Yvette Bessent: Summer Clerkship Leads to Job Offer

Yvette Bessent was only four years old when she decided that she wanted to be an attorney. "From an early age, people told me that I would make a good lawyer because I was so analytical." Yvette grew up in Miami and is a graduate of Killian High School. Before enrolling at the University of Miami School of Law, she earned a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Florida A&M University, where she graduated cum laude, and a MBA from Nova Southeastern University. An important influence on her decision to study law was her family which encouraged Yvette to pursue her dreams.

First year was a very difficult and humbling experience for Yvette. "Law school surpassed my expectations in regards to the challenging level of the material the professors covered." Yvette was a successful student at both the undergraduate and graduate level and she felt that both degrees had been challenging academically. However, the volume of the work and the intensity of legal studies were astounding at first and required her to make some adjustments. "I was used to being one of the stars in my classes. To learn how to read and write in a legal context was rough."

"The 'dream team' really pushed us close to the edge." She had the "dream team" of first year professors: Professors Stotzky, Alfieri, Hausler, Mahoney and Casebeer. These professors presented an awesome array of challenges. "There were several times when I seriously considered quitting, but my sheer will to succeed and my daughter, Brieanna, were definitely the reasons I kept going and wouldn't give up. Brieanna was a source of inspiration for me." Yvette remembers one night being really stressed-out and while driving home she just burst into tears and cried her eyes out. When she confessed this to a colleague, she was told, "Oh, I did that last week." Yvette has found Miami's faculty to be a tremendous resource and others in the administration, such as Dean VanderWyden, and staff members have offered strong support and guidance along the way. Offsprings of her hard work include being selected to be a Dean's Fellow in Elements for Stotzky in her second year as well as being invited to join the University of Miami Law Review. Both opportunities have greatly enhanced her repertoire of law school experiences.

The summer after her first year, Yvette spent as a clerk with Holland & Knight in Miami. She was fortunate to have such an offer as a rising 2L since most clerks are rising 3Ls. She did some work in trademark infringement, employment, and other contract issues, mainly litigation. Yvette found that Miami's Westlaw training in the second semester of her first year was very helpful in her summer job. She took this training very seriously and as a result was able to do research with greater ease than some other clerks.

Yvette participated in the Southeastern Minority Job Fair in Atlanta in the fall of her second year where she interviewed with numerous law firms, one of which was Arnold and Porter in Washington, D.C. Yvette had received several calls from her interviews in Atlanta and she was also interviewing with law firms in Miami when Arnold & Porter, a firm that has over 500 attorneys in the DC office offered her a summer clerkship. She took it because she wanted an experience outside of Florida. While at A&P, Yvette went to depositions and underwent extensive training that was invaluable. She was interested in working in transactional securities and at A&P she was able to develop some wonderful mentors. Shortly after returning to Miami, A&P made her an offer to join the firm upon graduation and she accepted the position immediately. "They expect people to work hard and meet high expectations, but they also want people to have a balanced life". The fact that A&P has a child care center at the firm is ideal since she is the proud mother of a 5 year old and it shows that the firm actively supports family life. The job will also give her the opportunity to see more of her sister who lives in Maryland.

Although Yvette has been told that she would be a very strong litigator (she won the Moot Court Competition in her first year with fellow student, Christina Farley), she is not passionate about litigation and would prefer transactional security work. Yvette has also developed her writing skills since coming to UM. In an upcoming UM Law Review, her article on the admissibility of polygraph evidence when offered by the defendant, is being published.

Despite Yvette's 1L jitters, she obviously was meant to be an attorney, and not just a run-of-the-mill one. She is looking forward to D.C. and A&P. She expects to work hard and to play hard as well. The strong work ethic that has brought her this far is likely to continue and provide a foundation for a successful career.