As 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.
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A Rewarding and Humbling Friday Morning
Since our first day at Bilzin Sumberg, we have been told how important it is for the firm to be actively involved in the community. With that in mind, last Friday, we took a break from our usual Friday schedules which usually entail wrapping up our
Feeding South Florida: A Drumroll, Please
Bilzin Sumberg provides opportunities to work together to benefit charitable organizations in South Florida and beyond. The firm’s strong commitment to the community has constantly been conveyed. This past Friday, our summer associate class took a break from assignments and volunteered
Bilzin Sumberg Cares
Our first two weeks at Bilzin Sumberg surpassed all expectations!
On Thursday, May 24th, we participated in one of the numerous opportunities the firm offers to give back to the community. The firm supported Red Nose Day, an international fundraising campaign dedicated to ending child poverty. After donating, we were all invited to clown around
See you soon!
I have the pleasure of writing the final blog post of the summer! It has a been a wonderful nine weeks full of fun, interesting work, tag alongs, community involvement, and lots of food. We appreciate
Feeding South Florida
Alex, Hannah, and Lauren had a chance to volunteer Wednesday night at Casa Valentina, but on Friday all the summer associates (along with Jessica Buchsbaum and Betsi Cobas) came together to give back to the community by volunteering at Feeding South Florida (FSF). FSF is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the hungry; it rescues 44 million pounds of food per year, as well as leads hunger and poverty advocacy efforts throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties.
We all got up early to drive to Hallandale Beach, where FSF has a sorting warehouse. Once we arrived, we were directed into an orientation room, where we were told to sign in and sit down. There were many summer associates from other South Florida law firms there to volunteer; each of us recognized some familiar faces from law school. Joe Baldelomar, FSF’s Volunteer Coordinator, entered the room and told us about FSF’s mission and methods. He also shared some harrowing facts about hunger in South Florida, including that 1 in 5 children go to bed hungry in the region.
Joe explained the process of how donated food is distributed to the hungry. Donated food is first brought to a FSF warehouse, where it is then inspected, sorted, and shipped away to be distributed in various communities throughout South Florida. We were there to help in the inspection and sorting process. Joe concluded his presentation, and we were directed into another larger area of the warehouse, where donated food is stored.
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Bilzin Gives Back
Early in our tenure here, we learned how much Bilzin Sumberg likes to give back.
Yesterday, the women of Bilzin Sumberg went to the Casa Valentina shelter as part of a United Way volunteer project. Casa Valentina is a shelter for former foster care and homeless youth. The shelter serves as a transition tool for its residents to learn to live and thrive independently. For weeks, the firm has collected cleaning supplies to donate to the shelter as housewarming gifts for new and current residents. Last night, the women of Bilzin Sumberg went to United Way to arrange baskets for the residents. We were joined by a room full of women from other firms around the city. Karyl and Salome showed Hannah, Lauren, and me the ropes packing baskets, decorating them with ribbon, and writing cards to the residents.
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Cheers (Fish) to That!
Between assignments and events, I soon found myself in week 5 of the summer associate program at Bilzin Sumberg. Along with week 5 came the highly anticipated Rosa Mexicano summer associate lunch in the wonderful company of Mitch Widom, Jessica Buchsbaum, and the litigation associates. After hearing plenty of stories
The Final Farewell
This week was by far the quickest, which says a lot considering how quickly nine weeks came and went as summer associates at Bilzin Sumberg. On Tuesday, we closed our summer-long Mock Real Estate deal with signatures and ceviche. Even after the exercise I think we’ll always question whether the other side really did
Summer Days, Drifting Away
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