Tag Archives: Co-op

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Update on my Co-op Experience at NUSL

Hi all-

I wrote this piece a few months back and it somehow got lost on its way to being posted.  Look for another update on my 3L year in the next few days. Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Safe travels for those hitting the roads or airports.

August 2011:

“As promised in my first post, here is an update on my coop experiences thus far at Northeastern.  On Friday, I finished my third coop as a summer associate at a big firm in Boston.  The summer associate program seemed short and the coop was over before I could blink.  Looking back on my experiences at the firm, there were many highlights: the opportunity to serve as a witness in a will-signing ceremony, observing a federal district court sentencing hearing, and working directly with a pro-bono non-profit client on a tax matter.

One of the benefits of spending a coop at a big, general practice firm is the ability to get a variety of experiences in several areas of the law. I have found after 2 years of law school that there is a very strong emphasis on litigation both in and out of the classroom.  However, my most recent stint at this big law firm provided a unique opportunity to get transactional experience, which is unlike any traditional litigation matter.  The firm I spent the summer with has a strong corporate legal department with established private equity and business & technology practice groups that place a strong emphasis on mergers & acquisitions.  The opportunity to see and understand what a corporate attorney does for a living is something I highly recommend to anyone who is unsure if litigation is your true calling.  Corporate law requires a great deal of creativity, attention to detail, and collaborative mindset. If I just described your attitude in life, you might love transactional work!

I am coming off of back-to-back coops.  This spring, I worked at a boutique labor and employment firm in Boston.  As mentioned in my first post, my background is in labor relations.  During my second coop, I was able to put some of my pre-NUSL experiences to good use.  Employment law certainly has a great deal of litigation focus.  However, I found that quite often, the firm’s role was to provide advice and counseling for their clients (employers) in order to prevent litigation.  Much like the transactional work in a corporate practice, collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations or mediations provide a somewhat unique avenue for putting a JD to good use.

The real advantage to Northeastern’s Coop model is the opportunity to take a class, such as employment law, and then apply for a coop in that field if you find the class interesting.  The goal—for those of you who may be uncertain about what area of the law is right for you—can be for you to narrow down your options to the one or two areas of the law that truly grab your attention before you graduate.”

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Thanksgiving Break Grind

I hate to be a downer, especially with delicious plates of turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce just mere days away. But with this Thanksgiving break approaching, I can’t help but keep my eye on the stuffing prize… GET MY OUTLINES DONE!

You read that correctly. My goal for Thanksgiving is not to catch up on sleep, but to understand the difference between Subject Matter and Personal Jurisdiction, to memorize the different theories of causation, to itemize the Purchase and Sale agreement used in real estate transactions, and if there is time, to catch up on sleep. I hear this is pretty typical for a 1L. I guess I’m not the exception.

Vacation is a nice idea; and time-off to “get things done” sounds like the more practical approach. I’m looking forward to family time, but I’m also looking forward to feeling prepared for the last few weeks of school.

Speaking of giving thanks, I am SO thankful that I go to Northeastern. In light of a recent New York Times article, law firms are reporting that despite $150,000+ and 3 years spent on a legal degree, spring-chicken lawyers are simply not prepared to work. The article states:

“Law schools know all about the tough conditions that await graduates, and many have added or expanded programs that provide practical training through legal clinics… One 2010 study of hiring at top-tier law schools since 2000 found that the median amount of practical experience was one year, and that nearly half of the faculty members have never practice law for a single day.”

Well, David Segal must not have spoken to anyone at NUSL. We don’t have trade-school anxiety  or professors too concerned with their articles to excel at teaching. In fact, all of my professors share practical, real world experience. One even teaches us things we can use to impress our future employers. And on top of everything, in order to graduate, every student is required to work 4 internships! We are field-trained before we go out in the world and more prepared and more able to do the work we will be hired to do! Now that’s something to be thankful for.

T. G. I. Co-op!

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Work-Life Balance.

