Devang Desai: Accepts Job Offer from Steel Hector & Davis

After graduating from the law school in May of 2003, Devang Desai will begin practicing in the areas of government affairs and bankruptcy litigation with Steel Hector & Davis. His summer associate position with the firm was immensely helpful because it gave him the opportunity to gain some practical experience in these areas and to see if the firm was the right fit for him. "If someone asked me a couple of years ago about working in bankruptcy, I wouldn't have even considered it."

Devang also attributes his change of temperament toward bankruptcy to a class he took on the subject with Professor Redmond during his second year. Not only did she spark an interest in bankruptcy, Devang also found her to be an inspiring role model. "She's the ideal lawyer because she's a successful, ethical attorney, a great professor, and she's involved in the community. She understands the needs of people and she loves her students."

Devang embraces the premise that being a successful lawyer is more than bringing home a big paycheck. Since coming to UM Law, Devang has held positions with or been a member of over twenty organizations, committees, and programs at UM. Last spring, his classmates elected him the President of the Student Bar Association. He is also a member of Iron Arrow, the highest honor society at the law school.

With his job search completed, as SBA President, Devang can concentrate this year on realizing his vision of a law school that is more intertwined with the rest of the campus community. "Law school doesn't leave one an excessive amount of free time and it takes commitment to get involved in university activities outside the law school."

There are auspicious signs that others agree with Devang's conviction. This fall semester there is already an increase in the number of law students serving on campus-wide committees and panels. As an alumnus of UM's undergraduate, Devang is an ideal leader in this effort. In addition to his numerous involvements at the law school, he is serving on a recently formed presidential commission to address alcohol and drug related issues on campus, and since January of this year, he has been a graduate assistant in the Dean of Students Office, serving primarily as an advisor to the University of Miami Undergraduate Honor Council.

Devang was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Before moving to South Florida, Devang and his family lived in England and Indiana. At the start of his sophomore year of college, Devang started working as a legal assistant at a local Coral Gables law firm. He continued with the position through the remainder of his undergraduate education and for an additional two years after completing his B.A. in political science. When the time came for him to apply to law schools, Devang knew that he wasn't interested in reestablishing himself in another city and that Miami, the city and the school, was the place for him. "With its strong academic footing and endless opportunities outside the classroom, the law school does an excellent job of preparing you for the unique challenges of Miami and South Florida. Whether it's international trade, environmental issues, or elections, I always feel like I'm right in the middle of the action. Miami is a diverse, international city and I think the law school reflects that."