Passionate about criminal justice and social justice to help others in the community
I spent this past summer working for Andelson Atkinson Loya Ruud and Romo in the Education Law Practice Group. I was tasked with conducting legal research on client questions and writing out memos for the partners who would then send over a response to the clients. Although a large majority of my time with the firm was spent in front of a computer, I was able to hone in my legal research and writing skills. I learned that writing for law school and writing for a partner could be vastly different particularly because many times I was asked to complete my tasks within hours or a day. I also had to become acquainted with saying no to associates or partners which can be daunting given the idea that you always want to make yourself available and put your best foot forward. Nevertheless, it was a skill I am thankful to have gained because burn out is real even as a law clerk.
In between the writing assignments and meetings, the partners made time (usually twice a week) to take us out to lunch and get to know us. They would give me and the other law clerks advice on how to proceed in the legal field and talk to us about their times as clerks. They took us out baseball games, both Angels and Dodgers, and we even got to do an escape room as a team. However, the best part about working at AALRR this past summer was getting to work with my mentor. Elena was a large reason as to why I wanted to work in AALRR. She got my foot in the door with the firm and then continued to support me throughout the summer. At least once a week she would check in and ask me how my week was going, give me some advice, and sometimes talk about the office culture and what I could expect if I came back to work for AALRR. On days I wasn’t in the office, I would spend my time with friends or just do some self-care.
TOPICS: Experiential Learning