Success today does not always ensure success tomorrow. Which is why most — if not all — of the world’s most enduring companies continually invest in developing their pool of future leaders.
At Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP, our summer associates program is that gateway and the firm’s primary source of new associates. Among current firm partners, the program’s alumni include names like Finch, Baird, Blum, Jones, Lantz, Sillari, Scholz, and Witt. All eight began their legal ascension here as law clerks.
INTRODUCING OUR 2019 SUMMER ASSOCIATES.
Meet the class of this season’s summer associates program: Mariah Emmons, Matthew Seeley, and Jacob Ragan. Each opted to spend three months with our team of 30 construction law attorneys while they also prepare for their final year at University of San Diego School of Law.
Just as others before them have done for more than two decades, Mariah, Matt, and Jacob are gaining valuable experience by assisting with deposition and trial preparation, performing essential legal research, reviewing large document productions, and aiding with corporate transactions. They also attend depositions, mediations, and court hearings. Equally important, they particularly benefit from daily exposure to the real-life challenges and problems that our construction industry and business clientele face every day.
“We find that exposing our summer associates to all facets of our legal practice allows them to better tailor their remaining schooling,” says Nowell Lantz, partner in charge of this year’s summer associates program. “That enables them to really hit the ground running when they return as attorneys.”
STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SUMMER ASSOCIATE.
Don’t take our word for it. Here below is what our summer associates have to say about a program that has produced many of the firm’s most successful practitioners.
“Wow. My experiences at Finch, Thornton & Baird have exposed me to a wide variety of legal issues in all areas of corporate and business law. The attorneys provide me with opportunities to attend hearings, mediations, and sit in on depositions, which are essential to my future career in the legal field. From working on contract law cases to trademark research, I have been able to apply the skills I learned in law school. Better still, I am developing new skills that I look forward to using during my third year. Not only am I getting invaluable experience, but the attorneys, assignments, and clients make working here exciting and so enjoyable!”
Mariah K. Emmons
USD School of Law, 2020
“Throughout my summer working at Finch, Thornton & Baird, I have had the amazing opportunity to be exposed to countless legal topics that are vital to construction law. By the end of my first two weeks as a summer associate, I had already worked on projects involving skilled and trained workforce requirements, bid protests, a multitude of contract issues, deposition preparation, discovery review, and even a trademark dispute. Coupled with a workplace culture that makes it easy to ask questions and learn, this experience has been crucial for my understanding of the practice of construction law.”
Matthew D. Seeley
USD School of Law, 2020
“In a word, my experience at the firm has been transformative. The attorneys I work for have really pushed me to think creatively — especially when analyzing complex legal issues. This has helped me to understand that there are often multiple angles for approaching a set of facts. My role also requires me to evaluate how a particular issue might best be resolved by reconciling a client’s facts with multiple bodies of law. What an eye opener. It is so valuable to see how the firm leaves no stone unturned as they manage client cases as they evolve. The last six weeks have truly transformed my thinking about what it means to be a lawyer.”
Jacob P. Ragan
USD School of Law, 2020
