Full name: Sydney Bertinetti
Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Major and Class Standing: Pre-Law/humanities, minoring in Spanish and Global Public Health and Epidemiology, Junior
Social Media Handle: Instagram: @sydney.clairekathleen
Internship Company/Organization Name: The Law Office of David L. Carrier, P.C.; trust funding department
Location of Internship: Grand Rapids, Michigan
I was a trust funding assistant at the law firm, which means I worked in the department that helps fund the trust of people who set up trusts. I was responsible for assisting paralegals when it came to verifying bank accounts, deeds, and other accounts assigned to the trust.
Part of what I truly appreciated about my internship is that while I learned a lot, I also learned what I may not want to do. I took away that Elder Law and Estate Planning is probably not something that I will pursue past this, but that I am truly passionate about the law and helping others understand it and what it entails. I learned that within law and firms, there is a lot more that happens behind the scenes that clients may not know about. My plans in the future remain relatively unchanged – I will still attend law school post-undergrad, just with a slightly refined plan for what my focus will be.
To my fellow students, go out there and find opportunities as soon as you can. The sooner you do it, the more time you get to explore areas that interest you. The more time that you have, the more you can explore and be able to figure out what you like and don’t like. Don’t be afraid to go put yourself out there and start networking early on!
