Our 2016 Summer Clerkship Program brought in eight law students across several of our offices for an intellectually challenging and professionally gratifying experience. Nearing the end of the program, a few of the students agreed to share a few of the highlights about their summer.
Joshua Heller joined us from the University of Michigan Law School, where he is a student attorney at the Community and Economic Development clinic and is a certified civil mediator. This is Josh’s second year as a Summer Associate with Shutts.
Here is what Josh had to say about his summer.
Q1. How did you decide to pursue this position?
A1. I interviewed with Shutts halfway through my first year of law school. Although I did not expect to receive a position given the Michigan Law School Office of Career Planning’s insistence that “firms do not offer jobs to first-year law students,” I applied anyways; and after several weeks of interviews throughout Miami, Shutts clearly emerged as my number one choice. Everyone I spoke with seemed legitimately kind and genuine, in a way that distinctly stood out from every other place I had seen.
Q2. What knowledge and/or skill(s) will you be taking with you after completing the program?
A2. From conducting legal research and contract review, to directly communicating with clients on a variety of issues, each assignment has had its own set of challenges and information to learn from, and each attorney their own unique knowledge to impart. It has been a fantastic experience. Most importantly, I think Shutts has given me irreplaceable insight into the life of a practicing attorney. Two summers later, I can unequivocally say that my first impression of Shutts was correct. Over the course of my twenty weeks here, I have completed a wide variety of work in virtually every practice area the firm offers, and have thoroughly enjoyed each day along the way.
Q3. What were your expectations and have they been met (or exceeded)?
A3. As a law student, I consistently hear about the terrible life of an associate’s first few years of practice, yet from associate to partner, everyone at Shutts seems to truly enjoy the work they do, and their time spent doing it. It is this positive mindset that I believe sets Shutts apart, and has made me excited for this final year of law school, and for my years as a practicing attorney that will follow.