Speak to Inspire is a networking opportunity where Royals hear alumnae talk about a specific career path. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, alumnae Courtney Spears ‘12 and Amy Lutfi ‘14 hosted a session to share their experiences as attorneys. The presentation was originally supposed to be in the LEC, but the high interest caused the event to shift to the Assembly Hall.
Sophomore Justine Wilson shared, “I went because I was interested in the law career path, and I learned a lot about the different types of lawyers and that I had many options in that career.”
Speaking of options, the presenters explained different branches of law; Ms. Spears is a litigator (she argues in front of a judge in court) and said her job involves Zoom meetings, research, writing, and traveling for weeks on end for trials. Ms. Lutfi, however, practices corporate law, which works with large public companies when they want to purchase other companies. Her job is more computer-based and collaborative than litigation since she does not go into court.
In addition to their own specialties, the presenters explained other types of law, like patent law, which requires an engineering or STEM degree. Ms. Spears, who majored in political science in college, advised Royals to avoid doing the same thing and to choose a different, more versatile undergraduate degree like Ms. Lutfi did—she studied finance in case she eventually decided against law.
Ms. Spears also explained how Rosary prepared her for college: her experience with time management and campus involvement kept her from feeling overwhelmed with studying. She did stress, though, that Royals should prioritize getting good grades to set themselves up for success. Additionally, the attorneys urged everyone in attendance to take advantage of Rosary’s opportunities to participate in class; during law school at USC, their professors used the Socratic method, where a student had to be prepared to answer any question at any time.
If random questioning isn’t enough, the LSATs (law school entrance test) and bar exam (test to receive a license to practice law) are other challenging parts of becoming a lawyer, but to Ms. Spears and Ms. Lutfi, the hard work is worth it since they don’t have bosses. They work for partners who have ownership in the firm, but the attorneys don’t have to ask for vacation time.
With that freedom, though, comes more work. Both attorneys work crazy hours, which range from two to 20 hours a day depending if they are in trial or not. For those who want more of a separation between work and home, the presenters talked about in-house counsel, where a lawyer represents a specific company and has more of a constant schedule.
Mia Paquette ’26, a Mock Trial team member, remarked, “Going to Speak to Inspire and listening to the attorneys’ speeches was very entertaining! I learned more about the day-to-day life of an attorney as well as real-life career tips.”
The Speak to Inspire session was incredibly informative, and even if you’re unsure if you’d enjoy the presenter’s profession, chances are if you go, you’ll pick up useful life advice like Mia and I did. The next event is Tuesday, Sept. 26, with physical therapist Briana Valenzuela ‘11. Check the email from Mrs. O’Campo ’02 for the registration link.
