Rob McCarthy The Ohio State University Law School class of 2008; member of the 2007 clerk class

No matter how well law students perform on exams or prepare for firm interviews, the secret truth is that we don’t know that much about the law. We aren’t too far removed from basic Civil Procedure. It wasn’t that long ago that we still wrote without instinctually citing to authority. And even with some law school under our belts, we don’t have a law degree, we haven’t passed the bar exam, and we certainly aren’t able to generate clients or new profit for the firm.

With that reality in mind, I was not shocked when a partner at a large firm told me that the only thing I could contribute as a summer associate or young attorney would be endless time. And even though I was later fortunate enough to be hired by a different law firm—one known for its collegiality—I worried that the partner’s perception of my future role would prove accurate.

It hasn’t. As with every other aspect of my summer clerkship, Bricker & Eckler has far surpassed my expectations in how it treats clerks. Rather than considering me valuable only for my ability to offer my 20s in servitude—as other firms might—the firm has made me feel like a valuable substantive contributor. Bricker & Eckler approaches clerks and young attorneys like long-term investments whose professional growth and satisfaction are as important as the immediate bottom line. This summer I have enjoyed great opportunities to work on projects aligned with my interests, helping me to refine my goals. I have also worked with top-notch attorneys at every level of the firm who provide frequent guidance and helpful feedback; this training has taught me far more about being a lawyer than my first two years of law school ever did. Even though the clerkship frequently has challenged me, I honestly cannot imagine a better environment for a legal career.

Given our lack of experience and knowledge, maybe we law students should be grateful to work anywhere. These people are paying us—very well—to use our minds! But if you have a choice, why not work somewhere that will treat you with respect, encourage your growth, and generally make you feel happy to work? That’s what I did this summer, and I hope that you’ll have the opportunity to do the same next year.