Fraser Stryker welcomed another outstanding class of talented law students into our 2025 Summer Associate program. In this spotlight, we’re excited to share the experiences and insights of one of this year’s 1L participants, Josie Medill. A student at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Josie is a member of the Women’s Legal Forum.
Prior to law school, Josie earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy, summa cum laude, from Kansas State University. While at KSU, she was on the KSU Mock Trial Team, serving as Vice President and member of the Travel Competition Team for four years. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority.
Q: Describe a piece of advice from an attorney or mentor that really resonated with you or shifted your perspective.
A: On the first day during onboarding, Eric Wells answered the question, “What is the most common mistake you see summer associates make?”. He said the most common mistake is not establishing clear expectations with your supervising attorney when you receive a project. He advised to communicate with the supervising attorney what the expectations for a project are to avoid confusion or missteps on either end. This advice resonated with me because having a five-minute conversation about the expectations for a project saves so much time and energy on the summer associate end and the attorney end.
Q: How did your experience this summer compare to what you expected coming in? Were there any surprises?
A: Going in I expected the everyday work to be more supervised or structured. I was surprised by the independence and discretion I was given to choose my own projects in the areas that interested me the most.
Q: Looking back, what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself at the start of the summer?
A: One piece of advice I’d give myself at the start of the summer is work hard to provide the highest quality work product but also understand there are many things you will not understand how to do and that’s ok. Don’t overthink it, just do the best you can!
Q: What insights or words of wisdom would you pass along to next year’s Summer Associate class?
A: The legal work you are doing is important, but equally important are the soft skills you are learning that you will take with you throughout your career. Soft skills like time management, communication, reliability, and professionalism transfer to your legal work product, which in turn starts to build your professional and personal reputation.
About Fraser Stryker’s Summer Associate Program
The Summer Associate Program is structured to give summer associates a realistic experience, which is comparable to that of a first-year attorney. Visit the Fraser Stryker Summer Associate Program page to learn more about our program.
This article has been prepared for general information purposes and (1) does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship, (2) is not intended as a solicitation, (3) is not intended to convey or constitute legal advice, and (4) is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney. Always seek professional counsel prior to taking action.