I cannot believe that I have exams in less than 2 weeks! Time flies when you are having fun. . . except that studying for exams is not that fun. . . neither is studying for class . . . or studying period. :/  I try to balance my work and my life by creating weekly to-do lists.  At the beginning of this past week I created a to-do list of 34 items that I wanted to get accomplished in regards to school and personal life.  As of now, I have marked-out/accomplished 21 items on said list.  Which is great.  I hope by Sunday I can finish the other 13 items on the list.  *Fingers Crossed*

In other unrelated news – my birthday was a couple of weeks ago!!! I cannot believe that I am 26 years old! [Side Note:  The saying goes, 'a woman should never tell her age,' but I do not mind. :) ]  I celebrated my birthday jointly with a good friend of mine from law school: we had two birthday celebrations.  The first event was a birthday party at my house and then at a lounge in Boston.  It was a lot of fun. Great friends… Great music… Good times.  The second part of our week long celebration consisted of an intimate dinner with some of our close friends.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday and I cannot wait until my birthday next year!

As for co-op -  I have decided to do my winter co-op in Hawaii at a general practice firm because I want to gain experience working at a firm (and skipping a Boston winter sounds amazing).  I am extremely excited about my winter co-op.  ALOHA!

Lastly, today was a hard day for me because it marks the anniversary of my best friend’s murder.  She was an amazing person and I miss her a lot on a daily basis.  Needless to say, it was very hard to concentrate in class today. I constantly pray for her family and other close friends because I know how hard it is to cope with everyday life knowing that she is gone. – In law school, personal things happen in everyone’s life, the hard part is trying to balance personal experiences with the time constraints of school.  I do not think I have mastered that balance, but I do think that it is important for me to try and master a balance in order to fulfill my goals of graduating from law school and further becoming a lawyer. I can do it. :)

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Busy. Busy. Busy.

I must say that this is the busiest quarter of my law school career!!! There has been so much going on these past few weeks.  On a weekly basis I juggle: job searching, co-op interviewing, class readings, outlining, and extra curricular activities.  Although I am very busy, I can say that I thoroughly enjoy every second of it.

I spend most of my days immersed in reading and case briefing for class. I am currently taking a corporations class which I find interesting because the corporate world is very foreign to me.  Right now I am working on my corporations outline because I have a midterm this Thursday.  My outline thus far is 18 pages and I am about three-fourths through the material.  I have been working on this outline since last week Thursday and I hope to finish it by tomorrow night.

Switching subjects a bit – For co-op this winter I applied to quite a few firms.  My first three co-ops were human rights (http://asia-in-india.blogspot.com/ ) and government based. Thus,  since I have not experienced corporate firm life yet, I thought it would be a good idea to try it out before I graduated.  I mainly applied to firms in New York City, but I also applied to one in Hawaii.  I will keep you posted on my decision of which co-op I choose.

Today, BLSA teamed up with the Women’s Law Caucus and attended the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk.   BLSA walks every year in honor of our faculty advisor, Professor Susan Maze-Rothstein, who is a breast cancer survivor.  I really enjoyed walking with my fellow classmates for this great cause.

Although law school can be very challenging and time consuming, it is worthwhile to have a work/life balance.  I exercised this work/life balance and traveled to New York to visit my boyfriend last weekend.   I enjoyed hanging out in Manhattan in the fresh fall air. The weekend was even more exciting because while in New York I had the opportunity to meet up with my best friend for dinner!

Finally, I cannot believe that I am half way through this quarter!!!! I look forward to Thanksgiving Break and further my winter co-op!

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3L Year Begins!

Last week was the first week back at school! Although it is kind of tough transitioning from co-op to class, I am excited to start my 3L year. It was great seeing all of friends and classmates last week and hearing of their amazing experiences on their different co-ops. Some interned with federal judges, while others worked for firms, the government, or as in-house counsel. One friend in particular embarked on an amazing opportunity this fall quarter. She traveled to Kampala, Uganda this past Wednesday to work for a Human Right’s Organization that focuses specifically on women’s rights. My friend’s current experience shows one of the many great things about Northeastern. If a student wants to work internationally for a particular cause they can do so through NUSL. For example, I interned in Delhi, India with The Human Rights Law Network through the PHRGE fellowship (http://asia-in-india.blogspot.com/), and my friend recently traveled to Uganda to work for what she believes in. The co-op program at NUSL is extraordinary.

