On February 28, the Center for Public Interest Law held the first of its returning series of brown bag lunches. Put together by CPIL's Mentorship Committee, these small speaker events aim to bring students and local practitioners together in a relaxed atmosphere so students can not only learn about attorney's experiences, but also build meaningful relationships through communication and interaction.
The first lunch kicked off with a how-to theme, focusing on what steps students should take if they want to start their own practice. Speaking at the event were DePaul alumni Amanda Graham ('12), Katie Kizer ('12), and Damon Ritenhouse ('11). Amanda and Katie successfully started their own criminal defense practice after graduation, and Damon joined a small civil litigation firm right at its start-up.
The speakers discussed topics such as business plans and marketing, the importance of having mentors, how to get clientele, and the timeframe students should take into account while planning for the future. Students who attended learned the ins and outs of the attorneys' lives at present, and received invaluable insider advice on how to get there.
CPIL plans on hosting two more brown bag lunches this semester, focused on non-traditional lawyering and different areas of local and governmental policy work. Emails and announcements can be found at CPIL's Facebook page.