Written by Alexandra Saddik
February 22, 2023
Joining BEACH as an attorney mentor, I wanted to participate in preparing upcoming lawyers for the challenges and rewards of practicing law.
My goal is to provide students with the support they need with the autonomy to explore the profession in a safe environment. Real-world experience is how students learn both substantive practice and the human component of providing a service to clients. Balancing the classroom experience with practical application sets students up for success with early development of skills that would otherwise need to be acquired in the first year of practice. The skills learned in BEACH therefore create long-term value for the students as they develop skills as well as for clients who receive advice on how to grow their businesses.
One of the most important practical lessons is communication. The first thing we do as a team is define expectations; this means listening to the students’ goals and explaining my methodology. Setting the tone of clear communication early on establishes trust, not only between attorney and client (itself a critical relationship because our services often impact, at a minimum, financial livelihood), but also among attorneys.
We rarely operate in a vacuum. Whether in transactional work or litigation, attorneys need to trust in each others’ abilities to best serve the client. Particularly in larger cases, there will often be more than one attorney working on a case, which requires clear communication and coordination. This is one of the biggest lessons I feel students can learn in BEACH. The student that takes the opportunity to hone communication skills while still in law school creates their long-term marketability and an ability to contribute to client needs in a way that will allow the client to grow, whether in transactional work or litigation.
Alexandra Saddik '19 is passionate about using strong research, writing, and analytical skills to help people find mutually beneficial legal solutions within the corporate law, employment law, construction law, and tech transactions context. She has been mentoring with BEACH over many iterations and gives back to the SCU community through her mentorship and involvement with students.