This quarter I am taking four classes: Advanced Legal Research, Negotiations, Corporations, and Family Law. I have three classes on Tuesday and Thursday, and one class on Monday and Wednesday. Taking three classes in one day is a bit challenging, but it is worth it because I do not have Friday classes.

One of my many goals for this school year is to have a work-life balance. Along with my four classes I am in the process of applying for jobs post-graduation, and further applying to positions for my winter co-op: I have a lot to do for school and my career. In order for me to accomplish my goal of having a work-life balance I plan to to have fun this quarter! Boston is an amazing place with a lot of rich history. I unfortunately did not have a chance to explore Boston as much as I wanted my two prior years in law school, however I plan to do it now. :) In addition, this past weekend was labor day weekend and I spent it in Rhode Island for a wedding. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and I was grateful to have a break from school.

This upcoming week is going to be a very busy one. Not only do I have class, but I also have to run the first Black Law Student Association (BLSA) meeting. This year I am chair (president) of BLSA. BLSA is one of the most active organizations on NUSL’s campus. Not only does BLSA organize events for the NUSL population and the community at large, but we also serve as a support system for our members in order for them to succeed in law school and further accomplish their career goals. I am extremely excited about this year for BLSA!

For now I am headed to sleep because I have an early 10:15am class in the morning. Some of you may be thinking that 10:15am is not early at all, however I am not a morning person. Until next time, good night.

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Good seeing you, Toronto

I had a great time this past Friday getting to meet many potential law school students in the great Canadian city of Toronto. It was a busy time to be in town: the Toronto International Film Festival was taking place just blocks from the Law School Admissions Council host hotel, and I even spotted at least one movie star (my lips are sealed!).

One of the many questions I got talking with forum attendees was about co-op and our international opportunities. NUSL is working to expand our international reach through the co-op program and increasingly students are going abroad to pursue co-ops. You can find more information about our international co-ops on the Co-op Services Website. We also have placed a renewed emphasis on our international law courses and opportunities (learn more about that here).

While in Canada I also had a chance to explore the city’s Chinatown, Wellesley-Church neighborhood, the Distillery District, the area around Eaton Centre (especially the new Eaton Centre Urban Eatery – now that’s a fancy food court!), and St. Lawrence Market. What a lovely city that reminded me of the walk-ability and neighborhood feel of Boston.

On Friday, while looking for something to eat near Eaton Centre prior to the law school forum, I literally ran into a group of Canadian university students parading the start of the school year. What fun!

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Reminiscing: Summer 2011

It rained today!!! I don’t know why the rain compelled me to write this blog post, but for some reason it did. One great thing about the rain is that my car gets a free car wash! I know what you’re thinking, but hey, I have to cut costs where I can. :)

As I look out of the window at the rain falling from the sky, I reminisce about my morning and further my summer as a whole. This morning I took the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). The MPRE is a test that all law students must pass in order to practice law in most jurisdictions. Although it is only a two hour test, the multiple choice questions are a bit tricky; thus, I studied and prepared for it by taking both a professional responsibility course at school and a Kaplan course on my own. I was a little nervous going into the test, but I adequately prepared for it and by God’s willing, I will do fine.

With less than a week left of my internship at the US Attorney’s Office, I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my summer. My co-op this summer was very thought-provoking and interesting. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant attorneys who have an array of knowledge that I can only hope to have one day. I loved this internship because the lawyers trusted me, along with the other interns, to draft responses to defendants’ motions and to appellate briefs: which definitely improved my writing. Subsequently, they read over my drafts, made corrections, debriefed my writing with me, and filed the document in court. I must say that it was a great feeling knowing that my hard work was used for the betterment of society. In addition, I had the opportunity to go on field trips with the other interns. Specifically, we visited the police station, TSA division at the airport, post office, and prison. There was one other field trip to the medical examiner’s office in which I did not attend because I knew that I could not stomach seeing an autopsy from start to finish.

