Summer Associate Reflection
Graham Quinn South Texas College of Law – Houston
The thing I’ve enjoyed most about working at Cokinos | Young is how approachable everyone is. Whenever I have a question, looking for a project to work on, or simply just ask about the practice of law, every attorney in the firm is more than happy to talk. Over the course of my several summers with the firm, I have really appreciated how much practical knowledge I have gained about the practice of law. The attorneys don’t just give us busy work; we are hands-on and involved with the cases they are working on. I also have enjoyed the opportunities to just observe and learn by sitting in on depositions, mediations, conference calls, etc. I think that working at Cokinos | Young is a great way to learn about a wide variety of roles that attorneys play, as the firm has such diverse practice groups.
Josh Moyan South Texas College of Law – Houston
I believe that working with John Grayson and Joe Walker on a complex pipeline litigation case has been the most valuable to me because that’s more in the area of what I want to practice. I enjoyed getting the opportunity to work with many different attorneys at Cokinos | Young and being able to see how each attorney conducts their own practice. This experience confirmed that I want to practice in construction litigation. Most importantly, Senior Law Clerk, Graham Quinn, had a tremendous impact on my future legal experience as he was a great mentor to all the summer associates.
Courtney Shaw University of Texas School of Law
My time at Cokinos | Young has reinforced my excitement to practice law. I have been able to advance my writing skills and better understand what it takes to be an outstanding attorney. Having the opportunity to work on many different areas of law has been great. I was surprised how many topics fall into construction law and how exciting it can be to work on such large and complex cases. My favorite part of the summer was being able to work on a case and see the motions I worked on make it all the way to a hearing. It is a great feeling to see a bit of my work being used to help people in the legal system. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience than working at C|Y this summer. I know I will be able to use all of the skills I learned in my future legal career.
Max Sternberg
Due to coronavirus, I was unsure about my summer associate experience and what the law firm environment would be like. It was pleasantly surprising and refreshing how friendly and welcoming everyone at Cokinos | Young was. I enjoyed sitting in on Charles’s deposition and getting to go back with the person being deposed on breaks and listening to Russell and Charles offer advice on how he should handle potential questions. I found a broad range of work to be the most valuable aspect so far. I’ve learned a lot about bankruptcy sanctions from working on a project for Misty. I feel this experience will make me a better lawyer right out of law school because I have seen firsthand the new type of office environment that will likely be around for some time due to coronavirus.
David Suttner South Texas College of Law – Houston
I really enjoyed my time at Cokinos | Young. I was very grateful Gregory allowed the program to continue despite the current circumstances. I was very surprised by the culture of Cokinos. All the attorneys I met were down to earth, helpful, and very personable. I found that many of the associates are people I would be friends with in real life. As for the work, It was nice seeing the types of claims that construction lawyers deal with. Fraud is probably my favorite area of the law and it seems it was in every case I took part in. Overall, it was a wonderful summer despite the current conditions. I will always be grateful for my time at Cokinos | Young.
Daniell Snow Baylor Law School
Reem Ali University of Texas School of Law
I’ve truly learned so much in the past ten weeks with CY, from the process of starting litigation, to what post-judgment procedures look like. Each of the attorneys I worked with was extremely helpful in answering any and all questions I had; I appreciated the varying perspectives each of them provided on the litigation process. I’m glad that C|Y offers legal services in many different fields, it gave me the opportunity to delve into areas of the law that I had no prior experience in.
Divya Ahuja University of Texas School of Law
Due to COVID-19 and it’s impact, I interned entirely from home this summer apart from the first two days of the internship. I was extremely worried about how this would impact my time with Cokinos over the summer and I am so happy to say that it didn’t. The attorneys over the summer, especially Shelby, were extremely helpful and kind. I felt almost as connected virtually as I would have in person. Additionally, it was both fun and informative to watch a deal from its fruition as I had never done that before. Overall, I feel fortunate that I was able to intern with Cokinos as it not only feels like I gained meaningful experience but also made meaningful connections that I feel will last a lifetime.
Brian Pounds University of Houston
Clerking at Cokinos | Young this summer has been a fantastic experience. It’s really striking how inclusive the firm’s culture is, and how focused everyone here is on positive feedback. It’s always a little unnerving walking into a prestigious firm like Cokinos | Young and wondering if you’ll be accepted. If you’ll be able to find a way to be involved or help make a difference. But at Cokinos, those nerves lasted all of thirty seconds. From the beginning, each and every attorney I’ve been fortunate to work with has been enthusiastic and diligent about offering guidance and support to help me refine my legal skills. On top of that, I’ve noticed that every single time I’ve turned in an assignment, I’ve received sincere thanks and encouragement about my work. That dedication to those small, but crucial details, have made Cokinos | Young not just a place where I go to work—but a place where I genuinely look forward to going to work.
Nicho Stevens Baylor Law School
Clerking at Cokinos | Young has been a valuable experience from the start. I truly appreciate the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at this firm. Each lawyer that I’ve had the opportunity to work with has provided helpful feedback that has shaped my legal knowledge. I look forward to taking the skills I’ve learned here and applied them in my future practice as a lawyer.