Name: Maria Fernandez

Year: Senior

Major: Legal Studies

Minor: Political Science

CFS Program: Legal Field Studies

Employer: Kellie Walters

This summer I have had the incredible opportunity to work at the Walters Law Firm in downtown Chicago, and so far it has been such an exciting and rewarding experience. Because I am working with a solo practitioner, I feel as though I am getting an authentic and unfiltered view into the legal world. As a woman, I really value learning from a female attorney and talking to her about the unique struggles that women in this field have to overcome.

As for the work I am doing, I have done everything from research for cases, dropping off documents at the Daley Center, sitting in on client meetings, and attending court. However, the most rewarding experience so far has been drafting a motion for sanctions all by myself. I have also had the invaluable experience of meeting other attorneys and paralegals in the field and talking to them about their work and receiving advice about my future career path.

The CFS course has also been very enlightening. I thought it would be just another normal class but it is actually so much more than that. So far we have met so many inspiring attorneys who all specialize in different areas of law and we are always discussing really deep and complex issues. The class and internship together have really fostered my curiosity about the legal field and are making me more certain that this is a field I would like to work in in the future.