News 2016: Bethany Berube's field placement with a civil law firm provided experience with state & federal court systems

News 2016: Bethany Berube's field placement with a civil law firm provided experience with state & federal court systems
Bethany Berube's field placement with a civil law firm provided experience with state & federal court systems

Her "externship" was an opportunity to observe the application of ethical rules in a lawyer's daily work.

‌‌Field Placement Program student Bethany Berube externed with a civil law firm in her home town during the summer of 2015. There, she gained experience with the Massachusetts and Federal court systems by assisting with important legal documents and court filings for clients including letters, Complaints, Amended Complaints, Summary Judgment Memoranda, Requests for the Production of Documents, and Interrogatories.

She also discovered the importance of deadlines and overall workings of a law firm partnership. Notably, Bethany had an opportunity to observe the application of ethical rules in a lawyer’s daily work.

Bethany reflected that "This placement allowed me to test the waters before focusing my job search after graduation. I now have valuable legal experience for my resume and to discuss with potential employers. This experience absolutely helped prepare me for my future career in law."

Bethany highly recommends the Field Placement Program to other students seeking to get hands on experience in a law firm or organization, saying: "It will allow you to gain experience and become well equipped for legal work upon graduation. The UMass Law Field Placement Program allowed me to earn credits while simultaneously giving me real-life experience in a law firm."