Maria Jaimes

O’Connor & Associates, PLLC – Austin, TX

What did you like most about your job?  

My favorite thing about my job is having one on one conversations with our clients, learning about their culture and lives, and strategically planning the best way to help them with their immigration matters.

What was the most surprising thing you learned at this job?

The most surprising thing I learned at my job was the quick changes in immigration law. One week you are doing something a certain way, and the next, you are evolving your way of thinking and adapting to the complicated immigration system.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at this job?

The most valuable thing I have learned at my job is communicating with people from all over the world and from different walks of life. I genuinely value listening to people as they talk about the most challenging times in their lives, which focuses on humanity and staying humble.


Joshua Johnston

Bexar County Civil District Court Staff Attorney’s Office – San Antonio, TX

What do you like most about your job?  

I enjoy and appreciate the camaraderie in the workplace and how closely knit the staff attorneys and the interns are with each other. The staff attorneys are amazing mentors who are always willing to explain something in depth, and my fellow interns are exceptional teammates who complement each other well and have each other’s backs.

How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

As someone who plans on practicing in Bexar County, I believe the knowledge I have acquired about Texas Civil Procedure and how the Bexar County Civil District Court operates will prove invaluable. The relationships I formed with clerks, judges, and attorneys at Bexar County Courthouse has provided me a good network within the Bexar County legal community. Reviewing pleadings on a daily basis has given me a strong idea of what good (and not so good) pleadings look like, and how I will draft them as an attorney. I believe that each of these experiences will prepare me for the real world after law school.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at this job?

Talking to self-representing litigants about the necessary procedures and how to get their cases moving forward has been an eye-opening experience. It has taught me interpersonal skills such as how to explain complex concepts in simple terms, and how to be gentle with people going through difficult situations. The way I will treat my future clients as an attorney will certainly derive from the skills that I am learning right now as an intern. Considering how communication with clients is arguably the most important aspect of practicing law, this experience is incredibly important.


Brenda Marichalar

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services – Virtual

How did you get your job?  

I’ve always been inspired by the important work RAICES does for the immigrant community. I knew I wanted an internship at an organization like RAICES for the summer, so I checked their website and saw that they were hiring. I applied through their website in January, went through their interview process, and was thrilled when I received the news that I was hired.

What do you like most about your job?

Interacting with the attorneys, legal assistants, and interns was my favorite part. We had meetings almost every day via Zoom and started each one with an ice breaker to get to know each other better. Leaving these meetings, it truly felt that we were all working towards one common goal of defending the human rights of immigrants.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at this job?

I learned not be afraid to reach out to ask questions. With the internship being completely remote, I could not just swing by another’s office to ask a question. I had to actively send messages to legal assistants and attorneys. While this was intimidating at first, I would remind myself that it was all for the clients who depended on our work. It became easier with this mindset.


Kayla Menchaca

Calfas Law Group – San Antonio, TX

What did you like most about your job?

What I like most about working at Calfas Law Group is how personable the attorneys are with the clients. I value how we get to know the clients on a personal level and work our absolute hardest to obtain the best outcome on their case. Additionally, I appreciate how approachable all the attorneys are and how they are rooting for everyone’s success.

How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

My experience working at Calfas Law Group truly solidified my plan and goal of practicing criminal defense. My experience has helped me gain a sense of confidence when it comes to speaking with clients and other legal professionals.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your job?

It is difficult to pinpoint one specific valuable thing that I have learned here because there is such a wealth of practical experience and knowledge gained that you cannot learn in the classroom. However, I value how Mr. Calfas really lets his clerks dive into the cases and work alongside the attorneys every step of the way.

How did your job change in a virtual workplace? How did you interact with your co-workers?

My job did not change to a virtual workplace, but we continuously take all precautionary measures necessary so that we may continue to practice in person. Additionally, I am very appreciative of how supportive and kind my coworkers are. I have gained lifelong friendships these past three years and for that, I am forever grateful.


Austin Havens

Goldstein & Orr – San Antonio, TX

How did you get your job?

A contact in Austin, Texas referred me directly to Gerald Goldstein. I have really focused on networking during my time in Law School. Having a direct connection can do far more than the most finely crafted cover letter.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your job?

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. There were moments I was drowning and had no idea what I was doing; GOOD that means you’re learning. Enjoy those moments, it’s necessary to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing to achieve anything worthwhile. The best privilege a summer internship can afford is an opportunity to learn and grow. There is no learning nor growing while being comfortable. Strive to enjoy the process not just seek the results. That’s what I learned and will take with me.


Heather Montoya

Disability Rights Texas – Virtual

How did you get your job?

I volunteered at Disability Rights Texas through St. Mary’s Alternative Winter Break. I really enjoyed my experience as a volunteer and learned a lot in such a short period of time. Towards the end of my time volunteering, I reached out to the supervising attorney at Disability Rights Texas and inquired about summer internship opportunities.

What did you like most about your job?

I like that I am able to work on projects related to client cases and see the impact of disability rights laws on their lives, as well as work on projects to promote advocacy and awareness of the rights of children with disabilities and the rights of their parents.

