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By: Susanna Klose ’23
Working for the New York State Attorney General’s Office was an ideal placement for me. I was offered a position as a Summer Fellow in the Claims Bureau in Albany, New York. Albany is my home city, so to have the opportunity to work in the Capitol area downtown was a childhood dream come true. (Seriously, the architecture of the Capitol is stunning, I couldn’t stop staring out of my supervisor’s window.) During my time at the University at Buffalo School of Law, I have discovered a passion for government work and public service. Getting to combine these things with the opportunity to represent New York State while working in Letitia James’s Office was an exciting experience, but moreover – it made me feel more like a practicing attorney than ever before.
As a rising 3L, my supervising attorney was more willing to allow me to experience hands on, practical legal work outside of drafting different documents. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to prepare a case for trial, depose the claimant in the case, and draft a motion to dismiss the case. My supervisor helped me along the way, but I really had the opportunity to work with a file in a way I had never done before. The claimant’s attorney and the claimant were of difficult dispositions, and not openly receptive to having a student conduct the deposition, but this just made the experience that much more worthwhile. Dealing with adversity in a legal setting was something I had never experienced, but it is something that happens every day. Having the opportunity to stand up for myself and assert that I am capable of the work I was doing was scary, but it was also exhilarating. Preparing and conducting a deposition was such an exciting experience, especially seeing the record afterwards with my name printed boldly and in all capital letters. All of this, while representing New York State and its citizens. I could not have asked for a better experience.
While working for New York State, I also had the opportunity to observe as Assistant Attorney Generals went about their daily tasks and proceedings. While I had a supervising attorney, a lovely woman named Christina Calabrese, I did have the opportunity to work with other attorneys too. The team felt very close knit and friendly, always stopping to chat with each other and go to lunch together. It was a very nice place to work and everyone made sure I felt very welcome there. This sort of atmosphere gave me a lot of relief, as a lot of law offices are often not described in this way. It makes me all the more excited to hopefully have the opportunity to work at the office again someday as a licensed attorney.
I want to sincerely thank the generous donators of the Charles E. Mann/ BPILP Public Interest Fellowship. This award really allowed me to experience this summer to the fullest and take in everything I could while I worked for the Office of the Attorney General. After my involvement with BPILP over the last two academic years, I was honored to receive this award! Additionally, I want to thank the Office of the New York State Attorney General, the Claims Bureau, and of course, Christina Calabrese, for a wonderful experience that will enrich my career to the fullest. To everyone mentioned above, thank you again for making this wonderful summer possible!
Name: Susanna Klose ’23
Name of Fellowship: Charles E. Mann/Buffalo Public Interest Law Program Public Interest Summer Fellowship
Public Interest Fellowship
Placement: New York State Attorney General’s Office
Location: Albany, NY
One important lesson I have learned this summer: “Preparing and conducting a deposition was such an exciting experience, especially seeing the record afterwards with my name printed boldly and in all capital letters.”
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