Leslie Peterson: Focuses on Litigation
December 2006
After spending three years working with attorneys in the area of trust and estate and fiduciary litigation, second-year law student Leslie Peterson was convinced that T&E is all she wanted to do. “Attending law school has broadened my interest, and my internship this past summer has me now focused on litigation.” Leslie interned for the Honorable William P. Dimitrouleas in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Working with Judge Dimitrouleas, Leslie reviewed each party’s pleadings, researched case law, and drafted orders on the issues at hand. Leslie encountered a wide variety of matters such as motions for class certification, motions to remand, and petitions for removal. In particular, Leslie dealt with matters concerning the Class Action Fairness Act and maritime law. “I loved being able to sit in the judge’s chambers library and research. I was not trying to formulate an argument; instead, I was trying to explain the law as it stands and how it applies to the issue at hand. At first, it was a difficult adjustment, as I was used to being told “This is your position. Argue it.”
Leslie enjoyed speaking with Judge Dimitrouleas about the law in other circuits and trying to predict whether the 11th circuit would find the other circuits decisions as persuasive. “Being able to sit in a judge’s chambers and talk about the law for hours on end is an experience I will not forget; especially when they really want to hear your interpretation of it.” Additionally, Leslie enjoyed having the opportunity to see what the judge sees and observe the best ways to present arguments to the bench.
Leslie attributes her prior work experience, along with her civil procedure class, as beneficial preparation for her internship. More importantly, however, was the legal training that Leslie received during her first year at UM. “I found the research and writing skills I developed in my LRW class to be invaluable.”
Leslie attended the University of Florida, where she received both a B.A. in business administration and a B.S. in psychology. Leslie was a Florida Bright Futures Scholar and participated in the UF Honors Program. She served as a TA for Interpersonal Communications in the College of Education and studied abroad in Paris, France. Leslie also spent a great amount of time volunteering for pediatric cancer patients at Shands Medical Center. Additionally, she was involved in a student mentoring program for disadvantaged youth and raised money for CASA – a Guardian ad Litem program. Further, Leslie spent her last two years of school working 30 hours a week at a local promotion and production company.
At UM, Leslie placed in the Quarter Finals of the 1L Moot Court Competition and is now a candidate for the Moot Court Board. Leslie is a staff editor for the University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review. She is a founding member of the Real Estate and Trust Law Society and a member of the Student Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Committee. Leslie also writes for Action line newsletter; a quarterly publication that is distributed by the Florida Bar to members of the Florida Bar RPPTL Section.
Currently Leslie is interning for the Center for Ethics and Public Service in the Corporate and Professional Responsibility Program and participates in HOPE and the Books and Buddies program. As a part of her internship with the Center for Ethics and Public Service, Leslie conducted a CLE training at Greenberg Traurig for approximately 160 lawyers regarding the unauthorized practice of law.
Leslie chose UM because she did not want to move far away from the network of legal contacts she had developed. “The city is on the verge of becoming something great and UM is in the center of the community. The different areas of the community have different things to offer and UM does its best to help its students find their niches in this ever expanding community.” Leslie has enjoyed such law classes as Property with Professor Abraham, Professional Responsibility with Professor Alfieri and a constitutional law class conducted by Justice Breyer. “Participating in a class lead by a justice of the US Supreme Court is a memory you will never forget.”
In her spare time, Leslie enjoys playing golf and tennis. She also enjoys taking a bike or yoga class as a method of de-stressing. “I have a 15 year old brother who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, so my newest hobby is teaching him to drive!”
Leslie has just accepted an offer for a summer associate position at Reed Smith in Washington, D.C.
