Penn State Law Student Job Profiles

Park will begin her legal career after graduation as a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable William Anklowitz in Trenton, New Jersey.

Additionally, moot court has taught me how to think on my feet, proper courtroom etiquette, confidence in my speaking abilities, and how to zealously advocate for my client before a tribunal."

McDonald will join Cozen O'Connor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an Associate following graduation.

Kaliszewski will join the King's County District Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, New York, following graduation.

I am very excited to begin practicing at such a great firm!"

Walker will begin her legal career post-grad as an Associate Attorney with McQuaide Blasko in State College and Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Boyd spent his fall semester of his 3L year in Washington, D.C., where he completed an externship with the Department of Justice. In addition to that valuable experience, he also had a weekly seminar with Professor Stanley Brand, supervisor of the Semester in Washington program. This supplement to the externship helped to take it to the next level.

“Meeting with Professor Brand really boosted my externship experience,” said Boyd.

That experience, along with the intensive curriculum in judicial opinion writing provided by Professor Nicole Chong, as well as the guidance of legal research professor Andrew Wartluft, prepared Boyd for his opportunity with the Department of Justice, and helped set him apart from other applicants. Additionally, Career Services and Professor Wadhia’s advice aided Boyd through the highly‑selective application process, leading to his full-circle moment.

The Attorney General’s Honors Program is the only way for new graduates to join the department in an attorney position. Through the Honors Program, Boyd will conduct research and draft opinions with immigration judges for two years before reapplying for the Office of Immigration Litigation in D.C.

“Taking advantage of the experiential courses and externship opportunities available at Penn State Law will ultimately set you up for success,” said Boyd. “You just have to be willing to work.”

“It seems like everyone everywhere has some kind of connection to Penn State,” said Emini.

Emini’s time at Penn State, working toward both her J.D. and M.B.A., helped prepare her for the role. Her new employer was particularly interested in the fact that she had already taken Patent Law and The Modern In-House Counsel courses by the end of her second year. Additionally, her time as secretary of the student organization OutLaw, Penn State Law’s LGBTQ+ organization, taught her persistence and provided her with the knowledge of how to work closely with people to get results.

Emini worked in the summer before her 3L year in the Pfizer Business Transaction Group’s In-House Counsel, in Collegeville, Pa.

Opran had the opportunity to work closely with his professors at Penn State Law, to which he credits much of his success. Former Penn State Law Professor Anne McKenna acted as a mentor to Opran ever since he sat in the front row of her Civil Procedure class. She guided him through the process of applying to the HLAB Fellowship, and provided him with academic and professional advice throughout the school year. Additionally, working with Professor Emeritus Beth Farmer in her Criminal Law class gave Opran the tools to exercise and hone his analytical and legal thinking skills. Both professors acted as Opran’s references for his fellowship.

In his role with HLAB, Opran worked with indigent clients to solve their legal issues in the areas of housing, domestic relations, government benefits, and fair wage law. He handled his own cases under the supervision of clinical instructors.

“When you’re in law school, there is so much nuanced information to absorb, it can feel insurmountable,” said Opran. “Getting this fellowship really reaffirms why I’m here. It validates that I chose the right school in Penn State Law.”

This program tapped into exactly what he was looking for: a structured summer program that highlights opportunities available for law students to gain legal experience serving rural areas and small communities. Open to four second-year students annually, it provides funding for 10 weeks of work at solo practitioners or law firms with 10 or fewer full-time attorneys in counties outside of metropolitan areas.

"It's great that they have this program because it fills a niche that many career service offices don't focus on, but many students are interested in," said Schleich.

Schleich's particular position with the Law Offices of Kreisher & Gregorowicz was located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The Community Fellows Program matches students with employers based on shared goals and interests.

The work that Reynolds had done to that point at Penn State Law also helped to set her apart, including her membership in OutLaw, where she worked as an officer for two years, showing her initiative. Additionally, Reynolds engaged in an ongoing independent study with Professor Dara Purvis on the topic of transgender law. Her interviewers were very impressed with her research in this emerging area of law.

"Penn State Law gives you a realistic sense of the legal job market, and equips you with the skills necessary to enter it while helping you use any assets you already have," said Reynolds. "Everyone here, from faculty to staff to students, is wildly supportive of you."

The 10-week program was exactly what Fisher had been looking for and led to an internships with Levy, Stieh, Gaughan & Baron, P.C., a small firm in Milford, Pa.

"The Community Fellows Program is one of the best programs Penn State Law has," said Fisher. "I was able to receive funding to work for a firm that genuinely wants me there."

Fisher spent his summer gaining experience in the courtroom, working in areas of business and transactions, as well as family law, an area of law that particularly interests him. Fisher is a past president of the Family Law Society at Penn State Law, and participated in the Family Law Clinic.

"Career Services helped me from the early process of not knowing what I wanted, through all the struggles, to end up with the best fit possible for me. This summer position prepared me for the future career that I want."

