If you’re interested in doing a Fall 2014 internship with the Connecticut Judicial Branch, the application deadline is August 15th. Information and applications are available here.
The CT Attorney General’s office accepts internship applications on a rolling basis. You can still try for fall or start planning for spring. Information is available on their website.
Good luck!
Registration is now open for the UConn Law School Fair. The Fair is open to UConn students and alumni as well as any one else interested in learning more about law school. As the date gets closer we will provide a list of the schools attending.
Please register in advance by here: http://bit.ly/170BgJU
What is your current position? Government Affairs Counsel
What year did you graduate from UConn? 2005
Where did you go to law school? How did you choose that school?
Syracuse University College of Law. A large reason I selected Syracuse was the opportunity to also attend the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs to pursue a Master of Public Administration jointly with my JD. To clear my name, I set up a UConn Alumni Chapter to brave the Carrier Dome with me each time the Huskies came to town!
What year did you graduate from law school? 2010
Major: Political Science
How did your major help you prepare for law school and for practice?
At its core, the Poli-Sci major has a large focus on writing and utilizing multiple sources to support a stated position. The major also attracts a large number of debate-prone, students not unlike what you’ll find in you 1L sections! Finally, the concepts of governance, ethics, and how the various legislative, regulatory and judicial arms work together as studied in the classroom inform my practice daily.
What organizations and activities (e.g., clubs, sports, study abroad) did you participate in while at UConn?
UConn Model United Nations
Habitat for Humanity
WHUS
Study Abroad: Rhodes, Greece
What jobs or internships did you have while at UConn?
Connecticut General Assembly
HuskyTech
Did you take any time off?
I took off just over two years before entering law school. I would highly recommend taking time off before taking the plunge into three years of law school. Between UConn and Syracuse I worked in e-commerce and marketing for a sporting goods outfit.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to a current UConn student?
Two specific points. First, only a very small number of attorneys practice in the area of constitutional law. It doesn’t mean you won’t be litigating the next great civil liberties case, but the odds are lower. Second, if you like technology, like I do, and you have an interest in intellectual property and patents you should think about getting a bachelor of science degree to be able to sit for the patent bar or at minimum take the type of classes that would prepare you to take the exam before the exam.
Beyond these points, I would say take as many writing classes as you can. And while there are a number of different types of attorneys, those that are writers and not lecturers, I would still advise you to take up opportunities to boost your confidence level when speaking to groups. If you’re not speaking before a jury or a judge you still would have to talk to your client, or an experienced partner.
What programs did you participate in during law school?
Moot Court as a participant, coach and now judge. I wrote for a journal as an associate editor and served as the Editor-in-Chief my 3L year. I was also a student member of the Federal Communications Bar Association.
Were you active in any student groups? Which?
Throughout law school I was highly involved with the Communications Law & Policy Society, serving as president my 3L year. This group sponsored panels and conferences at the law school bringing the experts from the field to our halls to discuss the issues of the day in communications law.
Did your involvement with those specific programs or organizations help you in your career path or in any other ways?
Yes. All of these participation helped me either hone the skills I needed as an attorney or provided opportunities to interact with those that work in my field though not in the most obvious ways. Being on a journal helped me to be a better writer, but as Editor-in-Chief I also got experience in managing a team of peers. With the Communications Law & Policy Society I learned a lot about an area I was interested in, but I also met mentors and made friends that I am still in touch with today. Be active but be focused and let your involvement take you where it leads. If you do something you are passionate about not only will you put more in but others will notice it in you.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you before law school?
One is too limiting! Follow around a lawyer for a while before you commit to a three years, and significant debt to the process. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times have followed the legal market and its debt burden with some focus over the past couple years—read up! Internships, and casual conversations with practicing lawyers is a good way to start. Also, work before going straight into law school. It was amazing to see new 1Ls that had never lived on their own struggle with paying bills as well as trying to keep up with the rest of their section. Also the more real life experiences you have the more understandable the coursework will be. Finally, don’t take too seriously the comments and postings from Above the Law and the other blogs out there about school status and rankings. While I’d advise you to go to an ABA accredited school, beyond that the school has to meet your needs and your focus first.
Describe your practice setting.
I work for a national trade association representing the wireless infrastructure industry.
Area(s) of practice.
Administrative Law, Telecommunications, Technology
How did you choose this area of law?
I had a fascination with technology and the Internet specifically and what it enabled. I felt that the laws and policy that existed when I decided to enter into law school had not kept pace with the technology that they were being matched to. They still don’t!
Is there a typical day? How would you describe it?
Sort-of. As a trade association, our clients are our dues paying members from industry. On any given day I am working to ensure that our members are up-to-date on the issues happening in Washington, meeting with those at the FCC, White House, Congress and other federal and state agencies to discuss pending regulatory changes or policy changes. There are also a lot of interesting government counsel type discussions happening internally as related to how our association is run.
How many hours per week do you work? What is your schedule?
It’s hard to say, it really depends on whether we have a regulatory filing due. If we have a filing due, we sometimes will not submit until very late in the evening. Also, D.C. is a bit of a workaholic city, but with that said I would say my schedule is fairly typical. 50-60 hours is probably about where I’d land.
Describe your work/life balance.
As a younger attorney earning more and more responsibility, it’s a struggle. It’s something you have to work on and find a way to put aside your phone.
What do you like most about your job? What would you change?
I like the freedom I have to set the course for how to tackle problems as they are presented to me. I enjoy that I have the ability to work with smart people every day both in government and in industry. I work on projects that can improve the lives of Americans through greater access to broadband and all that it enables. As far as what I’d change, it may have been interesting to have worked in government earlier in my career in a more direct way.
