The firm’s Summer Associate program offers law students practical legal experience following their first and second years of law school. During this program, Summer Associates engage in active client matters, and assist by, among other things, drafting briefs and transactional documents; participating in depositions, arbitration, and mediation sessions; attending client meetings; and observing courtroom procedures. We took the opportunity to speak with each associate to learn about their interests both within and beyond the legal field. Next up is Sarah McKee.

• What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
  • I have always enjoyed being able to help others. Law can be about helping those who find themselves in a scary or otherwise stressful situation. I like being the person to help guide others through these kinds of situations and come out the other side hopefully for the better.
• Was there a specific moment or experience that confirmed you were on the right path?
  • Having only completed one year of law school, my experiences are still rather limited. Classes themselves and the discussions that arise in them, however, made me feel confident that I was going in the right direction. I always felt like I understood the material and the points the professors made, and I simply enjoyed thinking about the implications and nuances and discussing them with classmates. I took an introductory course on intellectual property law in the spring semester and it was by far the most fun class that I had taken during the year. Even though the class itself mirrored the others I had taken (read this, lets discuss that), the content really intrigued me and made me certain that I wanted to keep intellectual property in my view as I went forward through law school.
• Tell us about a case you studied in law school that made a deep impact on you. Why did it resonate?
  • White v Samsung. This case was my first introduction in law school to intellectual property, though the case itself ultimately was about a right to privacy. It dealt with name, image, and likeness rights a person has in themselves and looked into whether or not the specific instance at issue was a parody or a misappropriation of Vanna White’s identity or likeness. This really stuck out to me because I found the arguments on both sides really intriguing and got at some big picture points that I hadn’t had need to consider before. It took the argument outside of the specific instance and applied it more wholesale to any person claiming these rights and the effects that may have. I found myself really wanting to discuss it with classmates after I read it, so I knew with that case that learning more about intellectual property law was the route I wanted to go.
• What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?
  • There is rarely a right time for anything. You just have to figure out how to make it work.
• What is a non-legal hobby or interest you have that might surprise us?
  • I enjoy playing video games and writing stories (novel length and short stories).
• What’s a book, podcast, or documentary you’ve recently enjoyed — legal or not?
  • The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
• QUICK ROUND
  • Favorite legal tv series or movie?
    • Legally Blonde
  • Preferred study snack?
    • M & Ms
  • Most used legal jargon?
    • I haven’t had to use legal jargon outside of class time and even then it varies based on the class I’m in, so nothing has been so consistent as to bleed into my regular conversation.