Jeremy Boissy L'18 recently completed a winter trimester residency with a U.S. District Court judge in his home state of New York. He shared insights of his experience for the first profile in an occasional series of stories on residency placements for Elon Law's Class of 2018.
A graduate of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Boissy aspires to serve his nation by practicing law as a government attorney. To that end, he completed his Elon Law residency-in-practice this winter in the chambers of Chief Judge Glenn T. Suddaby of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
All students undertake a 10-week, full-time course-connected residency during part of their second year at Elon Law, and for Boissy, the residency helped him strengthen his legal knowledge in several ways. “I enjoy escaping my comfort zone to confront new challenges,” he said. “Since the areas of law are vast and ever-changing, a law degree helps me find new ways to learn and grow, and to help others do the same.”
Boissy answered questions recently about his residency experience.
What responsibilities were you assigned as part of your residency?
I drafted judicial decisions and orders on pretrial motions, participated in pre-sentencing reviews and recommendations with the Chief Judge, conducted legal research on complex issues of law, and performed fact development and verification. I also assisted the law clerks with issues that arose during trial and helped formulate jury instructions.
How did your residency experience reinforce your career goal?
This experience enhanced my interest in the public sector because it provided something new to learn – and new problems to solve – every day. Gaining this early familiarization and understanding of the “behind-the-scenes” court processes will help make me a better advocate in the future.
What is one thing you learned during your residency that you don’t think you would have learned solely by attending class?
My residency allowed me to turn theory into application. Instead of just reading about judicial decision-making and procedural history, I got to participate in it. I had the opportunity to observe and analyze the real-life impacts these decisions have on individuals and families.
In what ways do you predict your approach to classes and bar exam preparation might change because of your residency?
Not only am I better equipped to critically analyze issues and arguments, the residency also allowed me to better analyze my own strengths and weaknesses. To that end, I am better equipped to leverage those strengths as I prepare for class and the bar.
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About Elon Law:
Elon University School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on “learning by doing,” it integrates traditional classroom instruction with course-connected, full-time residencies-in-practice in a logically sequenced program of transformational professional preparation. Elon Law’s groundbreaking approach is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides distinctive value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their legal careers.