichevsky, Brianna Sainte, and Alexandra Barshel, started the initiative to build camaraderie among new attorneys and to
Today, I had the pleasure of witnessing the swearing in ceremony of my 16th group of first year associates. Because each swearing in is special, I never tire of watching our newest associates take their Oath of Attorney.
Week 1 of The Academy is in the books, and Ben, Brianna, and I are looking forward to Week 2. We are especially looking forward to taking the Oath of Admission to the Florida Bar and celebrating with our families and colleagues.
Last week our program focused on a broad spectrum of topics, including time-management
We have reached the conclusion of another exciting day at Bilzin Sumberg’s Academy! Today was an opportunity for us as incoming first-year associates to sharpen our skills, spend time with other attorneys in the firm, and just have some flat-out fun
The more I get to learn about what it means to be a part of Bilzin Sumberg, the more I learn that the firm is more than just the high quality and complex work that it does, but it is also
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
Though it seems like just yesterday Eric, Brianna, and I were signing off for the final time as summer associates, everything has come full circle and we have returned to Bilzin Sumberg as full-fledged attorneys. Yesterday, as our first day and the firm’s immersive Academy experience began, the Florida Supreme Court released this year’s
On Wednesday, the other summer associates and I had the opportunity to teach a group of middle school students the relationship between freedom of speech under the First Amendment and cyber bullying.
The small group of students visited the firm through the Breakthrough Miami program, which Sara Herald is deeply involved in. Breakthrough Miami is an academic enrichment program that uses student-teaching-student models to ensure that young children attending under-resourced schools still have access to educational opportunities. The program has a 100% high school graduation rate as well an over 90% college attendance rate for the young students involved.
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Law school teaches us how to analyze a case, what study habits work best, and how to prioritize time. However one thing my 1L year did not teach me is what to expect at a local government meeting or litigation hearing.
In the last week, I have attended a city commission meeting with the Bilzin Sumberg Land Use department and a hearing for the Litigation department. Both experiences highlighted the importance of over preparation and being able to adjust to changing circumstances.
We arrived to the City of Miami commission meeting nearly an hour ahead of time so we could set up and organize our materials. Although I have attended local government meetings before, I was unsure of what to expect. We did not know when our item would be heard or how long it would take. But while we waited, I was able to hear from dozens of community members as they spoke about the issues that mattered to them. Then when our item came up, the team had to be prepared to find any document or board that proved relevant all within the few minutes allotted to speak. Prior to learning about the Land Use department, I was not aware that an area of law like this even existed. In just a few weeks, I have learned about procurement and how lawyers practicing in this area often attend meetings like these as another form of advocating for their clients.
The importance of preparation proved instrumental at the civil court hearing I attended as well. This was my first time at the Miami-Dade County Court House. When the case was called, Jake Greenberg allowed me to stand with him as he addressed the judge to really get the full effect. Although the hearing lasted no more than fifteen minutes, I was able to see how crucial it is to familiarize yourself with your case. Curveballs can come up and as a lawyer, you have to be prepared to answer questions and advocate for your client.
Continue Reading What Law School Doesn’t Show Us
Last night, the summer associates joined alumni from previous summer associate classes at Two Chefs for a group cooking class. Having about fifteen people work together to make a full dinner with starters, entrées, and desserts sounds more chaotic than it really was. Quite frankly, not