This summer, Syracuse Law students are gaining hands-on experience at firms, courts, and organizations across the country. Over the coming weeks, we’re spotlighting where a few students are spending their summer, and how their Syracuse Law coursework prepared them for the work.
Next stop: Rebecca Lee, 3L (2027), Department of Transportation Summer Internship at the Federal Aviation Administration, Employment and Labor Law Division in Washington, D.C.
What does a typical day look like for you, and what’s one thing that surprised you about it?
A typical day looks like commuting via Metro to Independence Ave., greeting the Employment and Labor Law attorneys, and getting to work on cases. So far, I’ve worked Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Merit Service Protection Board cases, drafting motions, assisting in prehearing submissions and case development, creating agency files, and performing research tasks from both Employment and Labor Law teams. One thing that surprised me about this work is how many claimants in both forums are pro se litigants.
What made you choose this organization for your internship or externship?
I chose this organization for my summer internship because I wanted to experience litigation within an Agency. I enjoyed taking Administrative Law and Regulatory Law during law school and wanted to see the practice in real life and in a field of the law that I was unfamiliar with. While I knew that it was going to be challenging working with doctrine that I was not accustomed to, the attorneys I interviewed with from the Division did not take my lack of knowledge and experience as a disadvantage. It was clear to me from the interview that they were interested in letting me observe and learn from them as much as possible
What’s one project or task you’ve worked on that you’re proud of, and what did you learn from it?
One case that I’ve worked on is an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claim regarding discrimination and harassment/hostile work environment on the basis of race, color, and sex over non-promotion/selection in 2000. This case was unique in that it became complex due to a class action that led to the EEOC claim to be held in abeyance until the class’s dissolution nearly 20-years after filing. I was tasked with drafting the Motion for Summary Judgment with the help from their class actions attorney. I learned that seemingly simple claims may quickly turn complex due to various different factors, like in this case, having to search for relevant documents in a CD that was created in 1999.
Do you see yourself practicing in this area of law after graduation? What’s drawing you toward this field?
I do see myself practicing in this area of the law post-graduation. While my current path requires me to serve active-duty Army after graduation, I can see myself returning to D.C. to work in an Employment Law capacity. I am drawn to this field because it has a little bit of everything. I would be able to advise on matters directly related to employees’ work experiences and their fundamental rights but also litigate on behalf of the government.
How has Syracuse Law prepared you for this experience?
Syracuse Law prepared me for this experience in numerous ways. Having an interest in working for the federal government, I was able to take courses that allowed me to explore and understand the interworking of administrative agencies generally, like Administrative Law and Regulatory Law. Through those courses, I was able to develop a relationship with professors who are highly knowledgeable about administrative agencies and were able to engage in open dialogue with me to further develop my understanding before going to work for my second administrative agency. Syracuse Law also helped to prepare me for this experience in connecting me to alumni who either worked for the FAA themselves or are currently employed by the FAA.
