Interesting assignments:
My first assignment involved research for a client who purchased another company's assets. I initially analyzed which parties to the litigation were necessary parties for a motion to sever. What I appreciated most about the case is that I had the opportunity to grow with it over the course of the summer. The partner took me with him to attend court the first week in the summer and I have since had other assignments related to the same matter. Another issue for the case was jurisdictional and involved researching the effects of a motion to stay from the bankruptcy court on our litigation in state court. The final week of the summer, we went to court again to see how the judge ruled on another motion. What I learned from working on this assignment was to be diligent in my research, to believe in myself, and to defend my opinions with conviction.
I didn't think that I would enjoy working on a bankruptcy case before working with Jonathan Young on an assignment. I was able to assist him with research for a settlement dispute between our client and another creditor. Specifically, the issue was whether the other company had mitigated its damages under the terms of the contract. Jonathan really took the time to train me throughout the assignment. He has an amazing ability to synthesize a difficult concept and made sure that I understood the various aspects of the issue right from the start. While working on the project, I sat in on a conference call with the clients, compared laws from different states, and saw Jonathan turn my draft into a polished finish product that he sent to the clients. What I learned from working with Jonathan was to define a term and use that term. We're not writing fiction; we're writing legal documents. I also learned how to have a good time while working hard. We discussed the case over lunch on a rooftop deck in the sun and listened to an album by the Blind Alabama Boys in the background as we drafted the final product.

Most rewarding/fun part of the summer:
The most rewarding part of the summer has been the opportunity to learn to from so many brilliant teachers. I really appreciated the writing workshop that John Frey presented. He gave us simple, straight-forward advice that helped me become a better writer. Of course, having Denise Lazar look over my final written product helped a lot as well. In addition, Cal Burnton offered a deposition clinic, which I was excited to participate in. I have learned so much, and that is the rewarding aspect of the summer. I've appreciated developing new skills and refining ones I already had. The most fun was hands down the bowling party.

One thing you've learned this summer that they don't teach in law school:
I'll actually start with what law school has taught me that turned out to be true so far. We have a dusty sign hanging in the hall [at school] that states, 'Contracts and Torts. This is the law.' As I reviewed my assignments this summer, each of them, in its most simple form, has basically involved someone either breaching a contract or breaching a duty. I'm glad that I paid attention in those classes. However, law school doesn't teach us how to be a lawyer. We learn from casebooks where the opinions have already been written for parties with whom we have no relationship. It can be a very detached exercise. Although law school helps lay the foundation, the attorneys at Wildman have really taught me how to think strategically about a case, how to deal with clients, and how to win a case.

Colin O'Donovan

Interesting assignments:
[Managing partner] Bob Shuftan gave me an assignment. I also got to do some work on a copyright issue with the guidance of the very helpful [IP Practice Group chair] John Letchinger. It speaks volumes about the firm that Bob and John devoted as much time and effort as they did to helping me. I worked with John Street on a project with a very compelling set of facts. There was a challenge to the validity of a marriage, which would affect the estate and benefit payouts. With John's guidance, I drafted the reply brief. I never thought that I'd have that type of opportunity as a summer associate.

Most rewarding/fun part of the summer:

One thing you've learned this summer that they don't teach in law school:
It's hard to pick just one thing, but Colin and I observed depositions involving one of [Litigation practice group chair] Craig White's matters one day, and he invited us into his office to discuss them. The hour or so that Colin and I spent talking with Craig was probably the most educational hour of my summer.

John Seber

Interesting assignments:
I spent a good part of a month working on an interesting project for Alison Conlon. The client was sued for breach of contract, and I helped research possible defenses to the plaintiff's summary judgment motion. Alison made the assignment especially interesting for me by soliciting my opinion on the quality of several possible defenses.
Jami Gekas provided another interesting assignment in a trademark infringement case. Jami wanted to attack the mark in question as generic, so she asked me to find and summarize past cases where defendants sued by the plaintiff had tried the same thing. It was interesting to see the range of responses to the genericness argument depending on the date of the opinion and which judge issued it.

Most rewarding/fun part of the summer:

One thing you've learned this summer that they don't teach in law school:
Law school doesn't teach students how to bill time (and with good reason, as I suspect the dropout rate would skyrocket if they did). Still, it's a reality of law firm life, and I appreciated John Frey encouraging us to develop good timekeeping habits from our very first day here.

Dave Van Der Laan