Our 2023 Summer Associate Program brought 14 law students from eight 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.
Noah M. Rust joined Shutts from the University of Miami School of Law and participated in the program from the firm’s Jacksonville office. At UM Law, Noah is a member of the Inter-American Law Review and participates in the Environmental Law Society as well as the Real Property, Probate and Trust Society.
Here is what Noah had to say about his summer at Shutts.
What advice would you give to someone looking for a summer associate position on how to be successful?
Develop goals and specific questions for your interviews. Coming into your interviews with an idea of what you want, or being able to communicate what kind of experiences you want is important and will help you land at a firm that’s a good fit.
What is something that you learned or a new skill that you gained during the summer program?
One of the biggest takeaways for me was the practical side of practicing law. Coming in this summer, I did not have a good idea of the practical side of law at a bigger firm like Shutts. I was pretty ignorant about the billing requirements and how to manage one’s workload. So, by working here for several months and getting to see how everyone from the younger associates to the senior partners managed their workloads was really informative.
Describe a typical day as a summer associate at Shutts.
I like to come into the office a little earlier than was expected so that I could take my time getting ready for the day and schedule everything out. Then I would get to work on any lighter lingering stuff if needed or jump right into the main task at hand.
At some point I would either complete a task, the larger task I was given, or have a couple of questions to ask, so sometime before lunch I would go by the attorney’s office and talk about the assignment.
The other summers and I would typically take lunches together and walk to a nearby shop. After lunch, I would jump back into my work, perhaps taking a break to chat with the other summers or associates.
Later in the afternoon, sometime after 3:30pm, I would once again meet with the attorney I was working with and give updates on my task and maybe talk about what I would work on the next day.
What were your expectations for the summer and have they been met (or exceeded)?
Overall, my expectations were met. I expected to get acquainted with working in a larger firm and get a broad range of experiences and exposure to different types of law. The Shutts Jacksonville office is relatively small, so the feel of a smaller office in a larger firm was something that was attractive to me, and I think that my expectations were appropriately set during the interview process.
About Shutts & Bowen LLP
Shutts & Bowen, established in 1910, is a full-service business law firm with approximately 270 lawyers in offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. Learn more about Shutts & Bowen at www.shutts.com.