My summer internship has been an inspiring intersection between putting my (limited) legal knowledge to use, serving a Fortune 500 company and learning from some of the brightest (and humblest) legal minds on the planet.

In the photo is me with 3M General Counsel Ivan Fong and fellow intern Micah Hensley. The breadth of matters that I touched while remaining within a single zip code (solely occupied by 3M, if I might add) is likely unmatched by any other summer experience for law students. My experience has been marked by analyzing gift rules for lobbyists, offering suggested revisions to contract language and even assisting a senior counsel with pro bono work.

Legal Affairs also gave me amazing opportunities outside of headquarters. 3M is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. The organization is focused on creating a truly diverse legal profession. Due to this affiliation, I had the opportunity to interact with other law students spending their summers in corporate environments by participating in the group’s Scholars Summit in Dallas. The conference touched on navigating generational gaps, personal branding, corporate clientele and the shifting terrain of the legal profession.