Members of Elon Law's Classes of 2012 and 2013 served in all branches of government, in public interest positions, and in law firms and the offices of corporate counsel this summer. Many served in cities and towns across North Carolina, while others held positions in locations across the country, including New York, NY, Washington, DC, New Orleans, LA, Columbia, SC, and Fort Worth, TX.
Click PHOTO GALLERY in the Links & Multimedia section adjacent to this article to view a slideshow of Elon Law summer employment experiences.
Highlights of their summer work include:
Brennan Aberle, L’12, clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Staff Attorney’s Office, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aberle reviewed cases appealed to the Fifth Circuit, including direct criminal appeals, habeas corpus petitions, civil rights actions, and immigration cases. He wrote memos and drafted opinions to the Court of Appeals, recommending decisions according to settled law or recommending oral argument.
Danielle Appelman, L’12, split her summer work experiences. During the first half of the summer, Appelman clerked for the Honorable William Reingold, Chief District Court Judge for Forsyth County in North Carolina. Appelman assisted in analyzing legal issues and drafting opinions. During the second half of the summer, she interned at Forman Rossabi Black in Greensboro. During the internship, she prepared legal memos and filings, and conducted research on a variety of civil and criminal matters.
Melissa Apperson, L’12, served as a summer judicial clerk for the Honorable Robert N. Hunter, Jr., North Carolina Court of Appeals, in Raleigh, NC. Apperson analyzed criminal, civil, and administrative law cases before the court, researched law and drafted judicial opinions.
Pamela Boeka, L’13, served in the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office in High Point, NC. Boeka’s internship included statute and case law research, and reporting on relevant rules related to cases. She interviewed clients, met with the investigators assigned to cases and supported preparation of them to be witnesses for trial. She also prepared draft questions for jury selection, observed court proceedings, and examined and discussed case strategy with her supervisor.
Amy Brodland, L’12, interned with in-house counsel for Lend Lease in New York, NY. Lend Lease has been involved in the creation of many high profile properties, including Sydney Olympic Village and Trump Tower in Chicago. The company is the construction manager for the $360 million Memorial and Museum to be built at Ground Zero in New York City on behalf of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. In her internship, Brodland assisted in reviewing and negotiating contracts, conducted research, produced correspondence, and participated in the overall day-to-day work of in-house counsel.
Whitney Butcher, L’12, interned in the Law Office of Kurt J. Olson in Raleigh. Through the internship, Butcher gained experience in environmental law and complex civil litigation. She assisted Mr. Olson in his capacity as general counsel for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. In this role, she worked on emerging energy issues, policy alternatives, and adherence to North Carolina’s renewable energy law.
Nicole Catton, Heather Deal, Sarah Dixon, Carrie Johnston, Gwendolyn Lewis, and Crystal Sumner interned at Legal Aid of North Carolina. Johnston, L’12, was Legal Aid’s Martin Luther King, Jr. summer intern for the LANC-Greensboro office, focusing on employment and housing cases. Catton and Deal, L’12, interned with the Domestic Unit, where they helped draft domestic violence protective orders and consent custody orders and made appearances in domestic violence hearings. Dixon, L’13, worked with a staff attorney at Legal Aid focusing on Housing and Employment Security Commission law. Lewis, L’13, interned in the Older Adults Unit, handling all work for anyone over 60 years old. Sumner alternated between Legal Aid’s family, benefits and HEEC (housing, employment, education and consumer) units. She conducted research, wrote memos, handled client interviews, negotiations, and more.
Phil Clontz, L’12, interned at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC. He researched and analyzed tort claims against Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and employees, permissible under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Clontz handled both medical and non-medical malpractice claims, many of which were submitted to the office through re-consideration via the 23 Regional Counsels across the country.
L. Collin Cooper, L’12, clerked at the North Carolina Court of Appeals in Raleigh for the Honorable Linda Stephens. During his time, he conducted extensive research on various civil and criminal issues and drafted bench briefs and opinions for the Court.
