Allissa – Extern
My name is Alissa Kurt. I started at Adam Leitman Bailey as a spring legal extern and now I am a mortgage finance law clerk moving into the summer.
Externing at Adam Leitman Bailey was a great experience. I had the opportunity to work with several different attorneys. There’s an open-door policy, and they all encourage you to ask questions. The attorneys really value your opinion, and at no point did I ever feel like I was pushed aside because I was an extern. I was treated the same as a partner, as an attorney, or any other member of the firm.
I spent most of my time in the transactional department. I was preparing UCC financing statements, closing documents, and welcome packages. I also had the opportunity to attend numerous closings several times a week, so that was really interesting. I also worked with the litigation department on a few projects, which consisted of attending depositions, drafting discovery documents, and working on several research projects.
My proudest accomplishment was working on an article about the Fair Housing Act with Adam directly. It was a long-term project and is still in motion. We met once a week to review research and writing. He gave a lot of feedback, and as a result, I feel like my writing and research have improved. Additionally, working with him, he is tough on you, but it’s in the best way because he really brings the best out of you. I would say that was probably my proudest accomplishment, even though it’s still in the works.
The externship definitely exceeded my expectations. Prior to this externship, I had worked as a paralegal for several years at another law firm, so I was familiar with legal internships and summer associate roles. Many people I spoke with said they had just been pushing paper, filing, or just sitting at their desks. Here, the attorneys really care about you. They care about the work you’re doing. You know you’re doing quality work, you’re getting real legal experience, and you’re doing it at the same caliber as the attorneys. For me, it was beyond my expectations for an externship.
Advice I would give someone coming into their externship would be to come in every single day and work as hard as you can. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The attorneys are there for you. They want you to work hard, but they’re also willing to help you. So as long as you’re putting your best foot forward and giving it your all, they are there for you at the end of the day, and you will get the best experience possible.
One thing I learned about working at Adam Leitman Bailey is resilience. Especially with the COVID-19 outbreak, many businesses were set back, and a lot of employers became discouraged. That’s the opposite of what’s happening at this firm. Everyone’s coming together, working hard for their clients, and really pushing the limits. I think it speaks volumes about the firm itself because it’s what you can do when times are tough that really shows your strength.