The University of Miami School of Law prepares students to work across all legal areas from business law to criminal law to the judiciary and more. ‘Big Law’ firms - the largest of the large law firms, usually employing 100 or more lawyers and maintaining a national and often international presence across several offices – are no exception. In Law.com’s 2024 Go-To Law School Report, Miami Law was a Top 30 law school in the U.S. and number one in South Florida for percentage of graduates in the largest 100 U.S. firms.
Students gained practical skills in summer internships in these top firms, giving them the opportunity to apply their academics to real-world settings.
These internships build on the law school’s curriculum and programs in transactional and litigation skills to prepare students to graduate equipped to work in leading firms.
Heather Anbar, Summer Associate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
The J.D./LL.M. in Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law honors student was a summer associate in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis for the second consecutive summer. There Anbar worked on general corporate matters including music catalog M &A transactions and fund formation across various verticals.
At Miami Law, Anbar earned the CALI award in Legal Communications and Research I, II and Civil Procedure. She is active as an articles and comments editor of the University of Miami Law Review and a member of the Global Entertainment and Sports Law + Industry conference planning committee. This year, she is serving as President of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society.
Anbar did her undergraduate studies at Columbia University in New York City with a degree in English. After graduation, Anbar will join Kirkland & Ellis as a corporate associate in their Los Angeles office.
Esteban Cardona, Summer Associate, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Esteban Cordona is active at the law school as a member of the Colombian Bar Association, American Constitutional Society, and the Hispanic Law Student Association. This past summer he worked in Greenberg Traurig’s litigation department — an opportunity he learned about through Miami Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development.
During his internship Cardona participated in a mock oral argument as part of the Federal Court Observer Program which he said, “was invaluable in simulating real trial experience and growing as a litigator.” Cardona studied at Florida International University for his undergraduate degree with a major in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communication.
Samuel Hirsch, Summer Associate, McDermott Will & Emery
Third-year student Samuel Hirsch received his undergraduate degree at Syracuse University with a focus on finance and accounting. At Miami Law he is a University of Miami Law Review executive board member, participated in the Bankruptcy Assistance Clinic and received CALI Awards for Legal Communication and Writing, Environmental Law and Federal Income Tax.
Hirsch spent ten weeks over the summer at the prestigious firm of McDermott, Will & Emery in their Corporate Advisory Practice, focusing on Private Equity M&A. As part of his role, he contributed to lending transactions for private equity firms. “The most rewarding part of this internship has been gaining hands-on experience that will prepare me for a career as a corporate attorney,” he said about his experience.
Skylar Pollock, Summer Associate, Jones Day
Skylar Pollack studied her undergraduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University and focused on international relations and politics. At Miami Law she is a junior staff editor for the University of Miami Law Review, has been part of the Bankruptcy Assistance Clinic, and received the CALI award for Transactional Skills I.
In reflecting on her summer internship, where her responsibilities included legal research, drafting documents, and assisting in court proceedings, 3L Pollack says, “The most rewarding part of the internship has been discovering the areas of law that I’m passionate about. This experience has taught me how to work in teams and communicate with others in our office, as well as with our national offices.” She will be joining the firm as an Associate in 2025.
Alex Rivero, Summer Associate, DLA Piper
Third-year law student Alex Rivero did his undergraduate studies in Mexico City at Universidad Panamericana. At Miami Law, he is a joint degree student getting his J.D./LL.M. in U.S. and Transnational Law. This past summer he worked at DLA Piper. “The most exciting part of this program has been working alongside some of the top corporate attorneys in the world. This experience has reinforced my desire to continue in mergers and acquisitions.” At the law school he is a member of the Society of Bar & Gavel, International and Comparative Law Review, and the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Samara Spiler, Summer Associate, Kirkland & Ellis
Through an alumni contact, 3L Samara Spiler heard about the summer associate opportunity in New York City, working with Kirkland & Ellis in the firm’s real estate group. As part of her role, she focused on projects related to corporate property development, acquisitions & dispositions, loan agreements, joint ventures, and REIT transactions.
“The best part of this internship has been meeting and collaborating with a diverse and impressive set of over 150 other summer associates," she says. "This experience allowed me to obtain practical skills and work on active, large-scale deals that reinforced my interest in real estate law and empowered me to use my two years of legal education in practice.”
At Miami Law she is a member of the Cardozo Jewish Legal Society and is the Articles and Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review. Spiler did her undergraduate studies at University of Texas at Austin where she received her degree in International Relations and Global Management.
Julia Steiner, Summer Associate, Sidley Austin LLP
Julia Steiner, 3L, worked at Sidley Austin LLP in their litigation department in summer 2024. At Miami Law, she is a staff editor for the University of Miami Law Review, and has received many accolades in law school including being on Dean’s list, the Bruce J. Winick Award for Academic Excellence, a CALI award for legal writing, and various Dean’s Certificate of Achievement awards. She has served as a Dean’s Fellow for Civil Procedure with Professor JoNel Newman and worked as a judicial intern for the Honorable Roy K. Altman in summer 2023. Steiner studied Health Science and received her B.S. from the University of Miami.
Reflecting on the experience Steiner says, "My summer at Sidley was immensely rewarding in providing me with both substantive litigation experience and developing my professional skills. I assisted in drafting a complaint in a pro bono matter, interviewed clients, attended depositions, and developed case strategies for a multidistrict litigation. I am grateful to my mentors at Sidley’s Miami Office who provided an unmatched summer experience."
After the successful summer, she will be joining Sidley Austin LLP as an associate upon graduation.