Fambro obtained an internship with Bronx Defenders in the summer after her first year of law school. After a successful experience there, Fambro spent the following summer interning at Harden & Pinckney, a small law firm in Washington, D.C., where she made even more connections to the Bronx Defenders, preparing her for a permanent position there.

After graduation, Fambro began her full-time position as a public defender with Bronx Defenders -- a dream come true.

“Penn State Law was instrumental in molding me into who I am today,” said Fambro. “There is always room here to explore what you want to do, and there are so many people that will help you get to where you want to be.”

Working with Career Services through the entire process, Nichols was able to master various types of interviewing skills, which helped her to navigate the initial online group interview, and led to her call-back for an interview in Philadelphia with the firm. She got the junior associate position at Dechert, thanks to her hard work and the guidance of Career Services.

“I wanted to be at the forefront of new law, not doing the same thing every day,” said Nichols. “Career Services was everything in landing this position; they are the lifeblood of the interview process.”

Holmes also worked early and often with the Career Services team to hone his job-seeking skills and perfect his résumé.

"I would advise all students to go to Career Services and have them look at your résumé," he said. "They make absolutely sure it's up to standard."

After graduation, Holmes began his legal career at the New York City Law Department as Assistant Corporation Counsel, dealing primarily with the family court division on issues including juvenile delinquency, paternity, and child support cases.

After successful completion of the Skadden summer associate program, both Kinsey and Sheikh were offered full-time positions. And while both agree they couldn’t have landed the position initially without all of the résumé and cover letter reviews and mock interviews that Career Services provides, they are in equal agreement that the skills they’ve acquired at Penn State Law were what drove their summer success and led to full-time positions with a top U.S. law firm.

"I had the opportunity to clerk for a federal judge my 2L year through Penn State Law's externship program, and that provided me with real-world legal research and writing experience that prepared me well for my summer at Skadden," said Kinsey.

"Penn State Law gave me the requisite skills I needed to succeed," said Sheikh. "Specifically, Representing the Entrepreneur, taught by Professor Sharbaugh, taught me business concepts directly applicable to the work I did at Skadden as a summer associate."

The staff took a vested interest in his success, teaching him how to articulate his skills to employers while emphasizing all he had overcome to get this far.

"It's important to build a relationship early with Career Services personnel, so that they think of you as opportunities arise," said Bonilla. "They are 100 percent of the reason I had a job so early in the process."

After working with Career Services to obtain two summer internships in New York City in his 1L and 2L years, Bonilla landed an interview, and ultimately, a full-time position with the King's County District Attorney's Office, which covers Brooklyn, New York. Members of the Career Services team helped him to prepare with an impromptu mock interview that Bonilla credits with instilling in him the confidence and composure he needed to ace the interview. He started with the D.A.'s office in what he called his "dream job" as an Assistant District Attorney following his graduation.

After working with Career Services to craft and submit his resume, WilmerHale flew him to New York City for an interview. Within two weeks, he had a summer offer at WilmerHale’s New York City office in the World Trade Center, which would ultimately turn into a post-graduation job offer.

“The people in the Career Services Office are half career counselors and half therapists,” Brett said. “They guided me through the process of applying to WilmerHale, and always told me it would be all right.”

While at WilmerHale as a Summer Associate, Brett was exposed to many aspects of working in a large law firm. His primary focus was on white collar crime and securities cases, where he did litigation and investigation work. He had a hand in everything from class-action suits, to white collar criminal investigations, to stock offerings.

Brett’s Applied Legal Analysis and Writing Course proved to be very useful, as he was doing research and writing every day. His experience in his White Collar Crime course was also incredibly valuable in his work.

“The skills I learned in Professor Vollmer’s class were absolutely critical to my success at the firm,” Brett said. “And I pulled out Professor Copeland’s White Collar Crime class outline as a reference several times, and even shared it with another summer associate who had not taken that course.”

Brett accepted the offer from WilmerHale and began as an associate after graduation.

During her first year of law school, Vaughn worked closely with the Penn State Law Career Services Office to develop her resumé and sharpen her interviewing skills, and after completing a 1L summer clerkship, those skills helped her to land an internship in her 2L year at Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein (FMBK), in Los Angeles.

Upon her return for her final year of law school, Vaughn joined the Family Law Clinic, where she was able to further delve into the intricacies of family law practice. Through her work in the clinic, she was involved in a hearing for a client that won an extended protection from sexual violence order.

“Working in the clinic definitely helped me to refine my knowledge and translate it into real skills that I will take into my career,” said Vaughn. “It goes beyond just learning in the classroom.”

Vaughn started in a full-time position as an Associate with FMBK in L.A. following graduation.

In his 2L year, Interim Dean and Distinguished Scholar in Residence James W. Houck, the retired 41st judge advocate general of the U.S. Navy, mentored Dempsey on what to expect and how to prepare for the process of joining the Navy JAG Corps. With Houck’s help, Dempsey submitted his application, was offered a position and was commissioned as an officer.

