Our 2024 Summer Associate Program brought 13 law students from five law schools to the firm for an intellectually challenging and professionally gratifying experience. The students took part in firm-sponsored social events and community service projects throughout the summer in addition to attending client meetings, depositions, court hearings and other proceedings. Nearing the end of the program, the students agreed to share a few highlights from their summer at Shutts.
Austin T. Dillion joined Shutts’ Tallahassee office for the summer from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Austin is a member of the Federalist Society and the Association for Law and Business. He previously interned for the Honorable John K. Bush for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Austin shares his thoughts on his summer experience at Shutts.
Why did you choose to spend your Summer with Shutts?
As I was going through the summer interview process, I knew that I had an interest in working on appellate litigation and election law matters. Shutts and Bowen’s Tallahassee office had an incredible team of attorneys in those practice areas, and I knew that learning from them would be an immeasurably valuable summer experience.
What were the three most memorable experiences throughout your time here?
One memorable experience was attending an election law hearing at the beginning of the summer. This case was particularly interesting, as I was able to watch it develop and conclude during the weeks of my Summer Associate program!
Another memorable experience was traveling to the Miami office to meet attorneys and Summer Associates from other offices. Everyone at Shutts is so welcoming, and I loved the opportunity to meet new friends and colleagues from outside my home office.
A final memorable experience was researching and drafting a motion to dismiss. It was incredibly rewarding to watch the project develop from a research question to a complete draft, and then to watch as that draft was edited and eventually filed.
What were your expectations for the summer, and have they been met (or exceeded)?
My experience at Shutts certainly exceeded my expectations for the summer. When I started in May, my goals were simply to take on new challenges and projects and to develop relationships with my office's attorneys. While working at Shutts this summer, I was given substantive work, from which I learned more than I ever could have imagined at the beginning of the summer, and the attorneys at Shutts have all impressed me with how generous they were with their time and advice.