If you couldn’t be a lawyer anymore, what would you do? If you had a career before becoming a lawyer, what was it?
I would have moved out to Silicon Valley and bounced from start-up to start-up.
Just for fun: If you could have dinner with any lawyer, real or fiction, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Ralph Nader because his story of how he rallied public opinion regarding transportation safety is fascinating.
Molly Rockett, a junior political science student and member of Special Program in Law, was selected as a 2014 Truman Scholar. UConn Today has a great write up about her.
Congrats to Molly!
What is your current position?
Attorney and State Representative
What year did you graduate from UConn? 1975
Where did you go to law school? How did you choose that school?
St Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio Texas. My UConn pre law advisor was a graduate and recommended it, and after research I decided to go and experience a different part of the country!
What year did you graduate from law school? 1978
Major: Political Science
How did your major help you prepare for law school and for practice?
It gave me insight into the political and legal process.
What organizations and activities (e.g., clubs, sports, study abroad) did you participate in while at UConn?
Student Government; Hillel; Shalom Group; UConn Student Newspaper;
What jobs or internships did you have while at UConn?
Interned for credit at Legal Aid, worked at the Towers Snack Bar, and served as a Youth Group Advisor
Did you take any time off?
No time off was taken. I went directly to Law School.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to a current UConn student?
Study Abroad – my two sons who went to Boston University spent a semester in England taking classes and interning. They had a tremendous experience and found their internship to be very valuable.
What programs did you participate in during law school?
Moot Court, Legal Research Board, Student Newspaper
Were you active in any student groups? Which?
Worked part time as a Law Clerk for a private law firm.
Did your involvement with those specific programs or organizations help you in your career path or in any other ways?
Helped build knowledge, experience and confidence.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you before law school?
To explore different areas of the law practice, i.e. private practice vs government vs corporate practice.
Describe your practice setting.
Small to medium – 6 attorneys – general practice with niche areas.
Area(s) of practice.
General Practice, Business Law, Criminal (Defense), Corporate, Employment ,Family Law, Immigration, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Torts, Trusts & Estates
How did you choose this area of law?
I started in a general practice, learned different subject matter, and focused in areas I found fulfilling.
Is there a typical day? How would you describe it?
Hectic and Busy – balancing law and the legislature!
How many hours per week do you work? What is your schedule?
My week never ends! I’m always taking work home at night and weekends and putting in non-stop days.
Describe your work/life balance.
Difficult but exciting and enjoyable.
What do you like most about your job? What would you change?
Challenging, inspiring and able to help people. Being part of the legislative process of making laws.
If you couldn’t be a lawyer anymore, what would you do? If you had a career before becoming a lawyer, what was it?
I’d go into government or public relations!!
Roughly, how much are you student loan payments?
I had to borrow to pay for UConn and Law School. It took many years after beginning my law practice to pay off my loans.
How long do you expect to be paying your student loans?
Finished about 10 years after graduating law school.
What is your current position?Litigation Associate, Sedgwick LLP
What year did you graduate from UConn? 2005
Where did you go to law school? How did you choose that school?
UCLA School of Law. I chose UCLA based on national reputation, quality of the alumni network in the geographic area I wanted to work and availability of scholarships and financial aid. That the law school was also attached to a large university was also a bonus because of all the educational and recreational benefits available to students at a major university.
What year did you graduate from law school? 2010
Major: Political Science, Minor in Economics
How did your major help you prepare for law school and for practice?
My major helped prepare me for law school and practice in two ways: First, the emphasis on writing skills was crucial. Most political-science exams are essay exams, so learning to write well under pressure was useful preparation. Additionally, the classroom discussion in my political science classes (as well as other general education requirements, such as philosophy) prepared me to be able to analyze an issue from multiple perspectives, which is a crucial skill in law school and in litigation. My participation in the Honors Scholar program was also very helpful because of its emphasis on oral and written communication skills.
What organizations and activities (e.g., clubs, sports, study abroad) did you participate in while at UConn?
My primary extra-curricular activity at UConn was Undergraduate Student Government. I ultimately served as Speaker of the Student Senate from 2004-2005. I was also active in a number of campus political groups and attended a lot of the extracurricular events put on the Political Science Dept.
What jobs or internships did you have while at UConn?
I interned on Capitol Hill for Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and on the campaign of former California Assemblyman Mike Gordon. Less notably, I also worked at Ryan Cafeteria/WEBB Site and as a fundraiser for the UConn foundation.
Did you take any time off?
Yes, I worked in politics for two years between college and law school. Specifically, I was a district staffer for Congresswoman Jane Harman, who was the then ranking-member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and also a member of the Homeland Security Committee. She has since retired from Congress and now is the head of the Woodrow Wilson Center.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to a current UConn student?
If I could give one piece of advice it would be to take advantage of all the extracurricular opportunities you can. Some of the best and most informative experiences you will have while at UConn are through extracurricular clubs and programs on campus as well as internships that you can get either through, or with the support of, the University. Class is important, and be sure to take all the writing classes you can, but you will learn much more in the classroom if you are enhancing your academic work with substantive extracurriculars. Continue reading
This month, the UConn Mock Trial Team competed in the AMTA regional competition at Roger Williams Law School.
I was able to watch several rounds of the competition and I was very impressed with everyone. The hard work and dedication that the team put in to preparing for the competition was clear. While we did not advance to the next round of the competition, we improved a lot from last year and I think we’ll continue to do better next year.
I was also very excited to see one of our students win the Best Witness award. Congratulations Danielle Ullo! For more information and to get involved with next year’s Mock Trial Team, check with them directly via UConntact.
