Litigator at State Agency

Name: Kristen O

Major: Italian

Law School: University of Minnesota

Description of your job: Represent state agency in litigation and administrative proceedings; conduct legal research and prepare pleadings or client advice memoranda; represent Minnesota in multistate antitrust litigation; coordinate antitrust investigations

Do you have any advice for students who are considering to go to the same law school you did? It's a great school for relatively low tuition. I would take clinics in your second and third years ‑‑ they were the best experiences of law school; work part‑time as it's a good way to get experience which will help you get a job when you graduate; don't expect to have much of a social life.

Is there anything in particular that you did during your undergrad that benefited you more than anything else in getting through law school and/or transitioning into the legal profession? Developing strong writing skills is the single most important thing you can do to succeed in law school and get a good job afterward. I believe a language/literature major helped me developed strong grammar and writing skills, but any class that requires you to write would be useful.

If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently? I would take more clinics to get the practical experience.

Is being a lawyer what you expected it would be? Why or why not? It is generally what I expected because I was a law clerk for my employer before I was hired as an attorney.

What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer? It takes a while to develop knowledge in a practice area and self‑confidence. If you do government work, you get cases assigned to you right away which forces you to learn fast.

Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it? It's a wonderful profession if you enjoy researching and writing as that is the majority of the work for lawyers I know. I'm always learning something new. There are sometimes time pressures that can be stressful.

What does a typical day look like for you as a lawyer? Typically I am at my computer, researching and writing briefs or memoranda, preparing exhibits and witnesses for a hearing, meeting with staff, participating in conference calls, or answering correspondence. Occasionally I participate in oral arguments at the Court of Appeals or administrative evidentiary‑type hearings.