Semester in Practice

Linowes and Blocher LLP

Bethesda, Maryland

Jessica Werber '07 had several goals for her SiP experience: to improve her research and writing skills, gain greater substantive knowledge in an area of environmental law, learn how a law firm worked as a business, and, incidentally, scope out the Washington, D.C. area, where she thought she might like to practice. She achieved them all during her semester with the Bethesda law firm of Linowes and Blocher LLP, under the guidance of partner Jim Witkin, who probably wins the prize for mentorship.He has mentored more than a dozen SiP students, but also takes summer and master's degree students and has hired VLS graduates as well.

Witkin, who specializes in real estate law and brownfields matters, introduced Werber to the intricacies of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as well as a range of other environmental and land use issues. He pulled her into meetings, let her sit in on conference calls, and made sure that she, like his other SiP students, had a chance to get out of the office occasionally-attending conferences and just getting to know the D.C. area.

Werber emerged from the SiP with solid writing samples and a number of attorney contacts in her chosen field, both of which proved useful in her job search. She is now working with the Environmental Integrity Project in D.C., and stays in touch with Witkin to learn what he is doing and hear his thoughts on their common field of interest. "From observing him, I learned what it was like to be a lawyer before I was one," she says. "He made the projects I did meaningful. He'd say 'Here's what I want you to look up and here's why it's important.' He was an excellent teacher. I continue to appreciate that today."