Jack Mailander and Taylor Nederhoff, both 2L Drake Law students, participated as interns in the Iowa State Bar Association’s Rural Practice Program this past summer. The program is designed to help bring lawyers to rural areas of Iowa while educating students on the practical application of law.
Nederhoff, whose future goals include practicing in a rural area, interned with Pabst Law Firm in Albia, IA. During his time at the firm, Nederhoff performed a variety of tasks including writing two briefs; one for the Supreme Court of Iowa and the other for a District Court case. He also gained a great deal of practical experience, stating that “Mr. Pabst provided me with many pointers on how to efficiently run a rural firm. He also gave me insight on how to actually practice law by offering me tips on how to more effectively write legal documents. He also showed me areas where many new attorneys make mistakes.” Nederhoff continued to reflect on his experience saying, “Going into the internship, I had hoped to hone my legal skills (including writing) and to learn how the legal profession is undertaken in a real world atmosphere. Both of these “hopes” have been satisfied and surpassed.”
Mailander interned at the G. Rawson Stevens law firm located in Shenandoah, IA. He began his experience after completing the Summer in France Program through Drake Law. Mailander also completed a variety of tasks working on cases involving insurance claims, business contracts, closing estates, divorce, and deed reviews. He also attended court and multiple client meetings with Mr. Stevens.
“The problem solving skills that I obtained during my first year at Drake Law helped me solve a wide variety of legal issues that I was exposed to during my time in Shenandoah” stated Mailander.
Drake Law School plans to continue to develop relationships between students and rural practitioners through the ISBA Rural Practice Program. For more information about the program, contact the Drake Law School Career Development Office by emailing law-career@drake.edu