Along with co-op, I also must reflect on the relationships that I’ve built throughout the summer. Moving to Nashville was a new experience for me. Prior to this summer I’ve had a limited amount of experience in Nashville: I attended college about an hour and a half away from Nashville but would only travel there a couple of weekends a semester with friends. Needless to say, living here was a bit different than a casual weekend trip. I moved to Nashville only knowing a couple of people in the city; therefore, I was inclined to make new friends. I was happy to learn that the interns with whom I would be working were all very nice. Throughout the summer we organized intern activities which included going to the swimming pool, having BBQ’s, going bowling, and much more. I am thankful for the relationships that I’ve built with my fellow interns and hope that they continue throughout the school year.

In addition, I also had a lot of fun this summer. Among other things, I took a trip to Houston and Rhode Island for weddings, traveled to New York for my boyfriend’s birthday, hung out with close college friends in Nashville, and went zip-lining! Yes! Zip-lining through trees over 60 feet above the ground. It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

I must say that although I enjoyed my summer here in Nashville, I still look forward to traveling back to Georgia next week in order to spend time with family and friends. I really miss my family and can’t wait to see them.

Lastly, in case you are wondering how my job search is going, I’ve applied to nine jobs so far! I feel very accomplished after submitting those applications. Hopefully, I’ll get an interview, but if not, I won’t give up the search!

Overall, this has been an extraordinary summer experience.

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No Time To Sleep!

A heat wave is just starting to settle over Boston. With temperatures over 100 degrees, it is hard to focus on just about anything. My garden, however, is loving the heat. Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers have finally started to explode and in a week or so I might have to start eating salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner just to use them all up.

Summer classes are going well and are at about their halfway point right now. I have really enjoyed each of my classes this summer and am surprised by how quickly the time has gone by. My finals are on August 15 and 16 so studying will get underway soon.

This summer I am also planning to take the MPRE. I started studying today and will do so for a few hours each day so I will be ready to go on August 5th. I’ve already taken Professional Responsibility so the concepts are familiar. Thankfully I took a small, fun seminar course so I remember almost all of the content. I’m crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly with the exam.

I also found out recently where my next coop will be. I will be working at a medium sized firm near State Street that practices in the areas of civil litigation, general business matters, corporate and employment law, as well as real estate and trusts and estates. I am really looking forward to the experience and excited to get started there, probably just after Labor Day.

As if all of that isn’t enough going on in one summer, I have also started to think about post-graduate employment and have been watching out for opportunities and have just started applying to various positions. I could not imagine a better end to this year than knowing where I will be working and what is in store for my future. For now, I am planning for every possibility and hoping for the best!

But before the summer ends I have a few fun plans in store. This summer I will be going on two mini vacations and finally taking my honeymoon. My two mini vacations are three day trips to Bar Harbor, Maine and Mystic, Connecticut. The Maine trip will be spent with my partner’s family this coming weekend and the other with my family just after finals. Then, just before starting coop, my partner and I are going to spend a week on Martha’s Vineyard! Since we have never been on vacation before, we are really looking forward to a quiet week spent laying on the beach, swimming and barbequing together.

Finally, I can’t believe that before I start my next coop my brother in law and the whole class of 2014 will start their law school career! I am really excited for him and sad that I will be away from campus for his first few months.

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Questions and Thoughts of a Rising 3L

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about life after law school. Specifically, what do I want to do after I take the bar next summer? Now, for some rising 3Ls this may be an exciting time, especially if that 3L has a job lined up already. However, this is very stressful for me because the job application process starts NOW!

I have yet to fully narrow down exactly what I would like to do after graduation, which makes the application process a bit difficult because I should start applying now. I know that that I am interested in criminal law and human rights, and in addition, I know that I would like to do some kind of judicial clerkship. But then again, I wouldn’t mind working at a DA’s office; or small/medium size firm; or attaining a fellowship for a year; or working for a non-profit; this list goes on.

I cannot help but wonder whether other rising 3Ls are going through the same dilemma of what to do after graduation. Where to move? What to practice? When to apply? How to apply? Now, I must admit that I am not completely lost in my application process because NUSL has an amazing career services department. I am grateful for the NUSL career services office because they have been extremely helpful as I tackle the journey of applying for jobs. It is great to know that they are just a phone call away.

