Alumnus Helps Recent Graduate Land Job in Chicago

In another recent example of alumni helping alumni, Kurt Newsom, JD '04, assisted in the placement of one of Miami Law's graduates, Ben McCulloch, JD '11, at an investment firm just outside of Chicago. McCulloch, a former HOPE Fellow, recently began working as Associate Counsel at First Trust Portfolios. Newsom is currently the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Geneva Investment Management of Chicago, LLC.

By UM News 06-25-2012

"It's encouraging to see that some of our more established alums are actively participating in the placement of our recent graduates," said Myles A. Cochran, Director, Domestic Public Interest Programs for the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center at Miami Law.

Last summer McCulloch worked at the Miami office of the Security and Exchange Commission for his HOPE fellowship. He was an active member of the Student Bar Association, serving as the organization's treasurer during the 2010-2011 academic years. He was also an executive editor of the International and Comparative Law Review. "Miami Law provided me with a first-class legal education," said McCulloch. "In addition to the excellent legal education, our alumni are a national network of attorneys, business leaders, and political leaders. My connections to alumni in Chicago – especially Kurt Newsom – allowed me to quickly grow my legal network, and were integral to me finding an ideal position within the securities industry. I can truly say that Miami Law alumni are always willing to help a fellow 'Cane."

One characteristic of the University of Miami that has always resonated with me is that no matter where I am in the world when I run into a fellow Cane they are always more than willing to offer assistance through whatever means they have available to them," said Newsom. "When Myles let me know that there was a recent UM law school graduate moving to Chicago and interested in my industry it seemed natural to see if I could point Ben in the right direction. Ben's personality and experience spoke for itself. There is definitely a different sense of camaraderie that I would almost characterize as family for UM Grads, which I have not seen with other alumni associations, especially in Chicago. It makes me proud to be a 'Cane and happy to have another alumni colleague in the Chicago area."

"The fact that Kurt took the time to assist a recent Miami Law graduate in his job search is a testament to both the type of person he is and the experience he had while at Miami Law," said Cochran.