Whether it was working at a law firm, clerking for a judge or doing humanitarian work overseas, these four law students spent their summer honing their skills and learning new lessons.
Osato Chitou, Rutgers School of Law
Shawbell Consulting in Ghana
During my short summer stay interning with the legal consulting and institutional reform firm named Shawbell Consulting, I worked on a range of projects encompassing the institutional reform umbrella. Shawbell is located in Accra, Ghana, and is the area representative for Amazon.com.
I arrived in Ghana during such an opportune time. Like the United States, Ghanaian Presidential elections took place in November 2008.
The reason I chose to spend my first year summer in Ghana started two years earlier. Back in 2006, I traveled to Ghana to complete the required practicum for my Masters of Public Health Degree. I went to the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Gomoa District, Ghana, about 50 kilometers west of Accra. I was there to interview women about the role of social networks on their health. I was so disheartened upon my return to the United States, as I knew that I had to choose a more efficacious way to go about helping people. I saw “the law” as the answer, and soon began to gather the necessary materials needed to apply to law school.
Two years later, I was getting ready for my first year summer, and I knew that I had to visualize refugee camp and law firm in the same country. First, it was important for me to know that one can don a suit in “Africa” and that the image of success does not only lie in America, France, or the UK, but one can also be very successful in the developing world. Second, it was important for me to work for a Ghanaian-owned and operated firm, run by a Ghanaian woman in what is a man’s world. Because of my boss’s childhood and political connections I was allowed access to a world very few got to see.
Ghana of course wasn’t all work, as I took weekend excursions to the beautiful sites of Ghana. From the Dutch Castles that held slaves before they waved goodbye to the African Coast, to Kakum National Park — home of the canopy walk that allows visitors to walk atop the trees 100 feet above the forest, to the white sand deserted beaches that were picture perfect and could easily be mistaken for a Caribbean travel poster.
I was even a guest on the award winning political talk show, Good Evening Ghana. Where the host, a UK-trained political strategist who returned to Ghana to assist in the upcoming elections, sat down with me to talk about “Obamamania” and my reasons for coming to Accra.
Overall, my sojourn to Ghana was too short. However it was an amazing experience and I look forward to my next journey there.
Hua Wang, UCLA School of Law
Law Firm in Charlotte, N.C.
“What a phenomenal summer, even if I didn’t get to be in a drunken stupor on an exotic island while dancing to a Latin tune and kissing a handsome stranger,” said Hua Wang, a student at UCLA School of Law. “But I did get to experience life at a big law firm in Charlotte.”
The summer began in traditional fashion with several days of orientation activities and training. We learned how to bill our time in six-minute increments, and were introduced to our professional assistants. Included on the schedule were a series of lunches at fancy restaurants, a cocktail reception at a partner’s home and a Charlotte Bar Association picnic — all designed to introduce us to the firm and to the legal profession.
It was good to meet everyone and also to begin bonding with the other three summer associates. Lawyers encouraged us to explore new areas, broaden our perspectives, participate in pro bono and grapple with the question of how to live our lives as future lawyers. We were encouraged to think of the firm in global terms, and also told of some of the firm’s exciting initiatives to grow the practice.
I made my share of rookie mistakes this summer. I tried to write a transactions memo in the same format as my legal writing memo (complete with an introduction and statement of facts), only to have the assignment returned completely covered with red marks. I was warned beforehand that lawyers love marking up documents, but I was shocked to see that every line of my memo had a red mark.
The Lexis and WestLaw researchers became my best friends this summer as I relied on their help for most of my assignments. It was comforting to know that they were a phone call away, and behind closed doors, no one would know that I called them for help on the most simple research tasks.
Like any summer program, I had my fair share of being wined and dined. I did not have to pay for lunch once during the summer. I got quite used to three course meals, and had so much good food that I started craving my law school diet of Raman noodle and $1 Inn-n-Out hamburgers.
The Summer Associates were told to leave at around 6:30 p.m. each night, which was necessary, given all the daily activities planned for the evening (cocktail receptions, etc). One evening, I returned to the office at around 9:30 p.m. to grab my coat, and was surprised to see a good number of attorneys still working. I guess the firm wants summers to believe that leaving at 6:30 p.m. was the norm.
I went to Charlotte as a naïve and idealistic law student. I left Charlotte as an excited law student who is excited about the future and the fascinating opportunities offered by a legal career.
Alex Lewis, Rutgers School of Law
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in Africa
Working for the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) during the 2008 election crisis was as much an education in lawlessness as it was preparation for human rights lawyering. Just living there was an unforgettable experience.
ZLHR’s office was officially closed for virtually my entire time there, in response to police raids on other civil society groups in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. Human rights lawyers in Zimbabwe are a dwindling community, and every time another lawyer succumbs to death threats, police harassment and hopelessness by leaving the country, human rights law becomes harder to practice. Those who openly advocate for change in Zimbabwe are well known, and subjected to severe pressure. Every attempt is made to weaken their voices.
The Zimbabwe Peace Project reported some 16,400 incidents of political violence during the election crisis, including the killings of 500 MDC activists. Tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes, spreading the disastrous consequences of the violence throughout the country and the region.
Throughout the crisis, I worked on ZLHR’s Transitional Justice Project, researching the decline of the police and judiciary, and writing recommendations for reform. It was difficult but fascinating work, entailing research into Zimbabwe’s constitutional, legislative, and institutional histories, all of which are colored by colonial history.
It is easy to become discouraged, working on historical research and constitutional abstractions while the storm rages outside. But, while I do not delude myself that my recommendations will be implemented—nor would I want them to be, given my lack of expertise—it’s hugely satisfying to know that my research will be the basis for further discussion among people whose voices matter for Zimbabwe’s future.
Angela Carlon, Washburn University School of Law
Husch Blackwell Sanders in Kansas City
I made it. I am a summer associate at a Top 100 law firm. It has been everything I had hoped for and more. There were many great events to attend, but not too many, and even a trip with all of the other summer associates.
I may have found a diamond in the rough. Everyone has made me feel so comfortable. Out of hope for an offer at the end of the summer, or just my general love for corporate work, I felt I did a great job for most of the summer.
I had been waiting to work on a bond project for a few weeks. I’m a nerd, so it sounded interesting. The assigning attorney gave me a copy of the document from the earlier transaction setting out all deadlines our client may need to comply with.
On the following Monday morning I waved hello to the assigning attorney in passing. He was looking for me. I had missed a few very basic details. The assigning attorney was nice about it, but this made him think I hadn’t understood the transaction. I really had thrown myself into the deal and felt like I understood it. But, mistakes on the fundamental small details of a project make the whole work seem less reliable.
If you have made a mistake, the next step is accepting responsibility for it, and moving on. Even though it was painful to see, it helped me understand how he wanted the document to look.
You may have heard this 1,000 times, but I’m here to tell you again. “Proofread your documents!” And if you have been immersed in a project all day, wait 24 hours and read it again.
An attorney told me once that I should work for the firm that I would want to be a part of if I made a mistake. Throughout this ordeal it became clear that this firm will be behind me even if I make a mistake.
