First Year Summer Student Spotlight: Courtney Kelley

This summer, I clerked at Martin Pringle Oliver Wallace & Bauer law firm in Wichita, Kansas. As a summer associate, my duties included researching legal issues, writing memos, drafting wills and power of attorney documents, sitting in on depositions, and attending hearings. It was truly a “work hard, play hard” environment with lots of networking events around Wichita. Throughout the summer, I met judges, lawyers, and professionals in the area through numerous events hosted by the Wichita Bar Association and Young Professionals of Wichita.

In addition to the networking events, the firm put time and effort into introducing me to the legal community in Wichita. Not only did I meet great people in the community, but I had a blast doing it. Every Tuesday my work duties shifted slightly because the summer clerks are in charge of transporting equipment and, most importantly, beer, to the lawyer league softball games. It was fun meeting others in the legal community as well as interacting with the firm on a social level.

While with the firm, I continued to participate in Oil and Gas Law Center events, an area I am focusing my legal career on. In July, I had the opportunity to attend the 59th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute in Spokane, Washington. This was a very unique and exciting experience, I was lucky to have had the opportunity to attend.

The transition back to school began with my initial research into my law journal comment. While this year is going to be extremely busy, I am looking forward to gaining more research and writing experience through the Washburn Law Journal. And now that On Campus Interviews (OCIs) are in full swing, I feel that my summer clerkship and my law journal experience has given me some valuable tools to be even more successful in my classes and future employment opportunities.