Members of Elon Law's Classes of 2010 and 2011 contributed to the legal profession as summer associates, interns, and advocates for low-income individuals in need of legal assistance throughout the summer of 2009.
George Johnson, Jr., Dean of Elon University School of Law, welcomed returning students back from their summer work and travel, saying, “We hope that your experiences were intellectually fulfilling, that you found opportunities to serve others, and that you were able to enjoy time with family and friends. We begin the school year with the addition of three new faculty members, a new clinical program in juvenile justice, and the near-completion of the annex facility for the clinical law center. These changes and other initiatives promise to make this an especially exciting academic year at Elon.”
Highlights of summer experiences for Elon Law students include:
Adam Arthur, ’10, interned with the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety in Raleigh, working with the North Carolina National Guard under the direction of the Staff Judge Advocate. Arthur supported the creation of legal opinions on federal ethics regulations, contracts, administrative law, and family law and helped to provide soldiers with wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives. For his contributions, Arthur was awarded the North Carolina National Guard Civilian Commendation Medal for outstanding achievement and exceptional legal skills.
Taylor Carraway, ’10, a Martin Luther King, Jr. intern for Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Wilson Office, working in housing law over the summer. In one instance, Carraway represented a client in an eviction proceeding in small claims court as a certified law student under the Third Year Practice Rule, allowing third year law students to practice law under the supervision of a licensed attorney. In the case, the landlord alleged that the client’s failure to pay the rent provided a basis to declare the lease breached, even though the client was unable to tender the full unpaid rent as required by the case of Morris v Austraw. The Magistrate dismissed the eviction and the client anticipates being able to cure the default shortly and remain in her home.
Julie Goldfarb, ’11, interned with U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-OH), supporting the Senator’s general counsel and legislative assistants assigned to the Senate Subcommittee for Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Goldfarb worked in policy areas such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, federal employee benefits, and the H1N1 virus, writing numerous memos and reporting on official hearings.
Catherine Hallman, ’11, interned at the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office, working primarily on a murder case in its beginning stages. Hallman met with clients, drafted motions, researched police reports and observed court proceedings. “Working at the Public Defender’s Office this summer has given me real life exposure to the legal system,” Hallman said. “I especially enjoyed the opportunity to assist those less fortunate and I hope to continue working with the Public Defender’s Office during the school year to support legal work surrounding the murder case.”
Danny Lyon, ’11, interned with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Greensboro office, where he worked primarily in the areas of unemployment benefits and mortgage foreclosures. In his work on unemployment, Lyon prepared for and conducted client interviews and represented clients before the Employment Security Commission under supervision of staff attorneys. Lyon said of his work on mortgage foreclosures and modifications to mortgages, “It was really rewarding to help individuals stay in their homes. Working on the details of legal proceedings in this area, at a time when policy ideas are being offered all the time to change the system, was definitely educational as well.”
David Morrow, ’10, worked the second six weeks of summer with the Legal Department of BB&T Corporation in Raleigh, after interning the first half of summer with the office of U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke (NY-11). While interning with BB&T, Morrow provided internal memoranda discussing relevant state and federal laws pertaining to electronic delivery of financial services, assisted in a corporate-wide presentation for compliance with federal and state laws involving electronic signatures, provided documents outlining the “duty of loyalty” and other fiduciary concepts, and was asked to assist in legal research for a large finance-related contractual agreement.
Nicole Patterson, ’10, interned with the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for the Committee’s Ranking Member, Representative Darrel Issa (CA-49). Patterson’s work included extensive research and document preparation related to the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch merger. Her research became instrumental in preparation for Congressional hearings with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and in news reports on Congressional hearings filed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Craig Turner, ‘10, clerked at Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greensboro and at Wishart, Norris, Henninger & Pittman, P.A., in Burlington, North Carolina. At each firm, Turner worked on cases involving commercial litigation in both federal and state court. Turner observed court proceedings, attended depositions, and supported deposition preparation. “It was important to participate in the client’s deposition preparation, as well as the actual deposition,” Turner said, “because it helped to develop greater knowledge about the client.” Turner also conducted extensive research on issues concerning North Carolina Civil Procedure, Employment Law, Wills and Trusts, land use, civil rights, and contracts.
Click on the E-Cast link to the right of this article for a slideshow highlighting a number of additional summer employment experiences for members of Elon Law’s Classes of 2010 and 2011.
Additional summer placements for the Class of 2010 included:
• Blanco, Tackaberry, Matamoros, PA, Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey, & Leonard LLP, Greensboro, N.C.
• Burton & Sue, LLP, Greensboro, N.C.
• Carruthers & Roth, PA, Greensboro, N.C.
• Forman, Rossabi, Black, Greensboro, N.C.
• Hagan, Davis, Mangum, Barrett, Langley, & Hale, PLLC, Greensboro, N.C.
• Henson & Talley, LLP, Greensboro, N.C.
• Higgins, Benjamin, PLLC, Greensboro, N.C.
• Law Offices of Alex Kraeger, High Point, N.C.
• North Carolina Court of Appeals, Raleigh, N.C.
• Smith, Debnam, LLP, Raleigh, N.C.
• Smith, Moore, & Leatherwood, LLP, Greensboro, N.C.
• The Van Winkle Firm, Asheville, N.C.
• Walker, Melvin, & Woodall, LLP, Eden, N.C.
• Womble, Carlye, Sandridge, & Rice, PLLC, Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Charitable Licensing Solicitations Office of the NC Secretary of State, Raleigh, N.C.
• Guilford County Public Defender’s Office, Greensboro, N.C.
• House Judiciary Committee, Washington, D.C.
• House Committee on Oversight & Governance, Washington, D.C.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina, (various N.C. counties)
• Staff Judge Advocate’s Office, North Carolina National Guard, Raleigh, N.C.
• Office of the Public Defender (several N.C. counties)
• Office of the District Attorney, (various N.C. counties and in N.Y.)