Diversity Internship Program Students

In September 2000, the Albany County Bar Association formally established the Diversity Internship Program as a catalyst to increasing diversity in private practice law firms throughout the NY Capital District.

For over two decades the Diversity Internship Program has connected Albany Law School students with law firms creating meaningful internship experiences, as well as developing an array of networking and educational opportunities for student participation. The program continues to thrive with more firms participating each year and a growing number of applicants applying. We are very proud of our interns this past academic year for taking the initiative to be strategic with their budding law careers.

Diversity Internship Program StudentsSpring 2021

Halima BegumAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Sylhet, Bangladesh

Undergraduate: Fordham University, Bronx, NY

Internship: Brown Weinraub, PLLC (Spring 2021) and O’Connell & Aronowitz (Fall 2019 and Spring 2020)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney?

I chose to be an attorney because I have always been passionate about social justice and I learned in college that attorneys are some of the main agents of social change.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested In Private Practice?

Don’t get scared by what you read/hear about people who work in private practice! Be open minded and decide for yourself.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working In A Private Firm?

Busy attorneys will take time to teach you things if you show interest and work hard.

Albany Law School, Class of 2021


Shellee DanielAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Undergraduate: Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL

Internship: Hodgson Russ, LLP (Spring 2021) and Schiller, Knapp, Lefkowitz & Hertzel, LLP (Fall 2019)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? Although it sounds cliché, I chose to become an attorney because I wanted to join a profession where I could help people and bring about tangible change. For example, in the entertainment profession, artists are taken advantage

of through their contractual obligations. My goal is to represent various artist and others in the entertainment industry to ensure that their rights are protected.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? I would advise law students interested in private practice to be open to working on issues that are outside of their interests. I would also advise students to ask for help when necessary.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? I’ve been mostly surprised at how warm and welcoming everyone has been. Society sometimes portrays private firms as a dog eat dog, hostile environment. However, my experience at Hodgson Russ, LLP was nothing like that. Everyone was willing to help me with whatever I needed.

AbiDemi DonovanAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica

Undergraduate: Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

Internship: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Spring 2021) and Mack & Associates, PLLC (Spring 2020)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? My aunt and mentor was an attorney. Throughout my childhood, she really emphasized the value of being curious, able to think critically, comfortable articulating thoughts in person or on paper, and generally just having an

interest in doing more than “occupying space” in life. It’s really stuck with me throughout life and I see becoming an attorney as the intersection of those values, my academic strengths, and my desire to effect change.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? Take initiative; attorneys are extremely busy and will expect you to be proactive about seeking assignments and getting feedback on them.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? How collegial things were! Attorneys would circulate interesting reading material to everyone in the firm, there were staff appreciation gifts, and just generally a positive atmosphere.


Taire HerasmeAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Undergraduate: Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY

Internship: O’Connell & Aronowitz (Spring 2021) and Shenker, Russo & Clark, LLP (Spring 2020)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I am choosing to become an attorney because the profession requires that you remain teachable. This profession will allow me to continuously learn about the law, as well as the various other fields that often intersect

with the law.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? If an opportunity presents itself in private practice, take advantage of it. Doing so will expand the range of your skills and allow for exposure into different methods of practice.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? Nothing particularly surprising. Just like every new experience, it’s a learning process!

Krystal L. MacharieAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Spring Valley, NY

Undergraduate: University at Albany SUNY, Albany, NY

Internship: Bond, Shoeneck and King, PLLC (Spring 2021) and Shenker, Russo, & Clark, LLP (Spring 2020)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? My uncle is an attorney and he has always been my hero in life. I knew very young that I wanted to be just like him. As I got older and noticed the lack of resources in my community, I realized why he was an attorney and

decided that it made the most sense for me to be an attorney.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? I would advise students to take every chance that is availed to them. You will not know how comfortable you are going to be working in private practice until you get your feet in the door.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? I always expected private practice to be a little cold and cutthroat, but my time at Bond taught me that it doesn’t have to be that way. I was genuinely surprised at the support that I received at the firm. Everyone seemed genuinely interested in my learning experience at the firm, as well as how I was doing in school.


Emely Batisa RamirezAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Bronx, NY

Undergraduate: University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY

Internship: Mack & Associates, PLLC (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I decided I wanted to go to law school during a high school government course. In the course I learned the percent of people of color involved in government and were attorneys and was not happy about it so I decided to be part of the solution to fix those numbers so they could be more representative of our

actual population in the country.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? Apply to all the internships you can, and if you do get an internship make yourself known to who you’re working with. Ask to be part of things, if you could be of any help to those who you’re working with, and make sure you ask for help when you need it.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? Working in a small private firm I learned the power of asking for help and having more than one brain working through an issue that seems impossible to conquer.

