Summer 2001
Hanson Bridgett hosted a wonderful class of 8 Summer Associates this year. Please take a look at the Summer Class of 2001 and find out why they selected Hanson Bridgett as the place to spend their summer in San Francisco. You can click on their names below or just scroll down to see the entire class.
Kristina ("Kitt") Shute, Jesse Fletcher Ladomirak, Jennifer Fabish, S. Isabel Choi, Kristie Hirschenberger, Robert Depew, Brendan Peters, Jesus Corral
Kristina ("Kitt") Shute
University of California, Hastings College
of the Law, J.D. candidate 2002;
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., cum laude, Theater
Arts, 1992.
I was initially drawn to Hanson Bridgett because of its excellent reputation in the legal community, its commitment to diversity, and its variety of practice areas. During the interviewing process, I was delighted to discover that Hanson Bridgett attorneys are well-rounded people who are enthusiastic about their work as well as their lives outside work. I was also happy to find out that the firm has a reputation for fostering a humane and supportive work environment and for hiring attorneys with prior careers in other professions. The interesting variety of work and the firm environment convinced me that Hanson Bridgett is the right place for me.
I am interested in working with the Labor and Employment and Public Agency Sections, and am particularly interested in the possibility of working on labor and employment issues for public agency clients. However, I appreciate the opportunity to be exposed to all of the firm’s practice areas this summer.
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and spent eight years before attending law school working in the Bay Area theatre community as a stage manager, production manager, and producer. I hope to maintain some sort of connection with the theatre after law school. When not studying, I enjoy spending time with my husband, going to the theatre, and playing tennis.
Jesse Fletcher Ladomirak
University of California, Boalt Hall, J.D. Candidate 2002;
Yale University, B.A., History, 1997.
Going into my job search, Hanson Bridgett was my first choice for a summer associate position. I had heard nothing but positive comments about the quality of the firm’s legal services and its commitment to creating a rewarding, caring work environment. I knew I wanted to be at a mid-size firm, yet I did not want to sacrifice the training, resources, and diversity of opportunity typically associated with big firms. My initial research, and conversations with people in the legal community, convinced me that Hanson offered the best of both worlds. My interview process solidified this conviction. I was extremely impressed by the attorneys I met here. They were without exception intelligent, personable, and enthusiastic about the work they were doing. The level of job satisfaction at Hanson is what made the biggest impact on me. It is truly unique, and the best indication of the kind of firm this is, and the type of people who work here.
I was born in Palo Alto, California, and lived there until departing for college. After six years on the East Coast, I am now happily (and permanently) reestablished in the Bay Area. My husband and I live in Albany.
Jennifer Fabish
University of California, Hastings College
of the Law, J.D. Candidate 2002;
University of California at San Diego, B.A., magna cum laude, Psychology,
1995.
My first experience with Hanson Bridgett came at a crowded, informal meet-and-greet on the Hastings campus. Despite having met with representatives from a large number of firms, Hanson Bridgett stuck out clearly in my mind. I already knew that I was looking for a mid-sized firm with a reputation for quality legal work, but equally important to me was a congenial and collaborative working environment. The representatives from Hanson were very personable and displayed a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for their work, the firm, and their colleagues.
This enthusiasm is evident in the day-to-day goings on at the firm and the attorneys genuinely seem to enjoy working with each other. My assignments have been interesting and challenging and the attorneys that I've worked with are eager to include me in all facets of the projects. The summer program at Hanson strikes a nice balance between presenting an accurate representation of what it is like to be a first year associate here, and introducing the summer associates to the people and culture of the firm.
S. Isabel Choi
Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D.,
Candidate 2002;
Dartmouth College, B.A., cum laude, English Literature and Minor
in French Literature, 1998.
Going into the on-campus interview process, I had heard of many stories where associates after one or two years left their firm in search of a better place. I wanted to be able to offer a different story, I was looking for a unique kind of firm where I could picture myself working at for a very long time. Interested in litigation, I was hoping to find a firm where I did not have to wait till I started growing grey hair to argue a motion or enter a courtroom. I had heard from many that Hanson Bridgett was the place to gain such exposure.
A mid-size firm with large-firm resources, Hanson Bridgett truly stood out from the crowd. From the beginning, I was struck by the collegiality of the people at the firm. My call-back interview and first few weeks of work confirmed that Hanson Bridgett was the best decision that I made in the OCI process. Whether it was getting acquainted with managing partners at the Boulevard, or munching on garlic fries with associates at Pac Bell Park, the people were always incredibly friendly, unpretentious, and willing to help. I feel very comfortable approaching the attorneys, whether it is asking them to lunch or seeking guidance on an assignment. In short, I feel at home here.
