Fall 2005 - Baker & Hostetler LLP

Summer 2005, Vol. 6, No. 1MOCK TRIAL PROGRAM PROVIDESSUMMER ASSOCIATES WITH UNIQUE OPPORTUNITYHow often do law students get to argue a casebefore a federal judge? How often do they learnwhat it is like to be the defendant or a plaintiff in a trial?Summer associates in Columbus and New York are giventhose very opportunities through the mock trial programsrun by Baker & Hostetler in those offices.In New York, summer associatesDan Burstein (University ofChicago), Kawana King (Harvard),Jessica Lee (Harvard) and TomMosher (NYU) participated in amock jury trial before The HonorableJames Orenstein, UnitedStates Magistrate Judge for theEastern District of New York.Judge Orenstein was formerly alitigation partner in B&H’s NewYork office. The case, entitledSlippery Jo v. Stamboulidis Shipping,followed the facts of an actualpersonal injury case handled by theNew York office two years ago.Full-time associates playedwitnesses and the police officer whodrafted the accident report, whileDan Burstein and Kawana Kingacted as counsel for the defendant,meeting with their client, interviewingand preparing her for testimonyat trial. The plaintiff’s counsel,(continued page 4)New York Mock Trial: George Stamboulidis, Partner; Tracy Cole, Partner;Lauren Resnick, Partner; Dan Burstein (University of Chicago); Kawana King(Harvard); Honorable James Orenstein, United States Magistrate Judge for theEastern District of New York; Jessica Lee (Harvard); Tom Mosher (NYU);Jack Fitzgerald, Associate; and Paul Eyre, Office Managing Partner.

COLUMBUSSUMMER ASSOCIATESBAKER & HOSTETLER SUMMER ASSOCIATES:IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE WORKAt Baker & Hostetler, our goal is to provide the law students whojoin us as summer associates with a challenging, yet enjoyablesummer. We want to provide an experience that is representative ofwhat it would be like to be a member of the Baker & Hostetler team.From firm culture to training and professional development to socialand cultural activities, the summer experience is designed to exposestudents to the various components that comprise “life at B&H.”From left front row: Gregory R.Flax (Michigan), Justin B. Finn(OSU), George W. Hairston(Columbus Office ManagingPartner), Mark Hatcher (Capital),Nicole M. Howard-Jahi (Capital);From left rear: Benton B.Bodamer (OSU), Deborah L.Goodrich (CWRU), Megan A.Robinson (OSU).Being a summer associate offers the opportunityto sample the wide variety of work thatgoes on at the firm. In just a few months’time I’ve been able to help with a closing,research issues regarding the media, workon an article about defending white collarcrime and research issues from bankruptcyto litigation.—Katie McVoy, Cleveland Office, University of Notre DameIn order to give theColumbus summer associatesa well-rounded view of Baker& Hostetler, a variety ofactivities was planned forthem over the summer.Besides participating inpractice group roundtables,the mock trial program anddinners with partners, thesummer associates weretreated to a tour of the SupremeCourt of Ohio, a“Gallery Hop” to local artgalleries, a trip to Clevelandfor a tour of the Rock and RollHall of Fame and a ClevelandIndians game, and a ColumbusCrew soccer game.Cleveland summer associates standing left to right: Brian Bulson (OSU),Gretchen Drenski (OSU), Joslyn Kaye (CWRU), Heather Kimmel (OSU),Kimberly Ruthsatz (Harvard), Kelly Skeat (University of Virginia), Jay Stiffler(CWRU), John Plecnik (Duke), Toni Calbert (Columbia); sitting second rowleft to right: Robin Lyden (OSU), Katie McVoy (Notre Dame), MelissaDeGaetano (Michigan), Lisa Cox (CWRU); sitting front left to right: CatherineBeck (CWRU) and Gabrielle Kelly (CWRU).

