The most challenging and rewarding aspect of working at a law firm was the necessity to become thoroughly knowledgeable on any given subject in order to effectively complete a project. Due to the fast-paced nature of the firm, it was not uncommon to be thrown into unfamiliar territory with little context or direction. Despite this, my teammates and I took complete accountability of our work and ensured that all assignments were completed in a thorough and timely manner.
I worked on projects for attorneys and clients that required an intimate familiarity with sources like securities filings, corporate documents, and analyst reports. I quickly learned to research and compile these sources, analyze relevant data, and prepare findings as a report, spreadsheet, or slide deck. I was frequently selected for these types of tasks due to my research and analytical skills, perseverance, and my utilization of available resources and techniques to maximize efficiency. My findings contributed to several of the firm’s winning cases, even submitting two Affidavits to court in support of my research.
As you can imagine, effective communication is key to succeeding in the legal world. It was my responsibility as a legal assistant to manage communications and liaise between attorneys, clients, vendors, court, and firm management in order to accomplish an attorney’s goal. For example, one of the partners was very particular about how his bills, especially those with alternative fee arrangements, appeared to the client. Each month, I would devise a solution and negotiate with accounting and management to ensure all bills met the Partner’s expectations while still adhering to the firm’s rules and regulations.
Living and working in India as a teacher, American ambassador, and Fulbright scholar posed an entirely different set of communication challenges. Even though I had previously been a teacher, tutor, mentor, and counselor in various contexts in the States, teaching abroad was an entirely different challenge due to the differences in our educational systems. I had to analyze students’ knowledge to identify any knowledge gaps through a cross-cultural lens and develop lesson plans to close those gaps. After almost a year serving as a teacher and American ambassador, I successfully navigated Indian culture, enhancing cultural understanding and promoting mutual exchange between India and the United States.
I'll be in touch ASAP