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Every summer, law students at William H. Gates Hall head out to law firms, government offices, nonprofits and businesses across the country. For a few short months, these students work side-by-side with practicing attorneys, getting a firsthand look at the ins and outs of the legal profession. It’s a chance to move beyond theory and see how the law plays out in everyday life.

This new series catches up with rising 2L and 3L students as they briefly step away from their work and share their thoughts, surprises and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

This week, we met up with Cherita Raines, a rising 3L.

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Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: Where are you working this summer?

Cherita Raines (CR): At Keller Rohrback in downtown Seattle.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: Are you originally from Seattle, and if not, where?

CR: No, I'm originally from Eatonville, Florida, which is a small town outside of Orlando.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: How did you find out about this employment opportunity?

CR: They came to campus and gave a presentation. The things they were discussing were of interest to me and so I applied.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What types of projects have you been working on?

CR: The firm does a lot of complex litigation, and they have different projects that involve my interest in public health. Some of the things they’ve worked on that really got me interested were insulin pricing, dealing with the opioid epidemic, and JUUL advertising vaping cigarettes to kids.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: How long will you be working there this summer?

CR: I will be here for 10 weeks.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What type of networking opportunities have you had while working there?

CR: They do a happy hour at the end of the workday where people can come in, grab drinks and snacks, and sit and talk to each other. So, there's plenty of opportunities to meet up with other lawyers, associates and partners.

Tomorrow, we're going to the Mariners game, and we'll probably have a big turnout of folks coming to that. So, that will be a good opportunity to meet people.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: Are you the only summer associate, or are there others?

CR: There are five summer associates at Keller Rohrback. One is based in the Portland office and the other four are in Seattle.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law If you could plan any type of event or outing for you and your coworkers, what would you do?

CR: I would probably pick bowling. I like bowling.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What do you think will be the most memorable part about this experience for you?

CR: Working on things that are interesting to me, feeling that my work is used, and just working with such a great group of people.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What's one positive surprise you've had since beginning your summer employment?

CR: Getting to work on the case I started working on last summer. When you first start you just jump in and don't get to see the whole breadth of things and how they take shape. There are other cases that I worked on that are still ongoing, but they're in different stages where other people are working on them now. So, it's good to have one that I started towards the end of my first summer, right out of the gate, and then am able to join in on again.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What's the most lawyerly thing you've caught yourself saying outside of work?

CR: Allegedly.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What would you recommend that every visitor to Seattle go see or do while visiting here?

CR: I would say go to the Olympic Peninsula. Catch a ferry and then go hike, go to Crescent Lake, go to Hurricane ridge.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: Are there any particular practice areas or types of law you've been exposed to that you hadn't considered before?

CR: The work that they're doing here that I didn't think about — but it fits in well with my interest in public health — is doing big class action cases that can affect populations of people and improve their health. Public health has always been an interest of mine, and something I thought I would retire into from my medical practice.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: How would you say Â鶹ÉçÇø Law best prepared you for this employment opportunity?

CR: Writing papers and doing research because that's pretty much the bulk of what I do.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: Do you have any other plans for the summer outside of your summer employment?

CR: Going back to Florida to visit my parents.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: If you could have a cameo in any legal TV show or movie, which one would you pick and what would your role be?

CR: Lincoln Lawyer. And I’d probably be his assistant that keeps him in line and keeps him focused.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your summer experience so far?

CR: The cases that we're working on. I really believe in the work, the scope, what we're representing, and what we stand for. These cases go on for years, but believing in the work that you're doing, and that it will be of good use to other people — that's the most rewarding thing.

Â鶹ÉçÇø Law: What's one interesting fact about you that people may not know?

CR: Maybe that I was a junior professional dancer. I did jazz, tap, ballet, modern ballet and pointe for a very long time.