An aspiring litigator, Jared Turner L’25 spent 10 weeks interning at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
This summer, I spent 10 weeks working at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York City. As someone pursuing a career at a large New York law firm, this internship provided a firsthand experience of what it is like to work as a junior attorney at a top tier firm. As a Summer Associate, I received substantive work and feedback, intentional mentorship from attorneys, and numerous networking opportunities.
Though I started the work open-minded about my practice area, I was quickly drawn to assignments from the litigation department, which included discrete research into publicly available sources, secondary source treatises, and a wide swath of caselaw. These assignments required me to rely upon the tools developed in Legal Practice Skills. I am confident that the skills I learned there allowed me to conduct more efficient research and analysis of relevant material in a professional legal environment.
Additionally, I worked on a fascinating pro bono project focused on Election Protection in 2023 state general elections. This project involved reviewing Kentucky and Louisiana state statutes and constitutions. As most 1L classes are devoted to doctrinal understanding, statute review was not a large part of my first-year experience. However, I started delving into statutory review during the second semester of my 1L year while studying Administrative Law under Sophia Z. Lee, Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. That course allowed me to work through dense statutes and legislative documents as a Summer Associate.
Preparing for a Dynamic Legal Career
Another highlight of my summer was participating in a mock deposition workshop. A handful of the litigation summer associates received a mock “slip-and-fall” case packet and were tasked with writing a deposition outline before deposing a witness, as well as defending our own witness in a deposition. A few practicing litigation attorneys at Simpson watched the depositions and gave each of us individualized feedback. I particularly enjoyed this experience as it gave me a taste of oral advocacy, a major reason why I decided to pursue the law. I hope to continue refining these skills during the remainder of my time at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School through coursework and clinical studies.
I was extremely purposeful in how I approached the internship process for the summer after my 1L year. Based on my previous work experience as a paralegal, I knew I wanted to see what it was like to work as an associate at a large law firm, and I wanted to set myself up to make an informed decision for the summer after my 2L year. My time at Simpson provided me with a nuanced perspective and has positioned me well to return to Penn Carey Law, ready to contribute in the classroom and beyond.