Download Magazine - Levin College of Law - University of Florida

UP AND COMINGUF Law Student Wins Diversity ScholarshipBY DANIELLE D’OYLEYWith a move from bustling Chicago to a sparselypopulated Tennessee town in his earlyteenage years, a stint as a 13-year-old collegestudent, and a Jewish Puerto Rican background, JesseButler’s (2L) life has been anything but usual.These experiences contributed to his selection as a2008 Diversity Scholarship recipient by the SarasotaCounty Bar Association, a scholarship awarded to minoritystudents at Florida law schools with an interest inpracticing law in Sarasota County upon graduation. Thetwo recipients are given a $5,000 scholarship at the endof a 10-week employment period in Sarasota County.After writing an essay and undergoing an interviewprocess with both the Sarasota County Bar Associationand his future summer employer, Syprett, Meshad,Resnick, Lieb, Dumbaugh, Jones, Krotec & Westheimer,P.A., Butler was offered the scholarship and an internshipwith the firm.The Chicago native moved at age 13 to a small Tennesseetown with a population of about 400 people, astark contrast to his old home. Before he and his motherarrived, Butler said he didn’t believe many of his newneighbors had ever even seen new residents, let alonePuerto Ricans or Jewish people.In addition to this culture shock, Butler also took theSAT when he was 13 and was accepted to University ofTennessee at Martin as a part-time student, where heenrolled during the eighth grade for computer scienceand chemistry courses. He was the youngest personever accepted to the school.“It’s almost surreal looking back and thinking abouthow I was sitting there and everyone around me wastwice my size,” Butler said. “They actually had to putphonebooks under me for my picture because I was afoot shorter than everyone else.”A year later he moved to Ft. Myers, Fla,. for highschool and went on to attend the University of CentralFlorida for his undergraduate degree in legal studies.He was honored to receive the scholarship and internshipoffer, especially as a first-year law student, andcredited his selection to luck and his UF Law education.“Two out of the three interviewers I had were UFgraduates,’ Butler said. “It was a common ground wehad.”Butler describes his time at Syprett, Meshad,Resnick, Lieb, Dumbaugh, Jones, Krotec & Westheimer,P.A. as an incredible experience that exceeded any expectationshe held. He worked primarily for all the firm’spartners and described the atmosphere as familial.“They didn’t treat me as a clerk,” he said. “Theytreated me like an associate.”The firm’s specialty areas spanned the gamut, buthis employers were perceptive to what Butler enjoyedworking on and accommodated his strengths. He quicklylearned what he did and didn’t like to do and endedup focusing primarily on civil and commercial litigationand insurance defense — areas he sees himself focusingon in the future.In addition to the direction the internship gave him,he also says he has a completely different understandinggoing into his second year of law school with morepractical knowledge. He’s realized how much of whathe studied was needed while working this summer.“They didn’t treat me as a clerk,” he said.“They treated me like an associate.”“I never expected to have to think about adversepossession after taking Property Law, but it came inright away,” Butler said. “Everything I’ve studied cameinto play somehow.”Because of his impressive performance, the firm hasdecided to keep Butler as a part-time employee duringthe school year and asked him to return next summer. Ifeverything goes well, he’s been told a position will bewaiting for him upon graduation.“They were very successful in luring me. Now Ihave to say that the highest probability is that I willbe there, especially since they want me to come backand everything went so well,” Butler said. “I don’tthink I’ll have another firm where I’ll enjoy what I doas much as I did there.”He encourages anyone with an interest in workingin Sarasota County to apply for the scholarship, ashe said this summer was an incredible opportunity.Everyone in the Sarasota County BarAssociation was professional, and he was affordedopportunities to attend events andmeet prominent judges and attorneys inthe area as a Diversity Scholarshiprecipient.Butler’s decision to apply forthe scholarship has been one of thedecisions he’s made that will havethe biggest impact on his life.“I went in to the summer having noidea what I wanted to do, not expecting theinternship to really change that,” he said.“That was a life-changing experience.”JESSE BUTLER(2L)FALL 20082