Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen:
Christensen & Ehret, LLP

September 1, 2015

Leaving Christensen & Ehret LLP I am confident that I want to become an attorney. The experience that Mark Christensen has provided me with is one that I believe will go unparalleled and I am extremely blessed to have had this opportunity to work with an individual that cares not only about my academic success, but also my growth as an individual.

The last two weeks I have been running back and forth between the firms of Christensen & Ehret LLP and Henderson Adam LLC. I was able to accompany Victor Henderson to an arbitration regarding a wrongful termination. As I had not been to a trial yet, Attorney Henderson believed the arbitration would be the best event for me to see with my time rapidly winding down in Chicago. An arbitration, which uses an independent person or body agreed upon by both the plaintiff and defendant to reach a fair decision, was the best event I had been to all summer. The arbitration reminded me of a deposition, as it allowed the attorney the opportunity to ask the deponent questions in sort of a laid back manner, however, there was an independent body in the room taking down notes of everything said for further review. Again, due to my contract with Christensen & Ehret LLP I cannot disclose any of the specifics of the arbitration, but one thing that I immediately noticed was the way that Attorney Henderson was able to construct his argument. It was clear from the beginning of the arbitration where Attorney Henderson wanted the deponent to lead him, and even when the rival attorney objected or attempted to get clues thrown out, Attorney Henderson was still able to redirect his question or point in a way to extract the information he believed was pertinent. After a week of arbitration, Attorney Henderson settled with the opposing counsel.

After sitting in on the arbitration, I had to resume one of my projects at Christensen & Ehret. With one of the other attorneys on the case in the office with me, I called one of our clients to update him on the status of the case. We informed our client that the status of his case is not where we had pictured and we had to realistically consider other options in case things did not work out in our favor. The attorney that was in the office with me assured me that not lying to clients and updating them on the REAL status of their case is imperative, as the attorney-client relationship is supremely sacred, especially when considering a law firm a money-making business. In this, I learned that although it may not be what they would like to hear, clients should always know the complete ins and outs of their case, as you do not want them to face any surprises when decisions are made.

One of the main things that I have learned this summer that I believe will be one of the best assets going forward, is to approach and finish all tasks with a level of excellence. Networking is something that is essential to the success of an individual who runs a business, and one must consistently put forth a good foot. Attorney Christensen’s professional network has been garnered over the years from individuals that he has gone to school with, mutual friends, fellow worshippers from his Church, in addition to other individuals that he has worked on cases with and/or has met through different committees. In this, Attorney Christensen has illuminated that networks can be constructed from anyone’s everyday life, and that burning bridges is simply “foolish” because you never know when you could use the help of someone.

Another lesson that I learned was how crucial mistakes are. One simple miscalculation may seem like an innocent mistake to one person, but that mistake could be colossal for a variety of different reasons. I was given the task to create a letter for my boss to send to each state’s specific official for a client. Upon sending out the letter I realized that I made a small typo regarding the numbering of the pages. Although this seems as it is a minute detail, I was upset as even the smallest detail can cause a conflict. If a parole officer makes a mistake it could mean a person that deserves to go free go back into the system. If an accountant makes a mistake it could possibly mean a family losing their home. In this I was reminded that checking one’s work is imperative, and to check your work holistically. If you are confident in your work, have someone else check it. You never know what you could find.

Nonetheless, I have been truly thankful for this experience. I have several attorneys that I know I can call if I have a question, and even further I have made several friends in the process of moving downtown Chicago. I cannot wait to apply my new acquired knowledge to my final hoorah at Cornell, as well as my journey in becoming an attorney.