Name: Melissa

Year: Junior

Major(s)/Minor: Economics, Legal Studies/French

CFS Concentration: Legal Field Studies

I joined LFS to try to get more practical experience in the legal field before deciding to apply to law school. I had already interned one summer at a mid-sized law firm in Chicago that did an arrangement of transactional and litigation, so I wanted something a little more away from that to try to see if I liked it. During my internship search I applied to seven or eight through CFS and talked to a mentor from the other law firm about some other possible opportunities that I could connect. As I started getting interviews and offers, I really had to start weighing the options of academic research vs legal aid vs an actual law office. After getting an offer from all but one of my interviews, I finally decided to go with Blake Horwitz because I thought I could get the most hands on experience.

It turned out that I was definitely right. Although things have been a little more busy and stressful than I maybe would’ve guessed, I’ve really gotten to dive headfirst into a few cases and work with a couple different attorneys at the firm. In just a few short weeks I’ve already been to multiple depositions, gotten to sit in on court and a settlement negotiation, and helped prepare research and materials for a trial. Although I’m not sure I’m any closer to deciding where I want to go in the legal field, I feel a lot more prepared to know what I’m getting into when I apply to law school in a few months.