How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

This experience has helped me in my career path because I get to assist attorneys as they work on various aspects of cases, which has shown me the different factors attorneys consider throughout their representation of their clients.


Phillip Ericksen

Texas State University – San Marcos, TX

How did you get your job?

I learned about this position on the Job Listings tab in CORE, the online portal operated by the Office of Career Strategy. I applied through CORE, and I received an offer after an interview. Alongside the work position, I earned three Experiential Learning credits through the Externship program.

What did you like most about your job?

I enjoyed observing meetings the attorneys had with the student-clients. I liked seeing the attorneys’ different styles of connecting with students and applying the law to their cases. I also appreciated the welcoming and friendly nature of the three attorneys and administrative assistant.

How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

This was a great first work position in a legal setting. I observed student-client meetings related to property law, criminal law, immigration law, and family law. Exposure to these areas taught me about real-world issues and solutions. As I try to chart a career path, I’m confident this variety of practice areas I observed will be beneficial.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at this job?

Fundamental legal advice goes a long way in improving lives. For example, many student-clients needed guidance regarding difficult situations with landlords. This guidance presented options, eased their minds, and kept their educational goals within reach.


Bailey Furgeson

The Law Offices of Maloney and Campolo – San Antonio, TX

What did you like most about your job?

I believe getting context for what we learn in the classroom is invaluable. Every week I research a multitude of legal topics such as medical malpractice, wrongful termination, products liability, and workers compensation. My boss is a patient mentor who takes the time to explain each step in the process. Thanks to the environment at the office, I feel free to explore and grow in my understanding of what it means to advocate for a client.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your job?

I have learned the importance of attention to detail and organization. When opposing counsel sends discovery production to our office, I am the first one to go through the documents. I create an index, flag relevant content, write a narrative/summary, and organize the documents in a binder. Sometimes I am searching through thousands of pages to find the single document that could lead to a victory for our client.


Kristen Roberts

Person, Mohrer, Morales, Boddy, Garcia & Gutierrez, PLLC – San Antonio, TX

How did you get your job?

Through a series of fortuitous events! I’d been applying for summer positions without much luck, then near the end of the semester I participated in the Jimi Derrick Moot Court Competition and got particularly good scores in the second round. So I decided to look up our judge, Mr. Albert Gutierrez, who works at a law firm here in San Antonio. I sent him an email and inquired if the firm might need a summer clerk — he replied and asked me to come in for an interview! They offered me a summer clerk position and it’s been an amazing opportunity.

What did you like most about your job?

Accompanying Mr. Gutierrez to court and helping with aspects of litigation has been my absolute favorite.

How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

More than anything I wanted to experience different fields of the law and see what practice looks like day-to-day. Working at PMBG this summer has exceeded all my expectations and given me invaluable insight as to what type of law I want to pursue. Most importantly, I feel they’ve given me an outstanding example of the type of lawyer I wish to be. The firm is like family to one another yet they always maintain absolute professionalism, integrity, and do impeccable work. I am more excited than ever to be pursuing a career in law.


Savina Tapia

Intercultural Development Research Association (IRDA) – San Antonio, TX

How did you get your job?

I found my summer internship by browsing through open applications that were listed on CORE. I filtered my search listings by my interest areas: education, children, policy and government. As I was browsing through those listed under “Education” and “children”, I came across the listing for the Intercultural Research Development Association and fell in love with the organization’s mission and goals.

What did you like most about your job?

The organizational culture at IDRA has been one of the most welcoming environments to enter as a freshly minted 1L. Everyone from the CEO to the Policy Fellows were supportive of every project and idea I had to share with the staff. The culture at IDRA was more like a family rather than just coworkers and peers. The independence to manage my own projects, hours and legislative work was also a bonus. I never felt micromanaged or under a microscope and was allowed to flourish and create my own work culture as well.

How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

My internship with IDRA has definitely solidified my interest in working in the realm of public interest. Having the hands-on experience to work with Texas education legislation has strengthened my existing skill sets in advocacy and writing, but also provided me the opportunity to see what other pathways and positions exist for someone with a J.D. My CEO, the National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement and the Regional Director for Policy and Community Engagement all have J.D.s from law schools across the nation and the work that they each do is very unique. This experience has helped me think about other ways to utilize my J.D. in the future outside of the traditional courtroom and litigation setting in a manner that is more personable for me.

How did your job change in a virtual workplace? How did you interact with your co-workers?

My internship was mainly virtual. On a day-to-day basis I was in contact with my co-workers, my intern cohort and the Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement team via Microsoft Teams, Zoom and GroupMe. We had virtual social hours to get to know one another. The interns also hosted Zoom workrooms where we would share collective presence with one another while we worked on our respective projects. We also did biweekly lunch and learns with different members of the executive staff that covered their specialty areas such as data science and I even hosted a lunch and learn training on adultism. My team (everyone who was vaccinated) also got to take a trip up to Austin where we spent the day together touring and exploring the capitol. I felt very bonded to my team over all of these platforms even though our in-person interactions were limited.

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