Why did you choose to pursue a career-interrupting clerkship?
I decided to clerk to become a better lawyer—I wanted to better understand judicial decision-making from the inside, sharpen my writing and research skills, and develop a relationship with a mentor. I also became very interested in criminal law while working on a money laundering investigation at S&C, and felt that clerking, particularly in SDNY, would expose me to that type of legal work.
Considering all of the opportunities available to you, why did you choose to return to S&C?
I decided to return to S&C because of the people, as well as the Firm’s generalist model. The talent at S&C is top notch and I am constantly learning from my colleagues, including my peers. I wanted to continue to gain experience on a variety of matter types, which S&C’s model encourages.
How has the experience impacted your practice?
Perhaps most significantly, clerking helped me understand that legal writing has a very specific audience and taught me how to write for that audience. I feel better equipped to identify the broader issues at play in a case and present them effectively to a judge (and their clerks!). And, as expected, clerking also made me much more confident in my research and presentation skills.