SUMMER ASSOCIATES BECOMEBARTENDERS FOR CHARITYCleveland office summer associates joinedsummer associates from nine other Cleveland lawfirms for the First Annual Summer AssociateCharity Event. Sponsored by the Law PlacementAssociation of Cleveland (LPAC), summer associateswere volunteer bartenders at a local hotspot,the Velvet Dog. The summer associates donated allof their tips to charity. Family, friends and coworkersattended the event and demonstratedtheir support by giving generous tips.Baker & Hostetler LLP and Ulmer & Berne LLPsummer associates, wearing jerseys representingtheir law schools, joined together to raise over$1,300 for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Overall,over $6,400 was raised for four different localcharities. More important, summer associates frommultiple Cleveland firms had an opportunity tomeet one another and work toward the commongoal of helping community organizations.WASHINGTON, D.C.,SUMMER ASSOCIATESSummer associates in thenation’s capital had theopportunity for “one-of-akind”experiences duringtheir time at B&H. Theassociates were invited toattend a reception at TheUniversity Club, at whichU.S. Supreme Court AssociateJustice Anthony M. Kennedywas the featured speaker, anda diplomatic reception at theU.S. Department of State.They were also treated to aspecial tour of the West Wingof the White House.SUMMER IN THE “MILE HIGH” CITY“Both Siddhartha and I havefrequently commented on howsurprised and pleased we have beenwith the level of workwe have been able todo this summer. Myexpectation of receivingbasic research andwriting projects hasbeen far surpassed bymy work helpingdraft complaints,letters to clients,reviewing and assemblingexhibits, etc.Further, theopportunity to workon such a wide rangeof projects hasallowed me to experience many ofthe firm’s litigation practice areas,as well as to work directly with avariety of attorneys. I have foundthese projects very valuable.”—Jessica Schmidt,Denver Office,University of ColoradoDenver summer associatesJessica Schmidt and SiddharthaRathod, who both attend theUniversity of Colorado LawSchool.“One of the best parts aboutworking at Baker & Hostetler hasbeen the attorneys I have had theopportunity towork with. Notonly have they alltaken the time tomentor me in mylegal work, butthey have alsotaken an interestin me as anindividual. Inaddition, throughan array of eventsoutside of theoffice, I havegotten to knowmany of theattorneys and their families in anon-work setting further adding tomy feeling of belonging at Baker &Hostetler.”—Siddhartha Rathod,Denver Office,University of ColoradoFrom left to right: Kulich Ebi(Howard), Aswathi Zachariah(University of Denver), CarlosRamos-Mrosovsky (Harvard),Susanne Garner (Boston College),David Annis (Georgetown),Laurie Babinski (Northwestern).

ORLANDOSUMMER ASSOCIATESSitting left to right: Tim Pasken(University of Texas at Austin),Ajda Demirdoken (University ofFlorida), Jorge Castillo (Universityof Florida); standing left toright: Natalia Medina (Universityof Florida), Tarsha Luke(Georgetown University) andDavid Oigarden (VanderbiltUniversity).Working near “the happiestplace on earth” does haveits advantages! Summerassociates in our Orlandooffice were treated to outingsat Disney World, EpcotCenter and Sea World overthe summer. In addition towork-related activities, suchas meetings with the Hospitalityand Real Estate teams andspending a morning at theFederal courthouse, thesummer associates attended aBlack Eyed Peas concert anddemonstrated their athleticskills during an indoor puttputttournament in the officelobby.Mock Trial (continued)Jessica Lee and Tom Mosher,interviewed the police officerand prepared him for his directand cross-examination.The summer associateswere assisted by a number ofpartners and associates whoacted as coaches and assistedin trial preparation. The NewYork attorneys even played theroles of pre-selected jurors.In Columbus, the Litigationsection conducts the mocktrials for new first-year litigationassociates, with summerassociates filling the roles ofthe parties and witnesses. Twotrials were held