Lots to learn and read

I have been lucky in that I have worked with many of the lawyers specializing in different practice areas. One long term project I do is research and document collection for a client that is seeking to protect themselves in case a suit is filed against them in the future. The accident occurred in 2017 so there is a lot of back log and research that I work on in between other assignments. This is an example of a task that is really integral for the attorneys to be able to function and represent the client to the best of their abilities, but research in this capacity isn’t billable so it often falls onto the paralegals and file clerks to complete. After finding a relevant report or article i will read it and write an executive summary on an excel sheet which contains the relevant information of that source and how to access it in the future. This spreadsheet currently has most of the research, reports, and articles dating back to 2017 but lack executive summaries which are necessary for the attorneys to access the relevant information in a timely manner. I have gained great experience in my researching skills and ability to summarize long reports into 1-2 sentence summaries. This work has given me insight into the massive amount of prep work needed to defend a client but also the struggle to gain all this information when the time spent on researching isn’t billable. I know that the work I’ve done on this project will be very helpful in the event that a suit is filed against our client or the company they insure.

I also assist the lawyers in compiling exhibits for depositions, mediation, and trials so I see first hand what they believe is important to winning the case. I compiled medical documents for a case and assisted an associate in completing a timeline which will be used in the office and during depositions this summer.

This past week, I assisted 2 partners who were trying to resolve a boundary dispute and conflicting surveyors’ reports. The main partner on the case was seeking additional help from Laura, who worked as in house counsel at a realty firm for many years, and I was pulled in to help as well. I got to look through deeds for several abutting properties dating back to 1890 and compare the language to the surveyors drawings. It was like a puzzle working to resolve this dispute, and the main lawyer would often walk by my desk and tell me to stop drawing the properties over and over but that is how I discovered where the variance came from. When Laura and I were initially pulled in I don’t think the main lawyer had any idea that we would spend so much time trying to solve the puzzle, but once I started I was having so much fun that I couldn’t stop until I figured it out. We spoke with one surveyor and opposing counsel to further understand the case, and I was able to sit in on the phone calls and participate because I had spent so much time decoding the deeds. The work I did in breaking down and analyzing the deeds ultimately allowed us to reach the conclusion we did. Puzzles and decoding materials is a large part of my job, and I believe the work I did on this case in particular allowed us to reach to conclusion we did. I think this skill will help me in the future, both in school when analyzing materials and post-grad because there are so many moving parts that is is important to understand which pieces really matter.

I have started to reach out more to lawyers in different practice areas that I have had less interaction with to further my internship experience and gain a deeper understanding of how different practice areas go about case management. I hope to help prepare for and sit in on a deposition in the next few weeks, because I believe seeing the lawyers interact with opposing counsel and their clients will allow me to see the lawyers in a different light. I attended a civil trial, however the DH attorney was representing the fourth party defendant and barely spoke so I think a deposition will allow me to see what goes into preparing and how the attorneys act in that setting. My favorite work so far are assignments which go from researching and drafting memos to revising and sending out the final draft. I am able to learn so much in these tasks because I learn about the relevant statutes and case law then apply that information to memos. These memos are then compiled by the lawyer and given back to me to supplement missing information. I receive feedback in each step and apply these comments and critiques to future assignments.