DiscoverI Am The LawFrom Clerkship to Private Practice: Research, Writing, and Challenging Assumptions
From Clerkship to Private Practice: Research, Writing, and Challenging Assumptions

From Clerkship to Private Practice: Research, Writing, and Challenging Assumptions

Update: 2025-07-23
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Alexis Taitel, a commercial litigator and fourth-year associate at a large firm, spent her first two years after law school clerking in federal district court. She explains what a federal clerkship really involves and how that experience helped her launch a litigation career in private practice. Alexis offers a window into her work on breach of contract cases as a mid-level associate, from pre-litigation strategy and writing compelling motions to learning how to advocate effectively from behind the scenes. She shares her love for legal writing and research, comparing research to a scavenger hunt and writing to storytelling. Alexis also reflects on the steep learning curve and pressures of the billable hour, the mentorship she’s received, and how the reality of being a lawyer differs from what she once imagined. Alexis is a graduate of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law.

This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.

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From Clerkship to Private Practice: Research, Writing, and Challenging Assumptions

From Clerkship to Private Practice: Research, Writing, and Challenging Assumptions