Insights and Experiences

S. Jamal Faleel, Hamline University School of Law, 2002
Litigation

Following my first year of law school, I was awarded Fredrikson & Byron's Minority Scholarship and was invited to participate in the firm's summer associate program. The summer program provided me with a great opportunity to learn more about the firm and people, and I liked what I saw. I knew from the experience that I would be expected to work hard, but that my caseload would be manageable, allowing me to have a good balance of life here and outside of the office. The firm is flexible on hours, requiring a lower par with production bonuses for hours that exceed par.

One notable experience from the summer program was a pro bono death penalty case that I worked on. At one point during the summer, I, along with a Fredrikson & Byron attorney, flew out to New Orleans to interview former jurors from the trial to determine whether there had been jury misconduct.

Before joining Fredrikson & Byron as an attorney, I clerked for two years for Judge Rosenbaum. Understanding the inner-workings of the court system has been very helpful in my litigation practice. I've also used these experiences while coaching Hamline's International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Team during the past three years. The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot  takes place each year in Vienna, Austria and attracts hundreds of teams from around the world. The competition lasts a week, and it's is an amazing opportunity to meet legal professionals (judges, lawyers, up-and-coming lawyers, professors, etc.) from around the world. Fredrikson has been extraordinarily supportive of my involvement in the competition.