Having lived most of my life on the East Coast, I welcome the "we have one season here" climate of the Bay Area. In my free time, being a hopeless dilettante with a finite attention span, I try to do everything.
Kristie Hirschenberger
University of California at Berkeley (Boalt
Hall), J.D. Candidate 2002;
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Ph.D., Philosophy, 1999;
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, A.M., Philosophy, 1995;
University of Minnesota at Morris, B.A., Philosophy and English,
1993.
Most of my friends in law school agonized over which firm to work for after their second year. I didn’t. Hanson Bridgett had everything that I was looking for in a law firm—an established practice that still managed to be forward thinking with a great reputation in the community staffed with personable attorneys. More than any other firm I interviewed with, the people of Hanson Bridgett were friendly, approachable and genuinely likeable.
For me, choosing a law firm came down to choosing the people I could look forward to working with for the next several years. Only Hanson Bridgett seemed to have consistently hired attorneys who possessed the qualities I value most in friends and in coworkers: dedication, commitment, and compassion.
Robert Depew
University of California, Hastings College
of the Law, J.D. candidate 2002;
Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland, B.A., magna cum laude,
English, 1998, B.S., magna cum laude, Business Administration, 1998.
The hallowed traditions of fall on-campus recruiting provide few opportunities for genuine mirth. But in my initial interview for the position with Hanson Bridgett, I not only chuckled, I laughed out loud. During that interview I began to understand why everyone I spoke with had only positive things to say about this firm.
I like the fact that Hanson Bridgett is a local San Francisco firm
where I can experience a variety of practice areas while working
with a visibly diverse group of men and women who appear to embrace
a balanced philosophy of life. In addition, the startmeuplaw.com
practice appeals to me because it provides the opportunity to engage
in the challenging and stimulating world of internet start-ups.
I am particularly interested in the firm’s litigation, labor
and employment sections, and I look forward to experiencing a variety
of practice areas this summer. But ultimately, I chose Hanson Bridgett
because throughout the interviewing process I felt valued and appreciated,
not for any one thing on my transcript or resume, but for the sum
of the parts that define me as a person. And I want to practice
law in a place where the people are valued more than the artwork.
Following a nomadic bi-coastal childhood and several years of sweat
and chills on the east coast, I happily adopted the Bay Area as
home. Here, I escape the legal vortex by reading trashy novels and
watching melodramatic movies, sweating a portion of my life away
at the gym, and chilling on the beach.
Brendan Peters
Stanford Law School, J.D. Candidate 2003;
Princeton University, Master of Architecture, 1999;
University of Virginia, B.S. in Architecture, 1993.
As an architect, I was looking for a firm renown for excellence in the area of construction law and design representation. My search ended with Hanson Bridgett. The attorneys in the Construction Section have backgrounds in engineering and design, and this blend of substantive real world experience with legal expertise typifies the Hanson Bridgett attorney. I felt the best environment in which to learn and practice was with people who are committed not only to the practice of law, but are also passionate about the subject matter in which they practice.
My decision to join Hanson Bridgett this summer was also influenced by the firm’s collegial atmosphere and firm structure. Hanson’s size is one of its greatest assets. As a growing mid-sized firm, I have found that it offers the depth and experience that you would only expect at a large office, while maintaining the intimate atmosphere of a small firm through its section group organization. From day one, I immediately felt part of the Hanson team, and I am very much looking forward to the rest of my summer here.
I have spent most of my life as an East-coaster, but I moved West to enjoy the outstanding climate and outdoor activities of the Bay Area. In my free time I enjoy tennis, snowboarding, and playing the cello.
Jesus Corral
Santa Clara University, J.D. Candidate 2002;
Stanford University, B.A., Political Science and International Relations,
1999.
A friend recommended that I apply to Hanson Bridgett. I am very thankful for that recommendation. Throughout the interview process I met attorneys whom not only enjoyed the work they were doing but the environment that they were working in. While my legal interests include litigation and labor and employment, the summer associate program allows me the opportunity to work not only in these practice areas but also in Hanson Bridgett’s other practice areas such as public agency and business.
My experience at the firm has lived up to my expectations. My assignments are interesting and cover diverse areas of law. The attorneys supervising these projects are supportive and extremely helpful.
I grew up in San Francisco but moved to Hayward in 1997. Working at Hanson Bridgett feels like a homecoming. My hobbies include sports such as basketball, softball and golf.
Non-Discrimination Policy: Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus, Vlahos & Rudy, LLP seeks to ensure a positive and diverse work culture where each person may work and develop professionally to the best of his or her ability free of unlawful discrimination or prejudice. To this end, the firm is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits unlawful discrimination or prejudice of any kind based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical disability, or pregnancy.
