Small firm FTW

Most of my readers probably know by now that I am a Summer Associate at a small law firm in Boston. I was an intern at the same firm last fall.

The pros and cons of gaining legal experience in a small firm vs. a larger firm are always a hot topic of discussion. Recently, I heard a story about an associate who was a few years out of school who did not know the basics of drafting certain IP forms. I was reminded of how lucky I am to be reaping the benefits of working at a small law firm.

Currently, I’m in the process of drafting my first complaint! It’s a Used Vehicle Lemon Law and 93A issue, and we have a pretty good case. Basically I will “own” this case all the way through to the end, with my boss, of course. It’s such an awesome experience to be elbow deep in the procedure, at least for now…my tune may change!

I think the ability to be this hands on with relevant legal work as a law student in a law firm is something that I just wouldn’t be able to do in a larger firm. Over the summer, I’ve had weekly meetings with the managing parter and my other summer associates. We usually go over the cases we are working on and share our progress and brainstorm together.

I’ve always enjoyed more intimate environments as opposed to large groups, where I feel unsure about my contributions. Working at a small firm has been invaluable and in my opinion, much more practically beneficial than working at a large firm.