Beginning on January 27th, students at Miami Law will have the chance to learn about preparing the corporate client for litigation from Arlene Zalayet, who heads the Liberty Mutual Field Legal Operations organization. She is a Miami Law alumna.
To get an idea of how Zalayet thinks, we posed a few questions to her:
1. Why did you choose to teach at UM Law?
"The legal education I received at University of Miami was incredible and has served me well during my 32 years of practice. I feel aligned with the UM Law goal of imparting legal knowledge that encourages pragmatic and proactive lawyering."
2. What are you most looking forward about teaching at UM Law?
"I am most looking forward to interacting with the students and faculty!"
3. What can a UM law student hope to get out of your class?
"I want the "take away" to be an understanding of what it takes to become the "go to" lawyer at a large corporate Legal Department. The class will demonstrates methods to effectively represent a corporation and its' shareholders while offering "value add" daily counsel to and building trust with the company executives and "decision makers."
4. What is your most memorable teaching experience?
"My most rewarding experiences from teaching were not in the classroom but rather in the courtroom, I had the unique experience of watching my students become practicing attorneys and judges. I litigated cases in which my former students were my opposing counsel or the presiding judge in the case had taken my class. On one occasion my student / adversary raised a novel issue during an oral argument. The judge asked for authority to support the issue. The lawyer pointed to me and responded that he ‘learned it from Professor Zalayet.’ It was a memorable moment."
5. Where is the coolest place you've gotten to travel? Either as a result of teaching or personal travel.
"My favorite place is Florence, Italy, sheer perfection in every way."
6. Please give us one fun fact about yourself.
"My fun fact is that having grown up near the old Shea Stadium, I am a crazy, life-long New York Mets fan. I now work within a mile of Fenway Park in Boston, but just have no interest in the "Sox." I resist peer pressure and stay loyal to my Mets."