Alvaro De La Calle, L’12, was a law clerk for the Chapman Law Firm, an immigration and nationality law firm in Greensboro, NC. During his time at the firm, De La Calle drafted Family Based immigration petitions, compiled various U-Visa applications, and communicated with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. He also drafted legal memos regarding U-Visa’s and Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude under INA 212(a)(2)(A).
Janison Dillon, L’13, interned at Wyatt Early Harris Wheeler LLP in High Point, NC. Her work focused primarily in commercial real estate law. She also worked with attorneys in corporate and litigation sections.
Joe Fulton, L’12, interned with the N.C. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, in Raleigh. He served as a summer clerk in the insurance section of the Attorney General’s office, researching practical questions that impacted the operations of entities, like whether or not certain business activities subject an entity to licensure. He also researched questions that affected the outcome of litigation, like whether new evidence can be admitted during judicial review of an agency decision.
Karima Grady, L’13, served in the Washington, DC office of U.S. Representative Brad Miller (NC). Grady prepared briefs related to Congressional hearings, engaged in constituent services, and supported activities of the Congressional office. She attended Congressional hearings in both the House and Senate that featured senior members of the Obama administration testifying on matters ranging from foreign affairs, to science and technology, to government oversight and reform among others. Grady was also a Summer Scholar through the Truman National Security Project, participating in a 5-week lecture series at Johns Hopkins aimed at raising awareness on International Security Issues.
Jim Grant, L’12, clerked with the Honorable James A. Wynn, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Raleigh, NC.
Jill Kirshner, L’13, interned in the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in Fort Worth, TX. Kirshner served in the misdemeanor department, focusing primarily on driving while intoxicated cases. Her supervisor wrote the DWI manual for Texas. Kirshner participated in trials under the supervision of a court partner, prepared cases for trial, obtained evidence, and interviewed witnesses. Her participation in the courtroom included: opening statements, direct-examinations, cross-examinations, introduction of evidence, and closing statements.
Pamela Lawrence, L’12, interned with Judge James L. Gale, North Carolina Business Court, in Greensboro, NC.
Jennifer Matthews, L’12, interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro. Her assignments ranged from writing responses for prisoner litigation claims to calling the docket in federal district court. Matthews also represented the Government in a sentencing proceeding, several arraignments, and detention hearings.
Melodie Menzer, L’13, worked at Guardian Ad Litem in Raleigh. Menzer wrote memos and appellate briefs, and attended court proceedings regarding juvenile abuse, neglect and dependency.
Scott Morgan, L’12, clerked with the Honorable Patricia Timmons-Goodson, Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, in Raleigh, NC.
Austin Morris, L’12, interned with the N.C. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Labor Section, in Raleigh, N.C.
Sheila Marie Sazehn, L’13, interned in the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, in Columbia, SC. Sazehn’s internship supported efforts at the state level to implement and enforce the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), aimed at reducing the frequency of domestic violence. She supported two main prosecutors that handled domestic violence and sexual assault cases, preparing court documents, conducting legal research, and traveling across South Carolina to attend hearings. She helped the VAWA section prepare for trainings around the state, to teach prosecutors, police officers, victim advocates, and judges (among others) about criminal domestic violence (CDV). She assisted the section with the Silent Witness ceremony as well, which is a yearly ceremony that takes place in October to remember the homicide victims of CDV in South Carolina.
Kate Shimansky, L’13, worked for the Orleans Public Defenders in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her office provided indigent criminal defendants with legal representation at the District Court level.
Ben Snyder, L’12, interned in the Office of Fred T. Hamlet in Greensboro, NC. Snyder conducted research and helped Mr. Hamlet formulate litigation strategies in the various labor and employment law cases. He helped draft complaints, answers, motions, briefs, and discovery documents.
Alex Walton, L’12, interned in the NC Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, in Raleigh, NC.
Markeshia Wilkens, L’13, interned at the Public Defender’s Office in Greensboro, where she researched in preparation for criminal trials. She also had the opportunity to see jail interviews and court proceedings.
Mark York, L’12, interned with Judge James L. Gale, North Carolina Business Court, in Greensboro, NC.
Reporting and photography for this article provided by Danielle Appelman, L’12, and Ryan Brown, L’13.