So, now for the question you may have been thinking: “Asia, what HAVE YOU decided about life after law school? Have you decided anything?” Well, the good news is that I have decided to focus my job applications in Georgia (which is where I am originally from)!!! That’s exciting! Right? I have my region narrowed down. :) However, I definitely am not stuck on moving to Georgia. For example, if there is an opportunity elsewhere, then I am willing and able to take it.

Which brings me to my next point (thought): in order to practice law, one must take the bar. That is clear. But, what happens if say, I take the Georgia bar, then find out I have an opportunity to work in California. What happens then? I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I am definitely taking the Georgia bar, but does that mean I should only apply to jobs in Georgia? Or, should I also expand my horizons elsewhere?

My life right now is full of questions. I know what I have to do: research and apply for jobs. However, finding the right job for me is a bit of a struggle. I’ve been speaking with the attorneys at my office (as a reminder I am currently doing an internship with the US Attorney’s Office in Nashville), and they’ve told me that my first job out of law school will not be my last. That’s reassuring because as of now, I do not know what I would like to do with the rest of my life. Obviously I want to practice law, however, the specific sector and job are both still up in the air. I have my preferences, but then again I also have an open mind.

So another thought of mine is potentially going back to school to attain an LLM or masters. Since I would consider myself a “life-long learner,” maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go back to school and attain another degree. Hmmm, maybe I should go back to school after I graduate law school? Actually, scratch that. I am going to focus on applying for jobs. :)

I will definitely keep you posted on my further thoughts regarding my job search. Wish me luck!

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Welcome

It is an honor to be part of the NUSL blogging team. I hope to share various insights and experiences with prospective law students. When I think back to the time I made the decision to attend law school at Northeastern, I remember experiencing some anxiety as to whether I was making the right decision to leave the workforce and return to school. In large part, this anxiety was because I had made my decision not based on objective facts, statistics or information, but largely on my “gut instinct.” I am now a 3L at Northeastern. I have been happy with my decision thus far. However, relying on my “gut instinct” instead of making the decision based on objective facts and information is likely not the best idea for all. Thus, my goal, in part, of writing this blog is to help readers who are in similar positions as I was a few years ago to get a better understanding of the “whole picture” before they decide to embark on what can be a very rewarding experience as a law student at Northeastern University School of Law.

By way of background, I grew up in Natick, a suburb 20 miles west of Boston. I attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. I majored in Industrial and Labor Relations. My undergraduate degree provided me with a unique blend of a traditional liberal arts education while providing expertise in the labor-management field with a business and pre-law focus. Although I had a number of opportunities to learn about various aspects of labor and employment law while studying at Cornell, I was still uncertain whether law school was the logical next step for me.

Instead of jumping right into law school, I decided to apply my labor experience as labor relations professional. I spent two years working full-time for a Fortune 100 engineering and technology corporation. By 2008, the economic recession hit hard. Like many others who go on to graduate school, I was under the impression that school is a safe-haven from the cyclical nature of our economy. At the time, I did not realize how much change the legal profession was experiencing as a result of the pressure applied by struggling businesses across the country and world. I will discuss some of these changes in future posts.

Somewhat in the dark as to all of the developments mentioned, I moved forward with my applications to law schools. I remember finding it very hard to differentiate between other law schools as I would peruse websites, embark on guided tours, and read various law school ranking books. I was attracted to Northeastern largely because of its Co-op program.

The Northeastern Cooperative Educational Program is a unique approach to legal education that emphasizes practical experience to support the traditional classroom learning. For me, the opportunity to spend four 11-week internships is the perfect way to identify what area of law I am most interested in pursuing after graduation. Also, these four “coops” can serve as 3-month job interviews with prospective employers who have a demonstrated commitment to Northeastern graduates. What better way to get your foot in the door at an employer?

Currently, I am on my third coop at a large, general practice firm in Boston. I have only been with the firm a few days, but it has been an excellent learning experience thus far.

In my next post, I will share more of my experiences in my current coop as well as tell you a bit about where I have been in my previous two coops. Enjoy the good weather (finally) and the start of what should be a fantastic summer.