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Notre Dame Law students gain experience through summer in-house legal work at major corporate firms

The legal field offers a wide range of career opportunities, and one of the most appealing options for legal professionals today is working in-house. There are several advantages that working in-house offers; the industry-specific expertise, strategic influence, and internal networking opportunities…
The legal field offers a wide range of career opportunities, and one of the most appealing options for legal professionals today is working in-house. There are several advantages that working in-house offers; the industry-specific expertise, strategic influence, and internal networking opportunities make it a compelling career path. As organizations recognize the value of having legal expertise within their cross-functional landscape, working in-house has become a win-win situation for both legal professionals and the companies they serve.
 
Read about a few of our students and their unique experiences working in-house this summer.

Torres

Analli Torres (rising 2L) is working in-house on the data privacy team at Mastercard this summer. Through her time on the team, Analli has had the opportunity to learn how Mastercard protects the privacy of both its customers and employees. Her responsibilities include researching emerging U.S. laws and bills regulating the use of AI in the workplace and assisting in building a database to house Mastercard’s global data privacy controls. Through her work, she has gained extensive knowledge about U.S. antitrust initiatives and created a presentation on the topic for Mastercard’s People & Capabilities team.

Analli also had the chance to meet and learn from several members of Mastercard’s executive leadership team. They shared valuable insights into their legal journeys and career paths, helping Analli gain perspective and inspiration for her own legal career.

"My experience at Mastercard has profoundly deepened my understanding of data privacy and regulatory compliance, while inspiring me through the insights shared by the executive leadership team," said Analli. "This opportunity has significantly heightened my excitement for the diverse opportunities a legal career can offer."


Mimi 2

Mirella “Mimi” Navarro (rising 2L) is working with Apple's Corporate, Commercial & Compliance Group where she has focused on legal matters related to compensation, benefits, and risk and global health and wellness. She has had the opportunity to work with groups across Apple and learn from industry leaders in areas such as healthcare regulation, executive compensation, and benefits.

For her final project, she will give a keynote presentation on her latest research to the heads of various teams within the Corporate, Commercial & Compliance group.

"Growing up in the Bay Area, it has always been a dream of mine to work for Apple's Legal team and I am so grateful to have had such a fulfilling summer with my dream company. This experience exceeded any expectations I had coming in and opened my eyes to the world of opportunities available in-house," said Mimi.


Luwam

Luwam Gabreselassie (rising 3L) came into law school wanting to learn more about a career in-house. After completing her 1L year, she interned at Microsoft, and this summer, she is working in-house at Workday. At Workday, Luwam has collaborated with almost all the various legal teams. Her favorite projects have been those that allowed her to see what she learned in law school come to life. For example, she reviewed the master service agreements of a new acquisition acquired by Workday to assess the company’s obligations and risks. She created training materials for the sales team, simplifying legal concepts into digestible forms. Additionally, she conducted research on artificial intelligence regulations throughout the European Union, Middle East, and Africa. Luwam also worked on updating and rewriting Workday's copyright take down notice which will be uploaded onto the company's website.

Luwam also had the opportunity to shadow senior attorneys, sit in on depositions, participate in strategic meetings for ongoing litigation, and attend cybersecurity incident response meetings.

Beyond her professional experiences, Luwam volunteered with her team at Eat. Learn. Play., where they built a playground, and at a local food shelter, where they sorted over 16,000 pounds of food.

"My experience at Workday solidified my desire to practice law in-house," said Luwam. "I gained tremendous experience in understanding how law can aid in the growth of business. I saw the projects I worked on implemented, which was incredibly rewarding. I received invaluable mentorship and was provided every opportunity I asked for."

Originally published by Notre Dame Law School at law.nd.edu on August 08, 2024.

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