Leadership Training

What this internship has meant to me?
By: Talia Kabolowsky

I heard about this internship opportunity, and instantly ran to the phone. I interviewed with Mr. Brook, and he hired me. I started this internship in February, not knowing a single thing about the field of law and what it entails. Now it is August, and my horizon has broadened in ways that I could not explain. When most people think about interns, they automatically think about the grunt work and the irrelevant assignments that no one else wants to do. This is simply not the case. I not only learned about the field of law as a whole, but I also learned the job of a paralegal, the role of the book keeper, what specific documents are needed in court, and many other things. This internship means so much more to me than just a line on my resume. This internship has taught me what it means to be dedicated and a hard worker.

I was incredibly lucky in my experience as an intern. I not only had an amazing learning experience, but I had an amazing mentor as well. Mr. Brook did not simply give me tasks and a desk to do them, he told me the meaning of all the assignments that I was given, and the purpose that they will serve in the future. Being a lawyer as well as the Mayor comes with a lot of long hours and hard work, but Mr. Brook always made it a priority to communicate with me and come up with meaningful assignments that would expand my knowledge. I feel that one of the most important tasks that I have done during my internship has been observing what Mr. Brook was doing. Listening to calls he made, emails he wrote to clients, and seeing what his day-to-day looked like taught me a great deal of what it’s like to be a lawyer. Being able to see things from his perspective has helped me prepare for my future and what career path I am interested in going into. While interning, I have built so many meaningful relationships with staff and fellow interns. I have gained knowledge not only from Mr. Brook, but also from the other interns and everyone else at the firm. Everyone has something to offer and learning from all of these different people has helped me to gain different perspectives on things. This internship has given me exposure to real world situations and showed me what is needed in order to be a good mentee, college, and friend. Through this, I have also learned how to manage my time wisely, which is one of the most important skills to have in life. In addition to many other things, the time management skills that I have gained will allow me to succeed in many other things throughout my life. As I reflect on my internship, I am filled with gratitude and realize how truly blessed I was to receive this amazing opportunity. To me, my internship was a learning experience, an opportunity to show my talent, and a challenge. This internship has taught me so many things and allowed me to self-reflect and grow as an individual; and for that, I am extremely grateful.

Internship Experience
By: Sarah Bobo

During my time at this firm, I have truly learned so much more than I would have ever imagined. Before I started, I was not necessarily interested in pursuing law but as of now my views on this career have completely changed. All my life I have always thought of law as a harsh career, but I’ve realized that I never really put any thought into family law. Thanks to this internship opening my eyes and widening my perspective, I can definitely see my life going down a completely different path from what I originally expected.
Initially, my first impression of this firm was how connected everyone was. It was so easy to get comfortable and settle in since everyone is not only just friendly but extremely inviting as well. This is such an incredible quality for a company to have since it creates a strong teamworking atmosphere which leads to proficient work getting accomplished. The way the company connects to each other and as well as clients is truly something special.
Regarding clients, being able to witness the way the firm interacts with the clients is honestly what opened my eyes and changed my mindset completely. I’ve realized that family law is so much more than just the law. It’s about truly connecting and supporting the clients on a whole other level. This is definitely something special about this firm specifically since I’m aware that some firms and lawyers don’t necessarily put out there all for every single client, but I have seen how everyone at this firm does. This deeply resonates with me since I know how hard it can be for families going through difficult times and this firm truly cares for and supports the clients in a number of ways.

The eye-opening moment where I got to witness this was when I was sitting in on a debrief with a client. She seemed to be very distraught with what was going on and she was having a hard time fully wrapping her head around the situation. Attorney Mike was able to calm her down and give her genuine advice that even I was able to apply to my own life. Everyone was very patient with her, and I could feel how much every truly cared about her thoughts and feelings. Mike was able to understand where she was coming from and then proceeded to help guide her to fully understand the situation in a way that calmed her down. Seeing that interaction made me realize that being a family lawyer is so much more than doing things by the book.
Pertaining to the internship itself, I have learned so many useful skills that will contribute to my success in the workplace regardless of the industry. Not only in the workplace, but for life in general since everything I learned is relevant in my everyday life. A prime example of this is strengthening my communication skills. My time here has made a tremendous impact on my communication skills since I was able to network with community locals at different events.
I highly value being able to attend different community events and connect with people from my community. This was a wonderful way to learn more about what’s happening in the community directly from the people. It was also such an amazing experience to be put out there since it helped me step out of my comfort zone.
Another thing that helped me step out of my comfort zone was answering and making phone calls. While populating events did boost my confidence in this skill, nothing compares to what I’ve gained from being at the front desk. It has helped me become comfortable with uncomfortable situations.

All in all, I am so grateful that I was able to intern at this company since it truly has made such a difference in my life. The skills I gained and connections I made will continue to help me for the rest of my life. I hope I was of value to this company, and I would love to possibly return in the future. Thank you again for letting me experience such an amazing internship.