Justin Rorick

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

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

Being in a government position, I have had the ability to interact with a plethora of people ranging from judges to Pro Se (individuals without an attorney) litigants. The most surprising thing I learned from my interactions at the Courthouse was the substantial need for legal knowledge in the San Antonio community. As an attorney, I hope to help my clients in their case but also give them knowledge that might prevent an avoidable issue in the future.

What did you like most about your job? How do you think this experience has helped you in your career path?

My favorite aspect of my position is the ability to learn while helping fellow Texans. My three supervising attorneys are exceptionally knowledgeable, and their desire to help us interns learn everything from family law to Texas civil procedure has without a doubt propelled us to be successful attorneys. The best part of this experiential learning is that I get to learn while helping real people solve real issues.

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

I started my job the same day the Bexar County Courthouse began reopening to in person settings. It has been great to be able to assist litigants and interact with coworkers in person to build relationships. Furthermore, it has been great to see certain technologies carry-over from the pandemic era. For example, our office uses Calendly and Zoom to facilitate meetings that do not require individuals to come all the way to the Courthouse, park, and wait in line to see us. This speeds up the litigation process by making civil workers’ as well as litigants’ tasks easier and more efficient, all while ensuring safety.

Matthew Torgerson

Catholic Charities – San Antonio, TX

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

What I was most surprised to learn was how creative and skillful attorneys must be when solving issues for clients. No issue has a clear-cut solution, and the work of an attorney is as much testing all possible outcomes and branching paths as it is knowing the law.

What did you like most about your job?

What I liked most about my job was how rewarding it can be to help a client. Researching and finding solutions to problems may seem dull at face value, but when a client gets the result they were seeking, like an approved citizenship application, seeing real lives being changed for the better makes you realize what the legal system is all about!

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

By far the most valuable thing I learned at my job was how to approach real-life problems. Taking the knowledge I have gained so far in law school and helping to apply it in real world situations grounds everything in a way that will change how I learn and understand information from my classes in the future. I now know that the law is an art, and mastering it takes much more than memorization. Learning to apply my knowledge has helped me evolve much more as a law student, and I feel that my summer job has served as the perfect complement to my education at St. Mary’s.

Kaylie Morgan

Bexar Country Staff Attorney’s Office – San Antonio, TX

How did you get your job?

I got my internship through the Spring 2021 Recruitment Program shared on CORE from OCS. I applied then I had a zoom interview with two of the Staff Attorney’s and later received an email offering me a legal internship with their office. I am beyond thankful to Ms. Underdown, Director of Student Engagement and Employment, for providing guidance and assisting me through the process of finding the best internship for me.

What did you like most about your job?

The culture is what I love most about the Bexar County Civil District Courts, Staff Attorney’s Office. As an intern, I work with four exceptional attorneys who create a collaborative yet autonomous workplace. The collaboration in the office allows for creativity to flow and has opened my mind to new ways to analyze and problem solve. Additionally, the high level of autonomy has provided me an enriching experience by assisting with a wide array of legal issues, working with the public sector one-on-one, effectively drafting and writing legal letters, and the procedural process for a large variety of civil cases.

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

The most valuable thing I learned at this job is the various ways and approaches to effectively communicating with the public sector, practicing attorneys, and judges. Communicating with a diverse group of individuals reiterated the importance of always being kind, having patience, and respecting all individuals because everyone has a story, and you never know what someone is facing in their life at that time.

Jesus Mandujano

Texas A&M University School of Law – Ft. Worth

How did you get your job?

I applied through a job posting on CORE through the Office of Career Strategy (OCS).

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

The most surprising thing that I have learned at my job is how quickly a tax problem with the IRS can escalate if not addressed.

What do/did you like most about your job?

I like the fact that my job focuses on resolving tax issues before the IRS for those most in need of assistance due to a lack of available resources.

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

This experience has helped by allowing me to improve upon core lawyering skills such as negotiating, interviewing, building client rapport, counseling, time keeping, and oral and written advocacy.

Arieana Martinez

American Family Insurance – Virtual

How did you get your job?

I saw American Family’s job posting on CORE and applied through their website. Two weeks later, I interviewed with 2 attorneys and received a formal offer to be one of the four Corporate Legal interns.

What did you like most about your job?

I most enjoyed reviewing and discussing proposed amendments to contracts with different vendors.

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

The most valuable thing I learned is to never be afraid to ask questions. Attorneys do not expect interns to know everything and appreciate thoughtful questions to ensure accuracy.

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

My internship experience was fully virtual. The corporate legal interns had a group chat on Microsoft Teams, and I met virtually with my supervisor once a week to discuss my assigned projects.

Jessica Henry

Microsoft Corporation – Virtual

How did you get your job?

I applied for the Intellectual Property Law Institute hosted by the Hispanic National Bar Association. Corporate Counsel at Microsoft helps to choose the scholars, and my resume caught their eye. I was contacted and invited to interview with Microsoft. It was surreal. There were 5 of us in the interview, and everyone else was from Harvard Law. After a 4-hour-long interview and a painful week-long wait, I was offered the position.

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

The most surprising thing I learned is that I do not have to limit myself to a certain type of law. All of the business groups that I have worked with have consistent skill requirements and function similarly. I have enjoyed working with all different subject matters.

What do/did you like most about your job?

Although I am the HR Legal intern, I am encouraged to pursue projects in any department that interests me. I have done work with Artificial Intelligence, Privacy, Labor Law, Global HR Policy, Intellectual Property, and Immigration. Microsoft is serious about pro bono work, and I have been doing work for KIND through Microsoft, which is very rewarding.

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

As a first-generation law student, meeting so many attorneys who are happy to share their experiences with me and help guide me has been a game-changer. In addition, I have been able to work with in-house and outside counsel to see how their jobs are performed.

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

I have learned that I can do this. I can be an amazing mom, wife, and lawyer.

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

Working virtually definitely took away from the incredible experience of working at Microsoft. I prefer working face-to-face! Microsoft has made my experience as fulfilling as possible. All summer, I have gotten packages with food and drinks and sushi-making kits, all to have social interaction with the rest of the legal team. We have also had Las Vegas-style comedy nights and magic shows with celebrity guests.

Marlowe E. Zamora

Disability Rights Texas – San Antonio, TX

How did you get your job?

I got the internship after doing the pro bono alternative winter break with them. They offered me an interview so I happily accepted.

What do you like the most about your job?

The thing I have liked the most about the internship is interacting with and meeting with clients. This has also helped me the most with my career path because it is real, hands on experience.

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

Everything is done virtually through zoom, Microsoft Teams, or over the phone. This is mainly due to distance limitations, rather than due to the pandemic. The geographical distance of clients I have worked is what has surprised me the most. I expected to work with mostly San Antonio area clients, but have worked with clients all over Texas.

Alanna Dominguez

Cokinos | Young – San Antonio

How did you get your job?

I applied through CORE and was selected for an interview. I interviewed via Zoom with two of the principals at the firm

What do you like the most about your job?

I like the diverse and challenging work. Everyday provides a different problem to solve and a learning opportunity. As much as I’m enjoying the construction litigation area of law, it’s the people at Cokinos who make this job terrific. The team is made up of amazing people who are interested in ensuring I have exposure to as many different situations as possible and feedback to help me develop.

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

It’s confirmed for me that this area of law is where I want to be. It excites me.

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

Cokinos is completely in person. However, many of the courts are continuing to do hearings remotely and mediations are remote as well. This has provided opportunities to listen in on hearings and mediations which I would not have otherwise had. It’s been a great experience.