2L Summer Experience Spotlights
This past summer, Baylor Law School’s rising third-year students pursuing careers in business and transactional law put their classroom knowledge to work at law firms across Texas. Working in firms of all sizes and across a variety of transactional practice areas, students gained valuable hands-on experience while demonstrating the strength of their legal training. Their reflections highlight how Baylor Law School is preparing them for success in a wide range of professional settings. Read what several students shared about their summer experiences and the opportunities that have helped prepare them for their future legal careers. The Baylor Law School Business and Transactional Program is proud of the excellent work that our students did this summer. Sic ’em Baylor Law School!
According to eighth-quarter student Sheldon Furqueron, “One of the most fulfilling aspects of my summer clerkship was the opportunity to apply what I learned in the Baylor Law School transactional and contract drafting classes in real-world scenarios. Baylor’s practical training in business entities, tax law, trusts and estates, and contract drafting provided me with the critical knowledge and skills necessary to understand and analyze issues and risks facing clients ranging from individuals and small businesses to large companies, and to help plan and document arrangements that would best protect them and position them for success.”
Seventh-quarter student Addison Wallace echoed his appreciation for the practical law training he has received at Baylor Law School. “Thanks to the practical learning I received at Baylor Law School, I was able to contribute from day one of my internship,” said Wallace. “The knowledge and hands-on experience I gained through the Business and Transactional Program gave me the confidence and skills to draft, redline, and discuss the agreements I worked on during my internship. I am grateful for the experiences I have had at Baylor Law School and for how they have prepared me to enter the practice of law.”
Jaxon Jones, another seventh-quarter Baylor Law School student, was struck by the extent to which the Baylor Law School curriculum in the business and transactional area equips students beyond the context of transactional law practice. Jaxon reflected, “This summer, I realized that although I took Business Organizations in Baylor’s ‘transactional quarter,’ it applies just as much—if not more—in the context of commercial litigation as compared to transactional practice.” Jones came to this realization when he was tasked with researching avenues to overcome an entity’s motion for summary judgment and was able to mount a successful argument based on what he learned in Business Organizations regarding the legal effect of the manner in which the contract at issue was signed. Jones also credits his Business Organizations and Business Planning courses with providing him with practical skills in researching state and county government websites and substantive knowledge of Texas veil-piercing law that enabled him to develop a potent veil-piercing argument in a tort-claim case. Jones was especially gratified that the knowledge and skills he demonstrated made him a “go-to” summer associate on business issues. According to Jones, “The attorneys at my firm trusted me with cases where corporate structure was a material issue, and I used the skills I learned at Baylor to research and communicate my findings. While Baylor’s business classes help a transactional lawyer form a company or close a deal, they have helped me efficiently spot issues in commercial litigation and effectively communicate the law in the litigation context.”
Seventh-quarter student Travis McInroe, who obtained a dual degree in Accounting and Taxation from Baylor University and had prior work experience as a CPA before entering law school, enrolled at Baylor Law School with an open mind but an inclination to pursue a transactional practice of some type. He expresses gratitude to the Baylor transactional law faculty for “opening my eyes to the many paths available in transactional law” and “providing courses that included experiential application opportunities along with substantive instruction in commercial real estate, tax, and corporate law.” According to McInroe, “I carried my education into private practice over both my first and second summers, trying my hand at commercial real estate transactions, leasing, and tax advisory, before eventually landing in private-equity mergers and acquisitions. Together, my Baylor Law School education and my experience applying it in my summer employment helped me land the exact post-graduation opportunity I wanted. I am very grateful for the opportunities Baylor University and Baylor Law School have afforded me, as well as the guidance provided by all my professors along the way.”
