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What Some of Our Recent Summer Associates Had to Say About Wiggin and Dana
Jason J. Smith
Yale Law School, Class of 2006
Associate, Unaffiliated
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"My summer experience taught me that initiative, intellectual curiosity and vigor are highly valued at Wiggin and Dana. I was assigned matters which closely
corresponded to my areas of interest and was encouraged to be creative and insightful in approaching my work. I was tasked with issues grounded in legal strategy and client advisory in equal proportion to substantive law. My supervisors not only provided feedback on my work product, but periodically updated me on interesting developments on my and other cases. Overall I found my summer experience highly rewarding." |  |
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Christopher S. Clay
Boston College Law School, Class of 2007
Associate, Unaffiliated
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"I think Wiggin and Dana provides the best opportunity in Connecticut to work at the
frontier of the law with highly accomplished, intelligent attorneys who are also
genuinely humane and decent individuals. I truly enjoyed my summer associate
experience here. My work assignments were uniformly interesting and varied, and
included three cutting-edge cases in defamation, antitrust, and white-collar defense.
The members of the support staff at the Information Center are excellent and helped
ensure that I did not feel overwhelmed by an assignment. The firm also allowed me to
spend two weeks in our New York office and participate in a case going on there. The
other summer associates were all interesting people and enjoyable to be around, as
were my partner and associate buddies."
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Matthew Brown
Quinnipiac University School of Law, Class of 2007
Associate, Unaffiliated
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"My summer associate experience at Wiggin and Dana left little to be desired. From
drafting various legal writings, to attending client conferences, it seemed to me that
Wiggin and Dana’s summer associate program was intent on providing a lens toward,
and even preparation for, life of the everyday attorney. This was accomplished by the
firm’s steady flow of meaningful assignments that were coupled with a strong
commitment toward work -product feedback . No doubt a logical design, the broader
picture emerged, not just a discrete part thereof. Still further, Wiggin and Dana
encouraged a robust rotation through its diverse practice groups. And as a rising 3L
with multiple interests in the law, this approach was valuable. Best of all, however,
was the collegial environment that made coming to work an enjoyable experience."
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Jody Erdfarb
University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2006
Associate, Unaffiliated
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"My summer at Wiggin and Dana was educational, formative, and fun. The
sophistication of the legal work done at the firm was inspiring. From making
presentations to national audiences on controversial subjects to drafting Supreme
Court briefs to working on local pro bono matters, every case was
approached professionally and creatively. As a summer associate, I expected to mostly
observe more experienced lawyers and perhaps research mundane topics. However, I
found myself engaged in exciting complex assignments and strategizing sessions.
Moreover, the firm made a real effort to allow summer associates to observe
depositions and trials.
Understanding the firm was also an important aspect of the summer. Each department
made informative presentations to us, describing their work and clients. We spent time
in each office, learning how the firm's different branches work together. Even the chair
of the executive committee (the managing partner) met with us to explain the
mechanics of how the firm is organized and operates.
Aside from the exciting legal work and insight into the firm, the camaraderie among
the lawyers really stood out during my summer experience. Not only do Wiggin
attorneys work collaboratively, they also enjoy each other's company. The social
summer events and the buddy system, where each summer associate is matched with a
partner and an associate, highlighted this warm atmosphere. As a young lawyer, this
summer experience was just what I was looking for and what I needed to make
important future career decisions."
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Sandhya Kilaru
Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2006
Associate, Corporate Biotech
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"During my summer internship at Wiggin and Dana, I worked on a wide variety of
projects, including legal summaries of scientific data for pharmaceutical class action
products liability litigation, a petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States
Supreme Court concerning arbitral awards of punitive damages, resolution of
a landlord/tenant dispute for a pro bono client, a draft of a research and
license agreement between two biotechnology and pharmaceutical collaborators, case
summaries for the Connecticut Practice Series section on the Connecticut Unfair Trade
Practices Act, research on limitations to a right of way across a commercial real estate
lot, and numerous other projects. I had an opportunity to work with several lawyers
across the various practice groups at the firm and to learn from the depth and breadth
of knowledge they had acquired through their years of commitment to their practice.
All of the lawyers, partners and senior associates alike, who worked with the summer
associates spent considerable time training the summer interns, and I received
detailed, useful feedback on all of my work product. The tremendous level of
dedication the senior attorneys gave to mentoring new lawyers and law students is
rare and highly valuable. I am grateful that my summer at Wiggin and Dana helped
me to identify the areas of law that I ultimately chose to direct my legal career."
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Michael T. Clear
Quinnipiac University School of Law, Class of 2005
Associate, Trusts & Estates
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"Wiggin and Dana is truly invested in their summer associate
program. My assignments came from a variety of practice areas
enabling me to experience several areas of the firm's practice. I
worked on a chapter in a book, a memorandum of law for a
Federal Court petition, various legal research memorandums
and a client advisory. Partners were always willing to provide
context for my assignments so I was able to understand the
'larger picture' and increase my understanding of the material.
Beyond the assignments, the people at Wiggin and Dana made
the experience great. My partner buddy encouraged me to reach
out to other attorneys in the firm and learn as much as possible
about the firm's practices and other attorneys' career paths. I
was constantly amazed by the partners' investment in the summer
associate program. Also, the Information Center was much more
than a library, but a valuable resource with excellent staff; a
necessity to use on any project."
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Kate Hagmann
University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2005
Associate, Unaffiliated
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"At Wiggin and Dana, I worked on a wide variety of interesting
and challenging projects, and I received plenty of assignments in
my areas of interest. I also got to watch an appellate argument,
portions of a trial, and an administrative hearing. The firm has a
collegial atmosphere, and the associates and partners were
always willing to answer my questions. If you want to work with
top notch attorneys in a friendly and supportive environment,
Wiggin and Dana is an excellent choice!"
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Michael D. Pych
University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2005
Associate, Corporate
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"My summer at Wiggin and Dana is best summarized as a great
learning experience in a friendly and comfortable environment. I
was able to work with and learn from a diverse group of
exceptional attorneys on many different types of assignments
from a variety of practice areas. The attorneys with whom I
worked provided me with informal feedback and I was given
formal reviews in the middle and end of the summer. In addition,
the firm provided weekly training seminars that focused on many
areas. I found the attorneys and staff members to be extremely
professional, approachable and fun to work with. My partner
and associate buddies were invaluable in answering my many
questions about the firm and helping to get me acclimated.
Wiggin and Dana is an ideal place for a summer associate to
work, learn and have fun."
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