From day one, Cleveland-Marshall students hear us say, Learn Law. Live Justice.
We bring those words to life for students throughout their law school experience, including through opportunities to gain practical experience at law firms, government agencies, non-profits, and corporate offices. In Summer 2019, we are proud to have C|M|LAW students working not only in Northeast Ohio, but also in Florida, Minnesota, New York, and Washington, DC. We will profile our students frequently throughout the year, starting today with five of our class of 2021 students. To connect with any of these students about employment or leadership opportunities, please contact the Office of Career Strategy and Employment at careernull@law.csuohio.nulledu
Alexis Bovell, Class of 2021
Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP
Tell us about the work you're engaged in this summer.
In my time here at Calfee, I have assisted various attorneys in researching legal issues and drafting memorandums to support those issues. In addition, I have attended hearings, client meetings and practice area luncheons where I have been able to witness the art of client interaction that is intertwined with the practice of law.
What do you like best about your work?
I have enjoyed the challenging aspect of my every day. Each assignment has further enhanced my research ability as well as my legal writing skills.
How has Cleveland-Marshall prepared you to be successful this summer?
My first year at Cleveland-Marshall has prepared me in so many ways to be successful this summer. I started my clerkship skilled in conducting legal research quickly and efficiently. In addition, similar to law school, I learned to cater my product to each attorney I worked with. I can confidently say that I would not have had such a great summer if it was not for the way in which Cleveland-Marshall challenges and prepares students for success.
Dominic Candela, Class of 2021
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland
Tell us about the work you're engaged in this summer.
Catholic Charities provides affordable legal counseling and representation to low-income clients for practically all immigration issues. As an extern this summer, I've been engaged in a variety of different kinds of work, including client intakes, form filing, writing memos, drafting trial briefs and motions, doing case law and country conditions research for my supervisors, assisting in trial preparation, visiting immigration detention centers throughout the state to provide legal assistance, and I've even given ESL lessons to some of our clients.
What do you like best about your work?
What I like best about my work is just the fact that it has given me a fresh perspective. As Americans, I feel like we have a tendency to take all the opportunities life has afforded us for granted. As an extern, I've heard stories from clients who have traveled countless miles and have risked everything to escape situations of persecution, torture, and other hardships in their home countries. To be able to play a role in helping our clients achieve their own American Dream is a pretty powerful and rewarding thing.
How has Cleveland-Marshall prepared you to be successful this summer?
The skills I've learned in Legal Writing have of course helped me in a lot of my assignments at work so far. More generally, I feel like all the tools I've gained and all the lessons I've learned throughout my first year of law school, from both professors and fellow classmates alike, have made me a better and more resourceful person, and I now have the self-confidence to go forth and share my talents and succeed at both Catholic Charities, and for whatever work experience happens to be next on my journey.
Emily Day, Class of 2021, and
Izaak Horstemeier-Zrnich, Class of 2021
The Sherwin-Williams Company
Tell us about the work you're engaged in this summer.
Emily: In working as a law clerk at Sherwin-Williams in the corporate legal department, I have completed memorandums and legal research in the practice areas of litigation, corporate governance, intellectual property, data security, patent and contract law. As an in-house corporate law clerk, I have worked with the attorneys and their business colleagues to arrive at solutions that balance both legal and business priorities.
Izaak: This summer I have been providing support to all of the attorneys in the Sherwin-Williams Legal Department. I have had the opportunity to research and write on numerous topics of law, including: commercial contracts, corporate governance, labor and employment, intellectual property, IT, real estate, and more!
What do you like best about your work?
Emily: What I like best about my work is interacting with and learning from an experienced group of attorneys with a wide variety of specialties. I have also thoroughly enjoyed applying legal concepts I have learned in my courses to practical scenarios.
Izaak: I absolutely love having the opportunity to work on so many different projects with so many different attorneys. In just a few weeks, I have completed projects with almost 20 different attorneys and each attorney has acted as my mentor and helped me to succeed.
How has Cleveland-Marshall prepared you to be successful this summer?
Emily: Cleveland-Marshall has prepared me to be successful in creating a solid foundation in legal writing and research, problem-solving and overall networking skills that have allowed me to transition these concepts into a professional setting.
Izaak: More than anything else, I've found that Cleveland-Marshall has prepared me to be successful this summer by providing me with skills in networking and legal writing. Having gone straight from undergrad to law school, I had no idea how to do either! The legal writing education I have received has allowed me to turn in great work product and the networking skills I developed have allowed me to make great connections.
Renee Stromski, Class of 2021
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
Tell us about the work you're engaged in this summer.
I am currently completing my summer externship as a legal intern at the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). OCR enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs that receive financial assistance from the Department of Education. The most commonly seen discrimination complaints in our office include discrimination on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, and national origin.
What do you like best about your work?
The best part about working for OCR is the ability to have a flexible mindset when finding solutions. Our job at OCR is not necessarily to advocate for students, nor is it to protect schools; OCR is a neutral agency that interprets the regulations on the basis of the complaint and helps to find resolutions for both parties. I have thoroughly enjoyed developing creative and innovative solution finding skills this summer.
How has Cleveland-Marshall prepared you to be successful this summer?
I certainly would not have the confidence that I do today without the help of different faculty and staff at Cleveland-Marshall. With advice from Professor Kevin OíNeill and Leader-in-Residence Susan Becker, as well as guidance from Sarah Beznoska in Career Strategy and Employment, I felt prepared for both my interview and my externship. I also was connected with an attorney through my alumni mentor, Vince Lombardo, who happened to be the OCR attorney who interviewed me for the position! I am very grateful for all the support I received from Cleveland-Marshall during my 1L year.