this summer,based on materials producedby the National Institute forTrial Advocacy (NITA). Thesame case, BMI v. Minicom, acontract dispute concerning alost shipment of goods, wastried with two different teamsNew York summer associatesJessica Lee (Harvard), DanBurstein (University of Chicago)and Kawana King (Harvard).MOCK TRIAL EXPERIENCEColumbus summer associatesGreg Flax (University of Michigan)and Mark Hatcher (Capital University)before Judge Harold Paddock.of associates and summerassociates taking part.Summer associates had avery “hands on” experience,because they played the roleof the plaintiff, defendant orwitness in the trials, whichwere held in the courtroom ofthe Columbus Bar Association.A local judge volunteeredto assist and hear thecase and acted as an advisorto the first-time trial attorneys.Summer associates BenBodamer (OSU), Justin Finn(OSU), Greg Flax (Universityof Michigan), DeborahGoodrich (CWRU), MarkHatcher (Capital University),Nicole Howard-Jahi (CapitalUniversity), Tom Kelly (OSU),and Megan Robinson (OSU)participated in this year’sprogram.The mock trial project was incredibly rewarding due to its steep learningcurve and, quite simply, the exhilaration of standing before a judge in areal courtroom for the very first time. That so many attorneys in the firmstepped up to invest their time and effort in helping us craft our argumentsand improve our delivery was much appreciated. The experiencewas a rare one that I know many of my fellow law students, who areinterning at other firms, are incredibly envious of. It is evident that Bakergenuinely places a strong emphasis on constantly challenging its people to bebetter at all that they do.—Jessica Lee, New York Office, Harvard

SUMMER ASSOCIATES SPEAK OUTI have worked on a variety of matters, such as drafting alegal memorandum on a complex commercial landlord/tenant matter, serving as a translator for a mostly Cambodianspeaking client, and helping an attorney write an articleon condominium conversions in Downtown Los Angeles andits impact on real estate law.The summer program provides exposure to both transactionaland litigation-based practices, which is really useful indeciding which practice I will ultimately end up in. Overall,the program has been exciting and indispensable – Baker &Hostetler’s Los Angeles office has a summer program thathas exceeded my expectations.—Sathya Oum, Los Angeles Office, UC BerkeleyLA summer associates: Bernice Espinoza(UC Berkeley), Greg Pinto (UCLA) andSathya Oum (UC Berkeley).Cincinnati summer associates (left toright): Alan Vyas (Univiversity of Cincinnati)and Kelvin Lawrence (University ofMichigan).I expected to spend my summer trapped in an office workingendless hours on legal memoranda, but my experience at Baker& Hostetler could not have been more different. The Cincinnatioffice is a welcoming community of talented legal professionalswho are eager to teach summer associates how to become greatlawyers. In addition to assigning projects that allowed me todevelop my research and writing skills, attorneys found ways toinclude me in closings, CLE presentations and a mediationsession. Baker’s expansive practice provided sophisticated work,while the smaller size of the Cincinnati office allowed genuineinteraction with both partners and associates. My work assignmentsin employment, transactions, and litigation prepared mefor my second year of law school and helped me to set the courseof my career as a practitioner.—Kelvin Lawrence, Cincinnati Office,University of MichiganWhat I like most about my experience thusfar is the emphasis placed on not only gettingto know the attorneys on a professional level,but also on a collegial level. Through socialevents outside of the office and group lunchesduring the day, we, as clerks, are able to geta feel for not only what kind of work wewould be doing as associates at B&H, butalso who we would be doing that work forone day.”—Stephen Olson, Houston Office,University of TexasLeft to right: Associate John Harper, summer associateStephen Olson (University of Texas) and partner DeanHerms returning from a hearing.

