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Each summer, ºìÌÒÊÓƵ students can be found across the country sharpening their lawyering skills through a wide variety of experiences. In this series, students share a firsthand account of their meaningful work in private and public agencies, non-profit organizations and government offices.

This summer I was at Van Ness Feldman, a mid-sized environmental law firm. The firm specializes in environmental, land use, real estate, and tribal law and has two offices: one in D.C. and one in Seattle. I had a particularly unique experience because I was the only summer associate in the Seattle office. Through my experience at VNF, I did substantive legal work and received a lot of useful advice for my legal education.

As the only summer associate, I had quite a bit of responsibility and was able to help partners with real legal issues. For example, one partner asked me to write a motion to dismiss an appeal based on the State Environmental Policy Act. I wrote the first and second drafts and did the final round of edits on the motion. It was very useful to not only see how to file a motion, but also to learn how to respond to opposing counsel’s arguments. I learned that—like on a law school final exam—half the battle is spotting the issue by understanding what another attorney is arguing. I also learned that the ability to write and write well is invaluable.

After my summer at VNF, I changed my class schedule to add Local Law by Professor Hugh Spitzer. During the summer I found myself encountering local government issues, as many land use cases are dealt with at the municipality level. While I enjoyed the exposure, I decided that it would be helpful for my future career to take a class and really dive deep in local governance issues.

Partners and associates at VNF also gave me great advice on my law review comment, which examines the tensions between the Freedom of Information Act and tribal consultation in a natural resource context. It was great to get feedback from practicing attorneys who offered a unique perspective and insight into the problem.

Overall, VNF was my dream job; it showed me what my future legal career will look like and also helped me make sure I was taking the right classes my third year. I am very happy to be returning to VNF after graduation.