When I tell people that I am a rising second year law school
student, after congratulating me on being so brave, the first question that
they usually ask me is “So what kind of law do you want to practice?” And the
truth is, up until now, I had no idea. I’ve always had an idea of the areas of
law in which I could see myself practicing and those that I could not. Criminal law? Not for me. Some realm of
international or property law? Maybe. Day after day, I waited for some kind
of sign or some realization to hit me… and that time has finally come.
This
week at my internship, I worked with a lawyer, R, who is the manager of the
litigation and settlements department of the company. The insurance company
that I work for, being the largest in the Dominican Republic, insures many of
the hotels and resorts that are located throughout the country. And where there
are foreign tourists, law suits are sure to follow! I reviewed endless cases
about tourists sustaining personal injuries stemming from small slips and falls
to burns resulting from bar fires. Because many of the hotels and resorts have
their headquarters or principal places of business in the United States--
Florida to be exact-- many of the complaints were being litigated in the United
States. While this may sound boring to others, I found myself absolutely
enthralled!
Complaints,
answers, and motions to dismiss on the grounds of forum non conveniens? I
couldn’t get enough. Page after page, I found myself completely absorbed in
reading the case details and imagining how I would begin to prepare memoranda
discussing both the particulars of the cases and possible outcomes at trial. I
was so excited to see abstract concepts that I had learned during my first year
of law come to life.
By the
end of my first day working with R, I knew that this was what I wanted to do!
Working as an attorney for a firm that represents large corporations such as
hotels and resorts incorporated in the United States, but with locations abroad,
would allow me to combine my interests in both torts and international law. Who
knew it would take traveling to the Dominican Republic for me to discover what
I wanted to do following graduation!