Dempsey credits Penn State Law with helping to prepare him for his new role with rigorous and relevant classes, like Houck’s National Security class, something not commonly offered at other schools by someone of his background. An additional benefit Dempsey found in University Park was his involvement in activities outside of the classroom, as he participated in Moot Court and as an editor of the Penn State Law Review.

“A lot of schools limit students’ ability to get involved, but Penn State Law allowed unlimited involvement,” Dempsey said. “That really set me up for success and showcased my abilities.”

For Brier, the position was a dream come true — a valuable experience to start his legal career.

“I honestly don’t think it would’ve happened for me at any other law school. For one, I don’t know of any other school with two sitting Third Circuit judges on the faculty,” Brier said. “And the professors I’ve had have been invaluable. I’ve used every lesson from my courses, received so much support from the faculty, and gotten such great advice from nationally recognized litigators and scholars.”

“Without Penn State Law, I doubt I would’ve been fortunate enough to have this incredible opportunity.”

You can read more about Tom's journey to his clerkship on our website.

It was the boost of confidence she needed to ace her interviews and receive the offer for assistant general counsel in the Employment Law Unit of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

“Without the confidence that Career Services provided, I don’t know if I would have gotten the job,” said Balaji.

The extracurricular opportunities that Penn State Law provides—mock trials, clinic experience with clients, alternative spring break, and so much more—also helped prepare Balaji for her career success.

“Juggling all of my activities with classes helped prepare me for the role of assistant general counsel,” she said. “Penn State Law offers all of the resources for success; you just need the initiative to make them work for you.”

Reaching out to former classmates, as well as alumni that the Career Services Office and several of his professors put him in contact with, he was able to learn the types of questions he would be asked in such a specialized interview.

“Penn State alumni, as well as professors, are always willing to take the time to help current students in any way they can,” said Cruz. “It’s a full package.”

Additionally, Cruz’s tax-related classes with Professors Sam Thompson and James Puckett, including Basic Federal Income Taxation and Corporate and Partnership Tax, gave him a thorough understanding of the field he wanted to enter, which proved impressive to his interviewers. Another aspect of his résumé that helped to set him apart was his time working as a research assistant at Penn State Law.

“Because international tax law and reform is such a hot issue right now, and is constantly changing, my current knowledge of, and ability to, research the subject really upped my chances of getting this position,” he said.

Cruz started his legal career with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an international tax associate following graduation.

Hytinen’s work in the Family Law Clinic gave her valuable practical experience working with indigent clients that translates to the real world. The course load at Penn State Law, even beginning in the first year, was a key factor during her interview process as well.

“A lot of schools don’t have Criminal Procedure as a requirement, like Penn State does,” said Hytinen.“I think taking that course early on really helped me to secure my summer position, which helped lead to my full-time offer.”

She also found the Penn State alumni network to be a powerful tool.

“The Penn State brand is helpful,” said Hytinen. “But beyond that, there is a sense of community and comraderie here. People are dedicated to the school, both while they’re here as students, and well after they graduate.”

"If you want to make it happen, Penn State Law will help you put it together," said Finnegan. "This was helpful hands-on experience that really helped to set me apart."

Additionally, Finnegan participated in activities on campus, where he was an active member of Moot Court teams, and helped to coach and set-up training for 1L Mock Trial competitions. He landed a position with the Philadelphia County District Attorney's Office in the Certified Legal Intern Program during the summer after his 2L year. That streamlined him into the hiring process, and following graduation, he started as Assistant District Attorney. 

“Doing all the extracurriculars helped to differentiate myself," said Finnegan. "Find a way to distinguish yourself outside of the classroom relevant to the field you want to pursue; at Penn State, you'll have the ability to take advantage of every opportunity that you want.”

"The people in the Career Services Office were extremely encouraging," said Walker. "Their advice and guidance was instrumental in landing this position."

Other aspects of Walker's time at Penn State Law also proved to be beneficial, including her involvement in the Arts, Sports, & Entertainment Law Clinic. The experience of communicating directly with clients and helping them with their problems helped to set her apart.

"Because I will be doing negotiation and mediation, it's important that I am able to ease concerns and explain how I can help."

Walker also noted that the community at Penn State was a huge boost. She was able to lean on students who were looking for the same type of position, and always feel supported and encouraged, something not common at all law schools.

Throughout her three years of study, Schuyler was an active member of the Black Law Students Association, and helped with the Public Interest Law Fund, an organization that uses fundraising efforts to help underwrite student fellowships in public interest law.

“I really loved being on such a large campus with so much diversity,” said Schuyler.

As a 3L, Schuyler was the justice of Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), a professional law fraternity focusing on service, which fit with her desire to work in public interest law.

“Law school can be really stressful, but we have a great community here, and valuable ways to get involved outside of classes,” she said. “Take advantage of those things while you’re here; that’s an important part of the experience, too.”