Syeda ZahraAlbany Law School Class of 2021

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Undergraduate: University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY

Internship: Barclay Damon, LLP (Spring 2021) and Bond, Schoeneck, and King, PLLC (Spring 2020)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I chose to become an attorney because I was interested in working on challenging and sophisticated matters, across multiple disciplines. As a Biology major, I was confined to life sciences field. I chose law school

since being an attorney would provide me with the opportunity to work across many different areas, as well as utilize and improve the analytical skills I learned over the course of four years as a life-sciences major.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? I would advise law students to take the initiative to ask for work in the fields that they are interested in. Attorneys and partners at a law firm, in my experience, are always more than happy to provide exposure to their particular areas of expertise.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? Law firms, in particular, each law firm, has their own unique firm culture, which differs significantly from the public sector. Navigating the firm’s culture is very important for a valuable experience at a private firm.


Albany Law School, Class of 2022

Alishah BhimaniAlbany Law School Class of 2022

Hometown: Roslyn, NY

Undergraduate: University at Geneseo SUNY, Geneseo, NY

Internship: E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy, LLP (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I chose to be an attorney because I wanted an intellectually rewarding job that allowed me to help my clients.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? I would tell other law students that working in private practice allows you to pursue cases you are

interested in and build stronger client relationships.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? I was most surprised to see how the office felt like a family. Not only among the attorneys and staff, but also between the attorneys and their clients.

Dr. Michelle Bodden-WhiteAlbany Law School Class of 2022

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY

Undergraduate: New York University, New York City, NY

Internship: Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna, LLP (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I want to use the law to improve people’s lives.What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? Work hard and be open-minded to trying different practice areas.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? I thought of law firms and being somewhat stiff, but everyone is friendly, supportive, and helpful.


Leila DwyerAlbany Law School Class of 2022

Hometown: Niskayuna, NY

Undergraduate: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY

Internship: Nixon Peabody, LLP (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I chose to be an attorney because I want to make a positive impact on my community and in society in general. Furthermore, I want to work in an intellectually stimulating field, that challenges me each day to grow professionally and personally, allowing me to be a lifelong learner by engaging with people from various

different life experiences.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? I would advise students to get comfortable advocating for themselves and reaching out to attorneys while working at the firm for assignments, any questions you may have and to communicate priority of assignments.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? I was surprised to learn how friendly and open partners are to getting to know interns, discussing their experiences in the legal field and providing wholistic guidance to your career as a lawyer.

Kyra GanswithAlbany Law School Class of 2022

Hometown: Schenectady, NY

Undergraduate: Hamilton College, Clinton NY

Internship: Shenker Russo & Clark, LLP (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? Becoming an attorney has been a long-standing dream for me. I witnessed the impact attorneys had on individuals from my community and knew I wanted to help. After an internship with a law firm in college, I became fascinated with helping clients and organizations use their resources to strategically solve

their problems.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? Ask questions and seek feedback often.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? I was amazed by the wide array of projects and clients the firm worked with. The attorneys were very skilled on getting up to speed on a variety of issues.


Maria MaciasAlbany Law School Class of 2022

Hometown: Quito, Ecuador

Undergraduate: The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY

Internship: Couch White, LLP (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? I have being interested in the legal profession since I was little. As I grew up, I realized that I wanted to help people and a Law degree would be the best way to do so.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? Keep an open mind. You would be surprised about how much you can learn in just a week. Also don’t be afraid to ask questions.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? The most surprising thing that I have learnt from working in a private firm is that you never stop learning. Every assignment is an opportunity to learn about a new area of the law.

Caroline RodriguezAlbany Law School Class of 2022

Hometown: Rochester, NY

Undergraduate: Cornell University

Internship: Rivkin Radler, LLP (Spring 2021)

Why Did You Choose to Be an Attorney? After undergrad, I lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for two years. While there, I volunteered as an assistant coordinator for legal conferences at the U.S. Embassy. At the time, Argentina was transitioning from an inquisitorial to an adversarial system. I learned that Argentina’s military dictatorship of the late 1970s and early 1980s created distrust in a powerful, centralized government. Thus under an adversarial system, some Argentine judges were hesitant to hand over what they viewed as too much discretion to Argentine prosecutors. As I began to learn more

about the role of U.S. prosecutors, I developed a richer understanding of how a country’s past continues to affect their legal decisions into the present and future. Through this experience, I also became more interested in the US legal system and decided to apply to law school.

What Advice Would You Give Law Students Interested in Private Practice? Don’t be turned off by billable hours. My firm let me ease into the system rather than having to religiously enter every activity I work on. They sent a PowerPoint with examples of how attorneys enter their hours. I’m still not doing as well as the attorney’s in the firm. But I will have a jump-start on other associates that haven’t had any training.

What Is the Most Surprising Thing You Learned About Working in A Private Firm? Everyone was so nice! Whenever I had a problem, individuals would go out of their way to help me. I also enjoyed the weekly Women’s Initiative meetings on Friday. I was able to meet women from other offices and cities. It made a firm of 400 attorneys feel more like a community.

Documents

Diversity Internship Program Students