Today I write my final blog as a Summer Associate at Bilzin Sumberg.
For the last hurrah of the Summer Program, all of the Summer Associates were back together again. It felt
The Last Hurrah: Fajitas & Golf
Expect the Unexpected
A few months ago, prior to my interview with Bilzin Sumberg, I remember meticulously combing through the company website in an effort to do my due diligence. When I stumbled upon the page dedicated to the Managing Partner, I read the contents carefully but with the expectation that I would never meet someone so
Demystifying Legal Speak: A Drafting Seminar with Real Estate
Last Friday, the summer associates and I participated in a drafting seminar led by Real Estate Practice Group partners, Tim DeKeyser and Marty Schwartz. This seminar focused on the importance of clear and concise prose that is free of legalese, ambiguities, and inconsistencies. Typically, in oral conversation, real estate lawyers are able to express
Continuing Competitive Streaks with Two Truths Kahoot!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned this summer, it’s that competition runs deep at Bilzin Sumberg. No, that’s not in reference to the work environment, which
Bourbon by Any Other Name: Would It Taste As Sweet?
When Jessica first sent out the summer event calendar, one event in particular had me excited—bourbon tasting with the Real Estate group!
As the event approached, I could hardly keep myself from opening the three bottles of bourbons that arrived at my door step a few days prior to the tasting. I really have to hand it the Real Estate Practice Group Leader, Adam Lustig, for inspiring such a terrific event!
The tasting was run by Kentucky Spirits Ltd., a virtual bourbon tasting company that launched in the middle of Covid as an offshoot of Hartfield and Co. Distillery. The founder of both companies, Andrew, led us on a bourbon tasting journey from three different distillers, sampling bottles that he hand selected.
As luck would have it, Bilzin Sumberg has a bourbon savant of our own on staff in Real Estate Partner, Timothy P. DeKeyser. Tim ostensibly served as our moderator for the evening and skillfully led our guide Andrew with insider questions.
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Mojitos: The Lifeblood of Miami
It’s official: everyone who steps foot in Miami must guzzle Mojitos. It’s the lifeblood of the city. Why else would there be no mint in the third grocery store in a row that I stopped at? As minty conspiracy theories whirred around the inside of my noggin, I made a desperate, last-minute stop at a Publix. Thankfully, they had the perennial herb in question. No facet of the Nathifa who breezed out of the store with the last container of viable mint could have prepared herself for what she saw once she entered her apartment–her roommate twirling through an 80s aerobics workout tape. Needless to say Thursday night desk mojitos were on the menu.
Touring Ireland with Corporate: An Unforgettable Journey
Last night, the rainy South Florida weather had the summer associates and I dreaming of brighter (and dryer) pastures. Like an episode from The Magic School Bus, the summer associates and the Corporate Practice Group took a quick field trip to the beautiful shores of Ireland. In mere seconds, thanks to Zoom, we arrived
The Hunt To Victory: Summer Associates Take On Brickell
I logged off my computer, changed into comfortable shoes, and headed to the elevators. With our first in-person event underway, I was thrilled to see my fellow summer associates, explore Brickell, and bring out my competitive side.
The summer associates met in the lobby to leave for the Scavenger Hunt that would include associates
Social Quizstancing: Trivia with the Litigation Practice Group
Wednesday night the Summer Associates had our first social event with a Practice Group. Trivia Night, hosted by Carl Boccuti, had us split into groups of 4-5 with the Litigation Practice Group to compete for the ultimate prize, bragging rights for the rest of the summer. The questions included everything from Rihanna’s birthplace to
Go Where You Are Validated
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.
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