2005 ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEW SCHEDULEThis fall, Baker & Hostetler is interviewingon a campus near you! We recruit at some of thecountry’s best law schools. Following is the scheduleof campus visits by our attorneys who will beinterviewing summer associate candidates.Dates are subject to change. Please confirminterview schedules through ww.bakerlaw.com.School Date Office(s)Capital University Sept. 16 ColumbusCase Western Reserve University Aug. 23 ClevelandSept. 12 ColumbusCleveland State University Sept. 13 ClevelandColumbia University Aug. 19 All officesCornell University Sept. 6-7 ClevelandDuke University Aug. 18 All officesFlorida State University Aug. 25 OrlandoFordham University Aug. 23 New YorkGeorgetown University Aug. 23 Cleveland, Columbus, Denver,New York, Orlando, Washington, D.C.George Washington University Aug. 24 Washington, D.C.Harvard University Oct. 3 All officesHoward University Sept. 7 All officesIndiana University Bloomington Sept. 30 ColumbusNew York University Aug. 25 All officesNorthwestern University Aug. 15 All officesSouth Texas College of Law Sept. 20 HoustonStanford University Sept. 22 All officesThe Ohio State University Aug. 11 CincinnatiSept. 7 ColumbusSept. 9 ClevelandUniversity of California –Berkeley (Boalt Hall) Sept. 26 Los AngelesUniversity of California –Hastings College of Law Sept. 23 Los AngelesUniversity of California –Los Angeles Sept. 16 Los AngelesUniversity of Chicago Sept. 7 All officesUniversity of Cincinnati Sept. 16 CincinnatiUniversity of Colorado Oct. 5 DenverUniversity of Denver Sept. 23 DenverUniversity of Florida Aug. 18 OrlandoUniversity of Houston Sept. 14 HoustonUniversity of Miami Aug. 19 OrlandoUniversity of Michigan Aug. 29 All officesUniversity of Minnesota Sept. 16 Washington, D.C.University of North Carolina Sept. 15 Cincinnati, Cleveland,Columbus, OrlandoUniversity of Notre Dame Sept. 9 ColumbusSept. 16 ClevelandUniversity of Pennsylvania Sept. 12 ColumbusUniversity of Southern California Sept. 20 Los AngelesUniversity of Texas Sept. 8 HoustonUniversity of Virginia Aug. 26 All officesVanderbilt University Aug. 29 Houston, New York, OrlandoSept. 8 Cincinnati, Cleveland, ColumbusYale Law School Sept. 27 All officesBAKER & HOSTETLERCONTACTSFirmwide Hiring PartnerElizabeth A. Dellinger 216.861.7793edellinger@bakerlaw.comCincinnati—Fax 513.929.0303Kimberlee Nickolas, Recruiting Coordinator513.929.3480knickolas@bakerlaw.comCleveland—Fax 216.696.0740Jennifer Pethel, Recruiting Coordinator216.861.7113jpethel@bakerlaw.comColumbus—Fax 614.462.2616Jeanie Fulton, Recruiting Coordinator614.462.4703jfulton@bakerlaw.comDenver—Fax 303.861.7805Laura Mae Smith, Recruiting Coordinator303.764.4054lmsmith@bakerlaw.comHouston—Fax 713.751.0145Swafia Ames, Recruiting Coordinator713.646.1647sames@bakerlaw.comLos Angeles—Fax 213.975.1740Irma Chavira, Recruiting Coordinator213.975.1714ichavira@bakerlaw.comNew York—Fax 212.589.4201James Coffman, Recruiting Coordinator212.589.4257jcoffman@bakerlaw.comOrlando—Fax 407.841.0168Kelly Searcy, Recruiting Coordinator407.649.3929ksearcy@bakerlaw.comWashington, D.C.—Fax 202.861.1783Johnette Roberts, Recruiting Coordinator202.861.1525jroberts@bakerlaw.comFirmwide—Fax 216.861.6618Dee Driscole, Attorney Recruitmentand Development Manager216.861.7092ddriscole@bakerlaw.comLEAPBaker & Hostetler publishes LEAP—both in print and on-line. It is distributedperiodically to keep you informed of thelegal experience and associate programs(LEAP) across our firm.We know how valuable this updatedinformation is in assisting you in makingthe jump from your law school to ourlaw firm. If you have comments or astory suggestion, or if you would like toview past issues of LEAP, please visitwww.leap2baker.com.